Oh Carp

[lancelot455]

Started the bike this afternoon and went in the house to get something and when i came back out i heard a slight knock coming from the engine. Checked the oil and could smell gas in it . looks like i'm going to be changing some bearings before i can ride again. Where is a good place to get replacement bearings from. Will probably change mains and rod bearings.

[bikerphil]

Maybe try changing the oil with some fresh 20W/50 first, you might get lucky.

[WMarshy]

Started the bike this afternoon and went in the house to get something and when i came back out i heard a slight knock coming from the engine. Checked the oil and could smell gas in it . looks like i'm going to be changing some bearings before i can ride again. Where is a good place to get replacement bearings from. Will probably change mains and rod bearings.

Why do you suspect that you spun a bearing, just because you smell gas? Any chance your just getting a wiff of something else? Seems unlikely to me that you would start your bike and walk away for a few mins and come back and it wiped a bearing... Do you suspect your carbs were leaking into your oil since the last ride? Is your oil level high? Did you try dipping a popsickle stick in the oil then lighting it? Let the bike sit over night, open the oil cap and light a liter and hold it over the hole, give it a little blow to push the flame in the case. If there is gas it will ignite. Keep your eyeball away! Have an extinguisher on hand just incase, but it should only burn for a second, just put the cap back on and it will go out...

Might just be just the upper end noise? Seems like mine makes more valve noise if the idle is lower than 900 rpm...

[DGXSER]

Let the bike sit over night, open the oil cap and light a liter and hold it over the hole, give it a little blow to push the flame in the case. If there is gas it will ignite. Keep your eyeball away! Have an extinguisher on hand just incase, but it should only burn for a second, just put the cap back on and it will go out...

Just a matter of opinion, but I would NOT recommend that test. I would do the popsicle stick, or even a stick from the yard, test. I think Fire Marshall Bill is the only one who would do the quoted test.

Oil is cheap and all the bearing work your talking about is definitely not. So I would also try changing oil, and fixing your carbs before you try to run it again. Then see what happens.

[lancelot455]

I did the stick in the oil test and it did not light on fire. my oil level is running at the top of the sight glass.If i run it lower than near the top the oil level light comes on. I will be changing oil and filter before i fire it up again.

[James England]

If i run it lower than near the top the oil level light comes on.

Just one thing... unless the US spec bikes differ from the European ones, the oil warning light is a pressure light, not a level light. If it comes on, it means that the oil pressure is low, not necessarily the oil level. No doubt other members of the forum will confirm whether I'm right on this for US bikes. It certainly applies to UK bikes and I should think the US ones too. You should be able to run the bike with oil at the lowest level and not have the light come on.

If I'm correct in the above, then there is something amiss with the oil pressure... the pump, or a serious leak (which you'd have noticed) or maybe even a faulty pressure switch (the 'mushroom' at the back of the block, with a wire coming out of the top)

[crazy steve]

James, he's got an XJ; for some perverse reason, Yamaha went from a pressure light to a level light on these...

[James England]

James, he's got an XJ; for some perverse reason, Yamaha went from a pressure light to a level light on these...

Right! I didn't realise it was an XJ... interesting that they changed though. I think I'd rather have a pressure warning light than a level light though..... wouldn't you?

[lancelot455]

Changed the oil yesterday, fired it up and everything seemed fine. Went out for a good ride. Seems ok now.

[WMarshy]

Whens the last time you adjusted your timing chain? Coulda been a low idle chug you were hearing?

[natemoen]

Glad to hear that!

[lancelot455]

Whens the last time you adjusted your timing chain? Coulda been a low idle chug you were hearing?

That's possible. i will be putting an automatic tensioner on next week and see how it works then

[WMarshy]

That's possible. i will be putting an automatic tensioner on next week and see how it works then

That is also on my list. Just be careful not to jump a tooth with the chain on the crank. Im going to pull the valve cover and check vavle clearances while im at it so I will be able to make sure that doenst happen to me. Then sync and tune carbs, seems like a long list but if done in that order it will seem like a new bike.

[DGXSER]

That is also on my list. Just be careful not to jump a tooth with the chain on the crank. Im going to pull the valve cover and check vavle clearances while im at it so I will be able to make sure that doenst happen to me. Then sync and tune carbs, seems like a long list but if done in that order it will seem like a new bike.

I will vouch for that. I posted recently how I was surprised by the result sof such a simple thing as adjusting the valves, synching, tuning, and resynching the carbs had on the bike. Thought my engine was going south quick, like rod bearings were going with the vibrations and noise it made at high RPM. After the work was completed, it is smooth as can be.