Water in rocker box!!??

[steve_wicks]

At the end of a nightmare week that included my daughter having her car written off by a horse & interlink trailer combo and friends of ours being robbed in their home by gunmen I finally did some work on my R65.

To do the rocker shaft end float I loosend the head nuts and discovered they were way loose so I re-torqued them and did the valve clearances

Having sorted the rocker shaft end float on the noisy R/H cylinder I started on the left only to discover a fair amount of water in it.

How serious is this and what is the next step?

I haven't ridden it since last Sat and we've had buckets of rain this week and the bike has been outside, not even under cover. Problem is I haven't had the rockerboxes off at all since I got it in January although it did have oil & filter changed in mid Feb.

[montmil]

Steve,

I hope your daughter is OK. Cars can be replaced. Also, please explain what a "horse and interlink trailer combo" is. I have this mental image... Just how fast was that horse running while pulling that trailer?

Home invasion robberies, along with thefts of ATM machines, seem to be a couple of the new, trendy and growing cottage industries. Sure hope your neighbors are OK, too.

Your water in the rockerbox concern may be similar to a not-too-distant post from an R65er who had noticed water boiling in a recess between the cylinder and head joint.
     Rain had collected, the engine was at normal op temps and, since there was no drain available, he found a tiny tea bag and...

Actually, I'd bet your frog-strangler soaking allowed some water, over time, to collect and seep past the valve cover gasket into the engine and which has now, possibly, migrated to the oil sump. Don't start the engine!
     First order of business would be to drain and replace the crankcase oil. I doubt if the filter has been impacted. Secondly, check the condition of the gasket in question. Perhaps replace both. Do not over tighten the two small nuts securing the valve cover. Use caution on the center stud, too. Hand snug 'em up is plenty.

Monte

  
    

[steve_wicks]

Daughter's fine and horse is a truck tractor unit and interlink is two trailers behind it. The truck turned across her nose while she was stopped at a red light and her car was caught between the two trailers.

She's a paramedic and says now she knows what it feels like to be in an accident!

Friends are fine, just traumatised after being held at gunpoint in their own home!

That water boiling was me!

I invested in a torque wrench (and feeler gauge) and all the head bolts were way loose so I went to 35NM. I need two tappet cover gaskets so I'll finish the job tomorrow.

Would it be wise to drain the oil - it hasn't gone milky or any other funny colour?

[Justin B.]

Oil is lighter than water, right?  I suppose you could almost remove the drain plug and see if what drips out looks like oil or is water...  If you have just a very small leak then what would be up in the head is likely all that got past.  But changing oil would take all of the speculation out of whether the oil was contaminated.

I wuz gonna make a smart-a$$ comment about expecting water in everything when you live where it rains 364 days a year, but decided against it...

Monte, come over and fix my carburettor...

[montmil]

Daughter's fine and horse is a truck tractor unit and interlink is two trailers behind it. The truck turned across her nose while she was stopped at a red light and her car was caught between the two trailers.
She's a paramedic and says now she knows what it feels like to be in an accident!
Friends are fine, just traumatised after being held at gunpoint in their own home!
That water boiling was me!
I invested in a torque wrench (and feeler gauge) and all the head bolts were way loose so I went to 35NM. I need two tappet cover gaskets so I'll finish the job tomorrow.
Would it be wise to drain the oil - it hasn't gone milky or any other funny colour?

Happy to hear daughter and neighbors are alright. Tractor pulling doubles. Gotcha.

A recent attempted home invasion in Fort Worth, Texas, was thwarted when the homeowner met the thugs with his personal weapon and punched both their tickets. Saved the taxpayers the cost of a trail.

So. Earl Grey?

I believe the milky oil look might appear after the oil and any water became emulsified during engine ops. Think food processor on puree.

Me? I would go ahead and DIY the oil. It's cheap insurance and well worth the peace of mind. Leave the filter as is.

[steve_wicks]

Gentlemen I thank you ..... I find this free interactive w/shop manual far more informative than my $70 Haynes, but I can't read it in the bath........