Boiling Oil!? Help!

[Amlethae]

So I was riding home today from work.  First day in a while that it's been 70 F outside.  I've got a 696, the oil temp on the ride home reached 5 bars therefore between 161 C (322 F) and 175 C (347 F).  I was in traffic... a lot of stop and go and slipping the clutch to stay at 4mph over the Brooklyn bridge.  I know that this whole situation is not good.  I looked down into the sight glass when I got home and saw the oil literally boiling in the glass...

Soooooooo.... wtf?  What do I do?  The oil level is fine... right between the lines.  I've got stuff on order to do an oil change and even to install an oil cooler.... obviously needed... but is something wrong with the bike to make it run this hot?  Maybe at the 600mi checkup they didn't do an oil change -- I've only got about 1250mi on it now.  Have I hurt the bike by running it to the point that the oil is boiling?

I'm freaked out.  Please help.

[He Man]

you sure it aint just foaming?

If your engine oil is boiling its well over the operating temp. that shit boils at 600+ degrees (and your bike actually reads the "oil temp" at the heads.) so id suspect that your bike would shit a brick by then.

[Amlethae]

you sure it aint just foaming?

If your engine oil is boiling its well over the operating temp. that shit boils at 600+ degrees (and your bike actually reads the "oil temp" at the heads.) so id suspect that your bike would shit a brick by then.

Ah.... maybe then it was just foaming... cause if the heads were at around 350F, the sightglass was certainly at a lower temp... is foaming a bad sign? 

[He Man]

I believe it means zombies are nearby....

seriously though, im not quite sure. i think its because there might be water in the oil if your oil glass gets white and milky now, then yea its the water causing i think. when did you change the oil and was it stored over winter?

Next time you finsh riding take of the oil cap and let the vapors run out.

[Amlethae]

I believe it means zombies are nearby....

seriously though, im not quite sure. i think its because there might be water in the oil if your oil glass gets white and milky now, then yea its the water causing i think. when did you change the oil and was it stored over winter?

Next time you finsh riding take of the oil cap and let the vapors run out.

Will do.  Stored over winter == yes.

[somegirl]

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12023.0

[obsidian gt]

Yeah, just do an oil change if it concerns you.  My 696 was doing the same thing (2500 miles), changed the oil and no more foam.  In my case it might have something to do with the fact that a certain dealership in or around Yorktown (I'm not naming names) used car oil for the 600 mi. service, hence the reason I just did an oil change!

[amcloud]

Your bike would be dead if the oil was boiling.  Those temps are not nearly high enough to boil oil.

[the_Journeyman]

In my case it might have something to do with the fact that a certain dealership in or around Yorktown (I'm not naming names) used car oil for the 600 mi. service,

Shouldn't be a problem.  I run Mobile1 Devlac  (formulated for diesel engines) in my M750 and 900SS, also ran it in my Suzuki GS1150 no issues.  I've run many car oils off the shelf from Wal-Mart in many different bikes over the years and "car oil" and "motorcycle oil" in many cases (friction-modified oils aside as they don't like wet clutches) only differs on the outside of the bottle.

JM

[Langanobob]

It's a shame that you have to spend the time and money to install an oil cooler on a new bike just to be able to ride it.  Heavy traffic on a warm day is all part of normal riding and motorcycle use and it seems like there should be some recourse to Ducati but I guess not?

I give up on commenting on motorcycle oil because anyone with a computer and and opinion thinks they're an oil  expert and there are just too many confusing comments.  There was a guy named Georgecls who was a genuine oil expert, a professional lubrication engineer who shared  a lot of very valuable information with us.  Unfortunately George passed away last fall and the knowledge that he took such care in passing on to us is being forgotten.

One of our members, zarn02 has gone to the worthy effort of compiling a lot of George's oil comments here:

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=1912.0

If you have the interest, and it seems like you do, the thread is worth reading.

[scduc]

Wouldn't the electronics start melting before the oil would acually start to boil? I mean that the engine case would be soooo freakin hot, it would have melted the plastic on your boots.

[the_Journeyman]

Good read, thanks for the link!

JM

[Pedro-bot]

<SNIP>
  There was a guy named Georgecls who was a genuine oil expert, a professional lubrication engineer who shared  a lot of very valuable information with us.  Unfortunately George passed away last fall ..... <SNIP>

Didn't know that. Damn.
RIP George. 

[Howie]

201^oC is overheated on a 696.  The sensor is not in the sump like earlier Monsters.  It is up high in the vertical cylinder.  The oil would be hotter in that location and, I would imagine, the hot metal of the cylinder probably adds to the elevated readings.

[Raux]

the only time i saw the oil boil... hehe... was when i had the coil... hehehe... issue. i had to toil... OMG hehe... an hour and a half to OKC to get an oil... lol LMAO.. change and the coil... ROFLMAO... fixed. after that no boiled oil...