Oil in weird spots

[Luke D.]

Good day all,  I took a spin on Tuesday because it was finally nice out, got home put the bike in the garage and went to bed.  Next day I came out and my bike had peed on the floor. Looked to see where she was leaking and noticed it was coming from the right (if sitting on) carb.  It was on the inside(next to engine) and on the bottom.  Any ideas on where this may be coming from?  Could oil be getting in the carbs?  I have not noticed any blue smoke (burning oil) but I dont know where the oil could be coming from?

[Luca]

If it's a small spot of oil it could be oil vapor condensate from the breather tubes.  I noticed that mine would weep a bit from around the carb elbows.

I don't think mine ever dripped on the floor... but if your oil is filled up to the max line on the dipstick it will spit more oil into the intake.  I've since ditched the plumbing into the carb elbows and just let the breather stop at the airbox.  I'd rather have oil gum up in the airbox than in the carb passages.  My air filter has not been fouled with oil as some might caution.

No more smoke at startup, either, although I could only notice it at night when the smoke got in the headlight beam.

[nhmaf]

I have found that my 82 R65LS will sometimes leave a drop or two of oil under where the crankcase breather tubes plug into the carb after I have been running it long/fairly hard - a few extra drops of oil get pumped up through the crankcase breather, run down the tubes out the airbox, and  end up at those hose ends that plug onto the vacuum ports at the bottom of the carbs.    A drip is exacerbated by putting the bike on its sidestand instead of the centerstand immediately after running it for a while.  

Also, using the centerstand avoids the smoking on startup thing the next morning as oil drains back into the sump, instead of down  past piston rings into the low side cylinder when on the sidestand.

[Barry]

To prevent oil leaking from the elbows they say you should position the hose clamp so that the screw is at the top instead of the bottom. Personally I'd like to know if that much oil wass coming out the breather so I leave them at the bottom. I get a little misting but no drips.

Any issues will be worse in cold weather as the object is to have the oil vapour burn in the combustion chamber. There are only going to be drips or blockages in the carbs if it condenses out before it gets there.

[montmil]

Good advice and counsel given, but just to satisfy my curiosity... have you noticed any oil misting that may be coming from forward of the right-hand carburetor?

[Luke D.]

Thank you all for the help.  I have not been able to find the culperit.  Montmil, there does not seem to be anything in front of the right carb.  It looks like the oil seeps out of the oil line that goes under the carb where it goes from metal to some sort of black fabric.

[Luca]

That is not an oil line, it is and air pipe and part of the pulse air emission system.  It lets filtered air from the airbox into the exhaust port when there is low vacuum at the carbs (when you whack the throttle open) so that excess crap in the exhaust is burnt off.

There shouldn't be an easy way for oil to get into that system since it picks up air before the breather tubes dump oil vapor into the intake system.

Are you sure it's oil that's on the floor?  If indeed the air pipe is the source of the leak the only thing I could suspect (and it's a stretch) is that condensation is picking up soot from the air pipe (if that's possible) and then dripping out.  If you have a leak in the air system you might notice some excessive popping while engine braking too.

Another culprit would be that your carb has overflowed and spilled gasoline through the overflow tube, or it has a leaky bowl gasket and is weeping gas on the bowl which is gumming up into varnish.


P.S.  For a couple bucks you can remove the emissions system.  Won't hurt the bike one bit, and some members have still passed emissions tests with the system removed.

[nhmaf]

Can you post a pic of what you are seeing?

[Luke D.]

sorry it took so long but here are some pics of the problem area.

Montmil, I have not noticed any oil misting in front of the carb, but I  think my photos will help more than I can explain.

[Bob_Roller]

From your pictures, I would say that you have the typical crankcase breather oil seepage .

The crankcase breather vents into the air horns and the mist / vapor gets drawn into the carb then into the combustion chamber .

It seeps out of the cabs, onto the floor, or on  your boot !!!!

May want to try running the oil at the mid level on the dipstick and see if it helps at all .

[Luke D.]

Thanks Bob_Roller for your input.  I have noticed that it only seems to "weep" after a long ride ( freeway or just a fun jont).  And usually only on hotter days.  Thank you for help.  Is there a way to make it stop?  Putting a hose upwards(relocating)it to a higher elevation?

[Luke D.]

Bob, are the crank case breather vents those hole just above the jug at about 11 o' clock?

[Julio A.]

Those holes are just the drain ports for the starter cavity. The Crankcase breather is under the starter cover.

Having oil on the carbs usually happens to me when I ride the bike at sustained high speeds; But just enough to coat the underside of the carbs in oil, not a puddle on the ground.

The most simplest thing you can do right now is to check your oil level. Just put it midway between minimum and maximum.

[steve hawkins]

I wish my bike was that clean....

rev light

[Luca]

Is there a way to make it stop?  Putting a hose upwards(relocating)it to a higher elevation?

re-read my first post  

Removing the big plastic T in the airbox and the plumbing that comes after it will greatly reduce the oil dripping into the carb.  The oil vapor doesn't go away, but it isn't set up to condensate directly at the carbs.  Several thousand miles with the breather dumping straight to the airbox and I haven't fouled my air filter.  My bike sees 75mph+ pretty regularly.

A little side note:  When routing breather tubes you don't want the plumbing to make a U shape.  Oil will collect in the bottom of the U and then the crankcase pressure really starts spewing the stuff!