Can anyone help me figure out what this milky white substance is that started appearing in my sight glass? Here are pictures:
(http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p594/C11Gidasi/photo1.jpg)
(http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p594/C11Gidasi/photo2.jpg)
(http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p594/C11Gidasi/photo5.jpg)
At first it was just a little, but now it seems to be growing. And the oil is still there and still a healthy brown...
Your bike is complaining because you aren't riding enough.
Isn't it a bit early for winter? For a more detailed explanation, see the many threads on this board available through the search function.
It's condensation in the oil, go for a good ride and it will disappear. It tends to happen during cooler weather but short rides in high humidity can do it too. As DD said, it's common and there are many threads about it.
Quote from: suzyj on May 15, 2012, 11:02:36 PM
When you finish a ride, the engine cools down, the oil contracts a little and air is sucked into the crankcase. The air contains moisture, as air does. When you then run the bike, the miniscule little bit of water that came in with the air evaporates, and gets pushed up the crankcase breather tube. The breather reservoir is a deliberate low point, so as the water condenses out in the tube (being colder than the motor) it collects here. Then when you stop riding, more air (with a teeny little bit of water) gets sucked back into the motor, and the cycle continues. Do it for long enough, and you get a decent amount of water in the crankcase reservoir.
Incidentally, if you do lots of short trips, the water stays in the crankcase and turns your oil milky, and you freak out and post in tech.
:-[ sorry... took some decent looking, but you're right. yes... it is amateur hour in here...
Quote from: Lieutenant Dan on August 23, 2012, 02:32:06 PM
:-[ sorry... took some decent looking, but you're right. yes... it is amateur hour in here...
SO the next time the question comes up, you get to be the first to reply, and the circle continues [thumbsup] ;D
Ahem...
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12023.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12023.0)
While we all love our bikes, it's NOT ok to make love to them. ;D
Quote from: Peggy on August 23, 2012, 02:36:36 PM
SO the next time the question comes up, you get to be the first to reply, and the circle continues [thumbsup] ;D
Lion King - Circle of Life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX07j9SDFcc#)
I found, once you have the bike at normal operating temp, turn the bike off and unscrew the oil filler plug. The condensation gets trapped in the top of the plug when hot. Wipe it clean and repeat as necessary.
Quote from: BastrdHK on August 27, 2012, 12:37:49 PM
I found, once you have the bike at normal operating temp, turn the bike off and unscrew the oil filler plug. The condensation gets trapped in the top of the plug when hot. Wipe it clean and repeat as necessary.
you shouldnt even need that. Once the motor is over 100C the water boils off and is sucked up by the crankcase vent into the intake.
Quote from: ducatiz on August 27, 2012, 03:18:28 PM
you shouldnt even need that. Once the motor is over 100C the water boils off and is sucked up by the crankcase vent into the intake.
Not in my experience. Only the plug wipe worked for me. I went on 100+ mile rides, and the marshmallow goo was still there.
Quote from: BastrdHK on August 27, 2012, 11:32:07 PM
Not in my experience. Only the plug wipe worked for me. I went on 100+ mile rides, and the marshmallow goo was still there.
100C as in centigrade, water boiling point, not 100 miles. In cold, particularly damp, even with the oil cooler covered my bike often will not see much over 60
oC. The only time I worry about "goo on oil sight glass" is when I can't see the oil level.
Since I ran a little K&N filter off the breather box, the condensation in the sight glass has vanished. I reckon the steam vapor is being released rather than condensing and dripping back down the hose in cold weather.
Quote from: koko64 on August 28, 2012, 05:47:12 AM
Since I ran a little K&N filter off the breather box, the condensation in the sight glass has vanished. I reckon the steam vapor is being released rather than condensing and dripping back down the hose in cold weather.
I reckon you are correct.
With the stock breather in place the boiled condensate would get sucked into the intake and burned with the fuel. With the kn filter much will remain trapped in the filter and hose and drip back in.
Quote from: howie on August 28, 2012, 04:15:33 AM
100C as in centigrade, water boiling point, not 100 miles. In cold, particularly damp, even with the oil cooler covered my bike often will not see much over 60oC. The only time I worry about "goo on oil sight glass" is when I can't see the oil level.
Thanks for making sure, but the number 100 in my post was intended, but purely coincidental. I was aware he meant temp in degrees Celsius. I was responding to he "good long ride" portion of his post. Again, distance was not a factor in eliminating the condensation in the sight glass for me.
Koko makes a logical point. I have always had the crank case breather stock and it makes sense that the vapor could be more likely to stay in the stock setup. Isn't there a one way valve there? So that when pressure in the crank case builds to a point the valve opens and releases said pressure.
I have just switched the stock piping for a crankcase breather filter, and will see what the results are over the winter riding.
There is a drain back hole in the breather for oil and I suppose unevaporated moisture could drain back also. When warming up the bike I have seen steam coming out off the breather. I would keep the breather box as it does separate the oil from the steam and air vapor.
On the dyno, the EGA indicated a richer mixture with the breather hose connected to the airbox. Evidence of intake contamination. I also saw no horsepower increase with the breather connected to the airbox to remove pumping losses. Higher revving race bikes gain horsepower from using the intake vacuum to scavenge crankcase pressure, but the lower revving street twins like my ancient 900 have it for emissions compliance.
You should see all the links and threads on this stuff!