What happened to my Oil level glass???

[scud]

My 2002 1150 has been garaged for a few months, with the occasional 5 min scoot out to keep things moving over winter.

I checked the Oil level the other day and it was fine.

I left the bike at a local garage for an MOT (they never completed the MOT as I had a flat front tyre)- riding it for about 10 minutes to get it there...it's been parked outside for a couple of days and it's been flipping cold.... but the glass was fine before I left. Went to collect it today and I noticed this has happened to the Oil glass.....

I thought someone had stuck some expanding foam filler in it, but I think it's still the glass, albeit melted and deformed....maybe I'm wrong?

Any ideas, what happened or why?? Cheers!

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Maybe the garage has left it running, for an extended period

....to warm their hands

 

[Popell]

Glass melted because you or garage left it idling and it overheated - I'm guessing it wasn't due to the 10 minutes that you were running it

 

[Timpo]

Glass melted....

Glass?

 

[rocky burns]

That is simply one very cooked engine. If its done that to the glass, whats it done to the rest of the engine? E.g head gaskets, seals.
I would be having a very sturn word with you mot center, as that could be one seriously fecked engine.

 

[Jester]

looks like someone squirted cavity wall filler into the engine

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

That is simply one very cooked engine. If its done that to the glass, whats it done to the rest of the engine? E.g head gaskets, seals.
I would be having a very sturn word with you mot center, as that could be one seriously fecked engine.

+1

If you haven't I reckon they've left in running for a long time

If they're not familiar with AIRCOOLED engines, they wouldn't have a clue

 

[Stewart H]

Another reason why I ride my bike to the test station and watch them do the test, if lucky they only owe you a new sightglass and an oil and filter change.

 

[Fanum]

I'm a bit puzzled about the froth (or whatever it is)

It's like it's emulsified

Boiling engine oil doesn't look like that after it's boiled

 

[John Armstrong]

An alternative theory from me. Your 5 minute runs has severely emulsified your oil. The emulsification either blocked the vent into the air filter or was so much that the crankcase became severely over pressurised, and the sight glass was the weakest link

I'd have a check in the air filter housing to see what's in there as well.

 

[scud]

When I spoke to them, they said they'd only started it and then turned it off within a minute and had not had it running.......Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Will have a quick look in the air filter.........

All clear.. but the emulsification theory sounds pretty good. I'll look into that more when the new site glass etc turns up..and it warms up a darn sight more!

Cheers

 

[turnipbmw]

Do the 1150 'glasses' not fall out like the 1100s ?

cant remember now

 

[ChrisH Kerry]

All clear.. but the emulsification theory sounds pretty good.

How can it be emulsification when there's no water involved?

 

[Grim Rider]

How can it be emulsification when there's no water involved?

Condensation from being left sitting for so long? Have seen this on engines which have been left standing and not used regularly enough to get up to operating temperature, seems far more likely than engine run to overheating to me, not sure why sight glass has distorted though - suggest you flush engine out we'll after draining and replacing glass.

 

[ghiribizzo]

When it burns the petrol it produces water. The piston rings, valve guide seals are not 100% efficient. That vapour as steam gets through into the crankcase and condenses in a gloopy mess on the colder outer surface, including the sightglass.

 

[ahutcheon]

When it burns the petrol it produces water. The piston rings, valve guide seals are not 100% efficient. That vapour as steam gets through into the crankcase and condenses in a gloopy mess on the colder outer surface, including the sightglass.

Yep, but why's the plastic "sight glass" either distorted or missing, the rubber retaining seal distorted and pulled away from the surrounding casing, and what looks like oil seeping down the casing?

I've seen emulsion just like you describe under the oil caps of short-run town cars, and inside the sight glass of my old Suzuki GSX400F one winter when it was used for a commute of a couple of miles, but it looks like more than just oil emulsion going on here?

 

[Fanum]

Yep, but why's the plastic "sight glass" either distorted or missing, the rubber retaining seal distorted and pulled away from the surrounding casing, and what looks like oil seeping down the casing?

I've seen emulsion just like you describe under the oil caps of short-run town cars, and inside the sight glass of my old Suzuki GSX400F one winter when it was used for a commute of a couple of miles, but it looks like more than just oil emulsion going on here?

I reckon John A above has got it right........The emulsified oil has been whisked up into a froth and has created internal pressure by blocking any vent paths.....then it's just blown the sight 'glass' out....POP

It would be interesting to poke that mush in the hole to see if it does feel like a slippery froth.......My bet is that it does.


I'm purely guessing, but the frothy emulsion scenario is probably a better one for the chances of the engine surviving.....if it had been left running to the point wjhere it had fried up the oil and the window, I suspect the engine would e more likely to be kaput.....Emulsified oil is obviously far less effective as a lubricant than plain oil, but maybe better than a boiled up engine

 

[ChrisH Kerry]

Condensation from being left sitting for so long? Have seen this on engines which have been left standing and not used regularly enough to get up to operating temperature.

OK I see what you're saying - I'd always get engine to operating temp. It almost looks like the 'glass' and rubber seal have been melted by solvent or got flippin hot but wouldn't heat like that show up in other places, like exhaust would have been glowing if the engine itself had got hot enough to melt glass? And surely that would have affected engine paint or wiring etc? It'd nearly melt the front cover off...

 

[rocky burns]

The emulsifying is due to short runs, which is what he says he's done over the winter and oil condensates as not getting up to tempreture.
But the seal around that sight glass definatley looks cooked to me

 

[ChrisH Kerry]

I'm purely guessing, but the frothy emulsion scenario is probably a better one for the chances of the engine surviving.....

You're probably right - can't see engine getting so hot really. Strange how the 'glass' has distorted though and not simply popped out.
I remember the old days of head gaskets going on simple straight forward engines in '70s - oil could be like milk, but new gasket and oil/filter change and no harm done.
Hope that's what it is and a new 'glass' and oil/filter change sorts it