Vanishing oil | GTAMotorcycle.com

Vanishing oil

S

smc

Well-known member
Hi, my bike appears to be burning oil. I did an oil change in late April, using Rotella T3 15W-40 and a K&N filter. The bike had the right amount then, but now is very low. I don't see any leaks on my garage floor or parking space at work. Google indicates it's some kind of gasket issue.

I really don't feel like taking the engine apart. Does anyone know of a quick fix? Even if temporary. I thought about using one of those stop leak products, but worry about changes in friction effecting the clutch.

Thanks.
 
What engine, what's the history of it. What's the spark plugs look like?

If it's not leaking, it's either being boiled off (overheating - oil temperature way too high) or it's burning, and if it's burning, it's either getting past the piston rings (high probability) or past the valve stem seals. Fuel delivery set up way too rich can cause problems, too.

If it's a high mileage tired old bike, oil is cheaper than a rebuild.
 
smc said:
Hi, my bike appears to be burning oil. I did an oil change in late April, using Rotella T3 15W-40 and a K&N filter. The bike had the right amount then, but now is very low. I don't see any leaks on my garage floor or parking space at work. Google indicates it's some kind of gasket issue.

I really don't feel like taking the engine apart. Does anyone know of a quick fix? Even if temporary. I thought about using one of those stop leak products, but worry about changes in friction effecting the clutch.

Thanks.
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Bike model/age/mileage? If the oil is making into into the chambers and being burnt, I doubt any additive would provide a benefit.
 
Yes it's an old 84 Shadow 500. I pulled the spark plugs out Wednesday evening and 3 of the 4 where black as night, but with carbon not oil. The other one looked (almost) new. I cleaned some of it off and the bike starts better, but I still bought new plugs and will replace them tomorrow. There is an oil temp sensor, it doesn't light up, but who knows maybe it doesn't work either.

While I don't mind working on the bike I'm not well versed in internal engine repairs, so if no one has a solution I'll just keep topping off the oil. The bike is realistically only worth $1000, I can't see paying someone to fix it.
 
Hmm, two spark plugs per cyilnder, didn't know that. If one plug in one cylinder looks almost new while the other one looks black, I have a funny feeling that the one that looks new wasn't firing. Not that this would have anything to do with oil consumption.

Very black spark plugs means the engine is running rich, and this can indirectly lead to high oil consumption if carbon build-up starts making the piston rings stick. Excess fuel also tends to wash oil off the cylinder walls.

Check the air filter.
 
If you overfill the crankcase oil, it will create a syphoning action, huff out the breather hose and up into the air box.
If the air filter is now saturated and the level is just a little low but otherwise okay (dipstick or sight glass), then that's likely what happened.
 
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RockerGuy said:
Anything Honda, bro. Even their cars. No joke
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Funny, my 2006 Honda Accord V6 coupe doesn't burn any oil over 10,000km, nor did my 2011 CBR250RA, or my CBR650FA. Yes some of the Fireblades had issues, but all Hondas don't have oil burning issues.
 
Alright I'll check the air box tomorrow as well. I can't see having overfilled the case, the Clymer manual states 2.5L and I added that amount exactly, the reading on the stick was 100% where it should have been. Now there's hardly anything in there, I added the last ~400ml I had left this morning to get to work.

I did having it running rich during those nice frosty mid-May mornings we had because it was the only way to get the damn thing to run. This week it's been much more cooperative.
 
smc said:
Alright I'll check the air box tomorrow as well. I can't see having overfilled the case, the Clymer manual states 2.5L and I added that amount exactly, the reading on the stick was 100% where it should have been.
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I haven't looked at a Clymer in a while, but many times the stated oil capacity should only be added after a rebuild. It is common that less is required for a change (~-0.5L normally) to account for oil that remains in the engine. No idea if this has anything to do with your problems though.
 
It's not worth the rebuild , if it's burning oil just top it up
 
GreyGhost said:
I haven't looked at a Clymer in a while, but many times the stated oil capacity should only be added after a rebuild.
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It says 3L for a rebuild, 2.5L for a change.

Took out the air box this morning. No oil in there, but the filter was full of plant bits. Cleaned the filter with solvent and gear oil, but put some tears into it so I'll order a new one.

I'll just keep topping off the oil.
 
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