bike spewing oil into the airbox, advice welcomed.

ducatiparts.110mb

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1150GS, 2005, 42000 miles, Owned since Oct last year but only done about 750 miles.

When its standing in the garage, oil drips from the vacuum connections on the throttle bodies. Have drained the airbox and got out about an inch and a half into a cup. Run the bike about 60 - 100 miles and it does it again.
Oil level is half way up the sight glass.
Checked the compression yesterday, 12.75 bars one side, 13.25 the other, so it doesn't look like the rings are shot.
Any suggestions what to do to stop the oil coming up the breather pipe?
Should the airbox have an oil separator where the breater pipe enters? Is it easy to check this? I can't see much looking down through the filter housing.

Thanks,
Mark
 
ducatiparts.110mb said:
1150GS, 2005, 42000 miles, Owned since Oct last year but only done about 750 miles.

When its standing in the garage, oil drips from the vacuum connections on the throttle bodies. Have drained the airbox and got out about an inch and a half into a cup. Run the bike about 60 - 100 miles and it does it again.
Oil level is half way up the sight glass.
Checked the compression yesterday, 12.75 bars one side, 13.25 the other, so it doesn't look like the rings are shot.
Any suggestions what to do to stop the oil coming up the breather pipe?
Should the airbox have an oil separator where the breater pipe enters? Is it easy to check this? I can't see much looking down through the filter housing.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...

As you know the usual cause of oil in your airbox is overfilling with oil...
So, not wishing to teach granny about eggs - you're absolutely sure that the bike isn't overfilled? - Again as I'm sure you know, oilheads are tricky to get an accurate level due to the way they hold oil up in the cooler if you don't let them sit on their side stand after they've heated up.

Point in fact - I did an oil change on my 1100 last weekend - filled it to the correct level on the glass (confirmed by having used approximately the right amount out of a 4 litre can), started it up to check for leaks etc, stopped it after 30 seconds or so. It's now reading almost empty on the sight glass....
It'd be easy to make a mistake and whack another half litre in.

I don't know what the breather arrangement is like on an 1150 (1100's like mine have some sort of timed breather) but as far as I know, there's no separator (apart from the drain bung in the bottom of the airbox) - oil shouldn't get that far.

I'm not sure what is considered good compression on an oilhead but 12bar + seems ok so I wouldn't think it's blowby.

:nenau
 
Run it until hot (drive Do not just let it idle at a standstill)

Leave on sidestand for half an hour

then centrestand and Drain oil for 10 - 15 mins

Refill with 3.5 litre of preferred Gloop (taking it that You haven;t changed the Oil filter 3.75 if you have)

Now you have the correct oil level drain the airbox and pipes and see if it happens again


Running until warm and then onto sidestand when parking up for a while and lifting to centre stand after 5 or so mins is my prefered method of checking the oil level
 
if you overfill the bike with oil, sometimes oil will flow up the crankcase breather hose and into the airbox. Its normal... just try to drain it periodically and keep an eye on your oil level
 
I have set the oil level and checked it with the bike on the centrestand - its definitely not high in the sight glass after standing a while (even overnight when it should be 100% drained into the sump).

I agree that it looks like too high an oil level but I don't believe that is the case.

Thanks,
Mark
 
+1 on what Jaythro says re oil level checking etc. That's exactly what I do. If it isn't the piston rings then another possibility is valve guide wear, or shot valve guide seals. FWIW my 850GS usually breathes some oil into the airbox, even with the correct oil level. In my case the l/h vacuum plug weeps a little oil when removed; the other is dry. The bike smokes a lot from a cold start, but never once warmed up. I reckon you've either got a blocked breather or the valve guides or seals are shot.
 
Did you get it warmed properly so that the oil cooler thermostat could open ?

Did you park on the sidestand and leave it for a decent time so that the majority of the oil could drain down to the sump while it was still warm and the thermostat still open to vent?



ducatiparts.110mb said:
I have set the oil level and checked it with the bike on the centrestand - its definitely not high in the sight glass after standing a while (even overnight when it should be 100% drained into the sump).

I agree that it looks like too high an oil level but I don't believe that is the case.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...
 
Kenny Rodkiss said:
Could be your engine crankcase breather is blocked ? :nenau
Click to expand...

The breather is delivering the unwanted oil to the airbox (isn't it?).

Not happened to me on a BMW but on other bikes / cars, a blocked breather has lead to oil pi**ing out everywhere except the breather's exit into the airbox :D
 
Yep. Disregard my earlier comment re blocked breather being a possibility (mental aberration). If the engine definitely hasn't been overfilled with oil, however, there must be something drastically wrong to get that much oil in the airbox and to have oil dripping out of the throttle bodies.
 
Yes, I was starting to wonder myself about the blocked breather comments.

Running until warm and then onto sidestand when parking up for a while and lifting to centre stand after 5 or so mins is my prefered method of checking the oil level
Click to expand...
Why is it important to put the bike on the sidestand first?

I can check the valve seals, but I wouldn't expect that much oil to be getting into the airbox from the valve seal.

Did you get it warmed properly so that the oil cooler thermostat could open ?
Click to expand...
Last time I rode it was for 20 minutes then it stood overnight on the sidestand. Next day I put it on the centrestand to check the oil level so the engine must have been properly hot
 
ducatiparts.110mb said:
Why is it important to put the bike on the sidestand first?
Click to expand...

Because if you don't, oil gets hung up in the cooler and hoses (and probably elsewhere) and never makes it back to the sump

ducatiparts.110mb said:
I can check the valve seals, but I wouldn't expect that much oil to be getting into the airbox from the valve seal.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect any. Into the cylinders possibly...

ducatiparts.110mb said:
Last time I rode it was for 20 minutes then it stood overnight on the sidestand. Next day I put it on the centrestand to check the oil level so the engine must have been properly hot
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've got oil level covered then.
 
ducatiparts.110mb said:
Last time I rode it was for 20 minutes then it stood overnight on the sidestand. Next day I put it on the centrestand to check the oil level so the engine must have been properly hot
Click to expand...

Yet another way of checking the oil level :confused:

Thought the idea was to check it when it was hot :nenau

I don't bother with the side stand, if it's not hot enough to be going through the cooler, then IMVHO it isn't warm enough to get a consistent reading after doing the same things before checking it.
 
John Armstrong said:
Yet another way of checking the oil level :confused:

Thought the idea was to check it when it was hot :nenau

I don't bother with the side stand, if it's not hot enough to be going through the cooler, then IMVHO it isn't warm enough to get a consistent reading after doing the same things before checking it.
Click to expand...

It doesn't really matter as long as you do the same thing each time. Although depending on what you do, you might not get a true measure of quantity, you will know if you've used any.
 
ducatiparts.110mb said:
Have drained the airbox and got out about an inch and a half into a cup. Run the bike about 60 - 100 miles and it does it again.
Click to expand...

So, all this "spewing oil" ! how many thimble fulls is it......

Stop draining the airbox (it won't get any worse, unless you keep on emptying it). Don't check the oil level until the end of april. Stop worrying. Ride the bike..
 
I once parked mine upside down in a ditch, and some oil got in the airbox.

Check you haven't accidently parked your bike in a ditch, as none of the manuals tell you this and it's very easy to overlook.

Failing that, do what Steptoe says:thumb2
 
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