New guy with problems....(crankcase vent spitting oil)

[ERM83]

So, I just bought an xs11 almost a month ago. It was completely fine when I test rode it, and when I got it back to Louisville, I OF COURSE took it for a good ride through my neighborhood. When I got it back home, I noticed oil all over the place. I think I may have blown some rings on piston #2. It wasn't sitting for years or anything, I just REALLY layed into it for the last 5 minutes I was riding. The spark plug was black, and covered in gas...could it be a valve problem?? I'm just not familiar with these bikes...I had a 79' cx500 for a while, and knew that Sunna Bitch front to back. I have a BUNCH of plans for this beauty, but I want to figure out what's going on first!

[BA80]

Check your oil on the center stand, not the side stand. Probably over filled.

[ERM83]

Ahhhhh...my signature needs to be changed. It's a standard!

[ERM83]

Nope...not the oil. Already did that. Doesn't sound like it's getting compression. Thick white smoke out of the left exhaust as well...

[BA80]

Nope...not the oil. Already did that. Doesn't sound like it's getting compression. Thick white smoke out of the left exhaust as well...

You just answered your own question. Do a compression check.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there,

The carbs are notorious for developing leaks due to the float needles not sealing for a variety of reasons. This causes a flooding situation. This can occur while the bike is sitting parked, tank petcocks leak, then the carb floats allow leaks, carb floods and flows up and then forward into the intake, past the valves, into the cylinder, and then past the rings into the OIL, which then thins it out badly, and this can lead to damaged/burned/spun bearings...cranks/con rods! The thinner oil can then more easily slip back up past the rings to get into the combustion chamber, foul plugs, etc.! With a fuel fouled plug, that cylinder wasn't developing any power compression, and was probably sucking IN oil into the combustion chamber, but wasn't getting burned.

This is why we are saying check your oil for the smell/presence of fuel/gas in it, as well as checking the oil level with the site glass while on the centerstand. When the oil gets lots of fuel in it, it can raise the oil level quite a bit, and then the crankcase pressure can cause it to blow up out of the crankcase vent. With a fouled

You'll probably want to drain the oil, check and fix the petcocks/carbs so that they don't leak, and replace the plugs, refill with proper oil. Fire the bike up and get it warmed up, and then make sure that all 4 cylinders are firing, all pipes hot. THEN shut down, pull plugs and recheck the compression. ALSO, have you check the valve clearances, they tend to tighten up with wear on these engines, and if too tight, will also contribute to loss of compression!

T.C.

[BA80]

Flooding carbs would be black smoke TC, white is oil. That and it's pushing oil out the vent says to me bad rings or damaged piston.

Compression check will answer that question.

[TopCatGr58]

Flooding carbs would be black smoke TC, white is oil. That and it's pushing oil out the vent says to me bad rings or damaged piston.

Compression check will answer that question.

Right, thanks, I do occasionally get them mixed up. But what I was hinting at was that the 1 cylinder with the fuel fouled plug isn't firing...so no black smoke, but flooded carb/cylinder has possibly thinned the oil, letting it get into the other cylinders past the rings=white smoke. Let's hope he hasn't damaged any rings, bearings with gasoil!?

T.C.

[ERM83]

So before I went all crazy buying stuff, did a simple finger-compression check. Cylinder two's compression sucks nuggets, for sure. I'm getting spark, also I failed to mention that I cleaned the hell out of the carbs / bench synched them last week. I think BA nailed it.

[ERM83]

I wanted to make sure I tried EVERY option before thinking it was piston / rings. I'm going to try to get this fixed this weekend.

[Tarheeltriple]

Possible stuck/burned valve?

[motoman]

Possible stuck/burned valve?

......or valve clearances to tight.

[BA80]

Possible stuck/burned valve?

......or valve clearances to tight.

That would make it run bad but not puke oil.