Replacement oil filter bolt

[CaptonZap]

By the way, the oil went black within 40 km. Is this normal?

To answer your question, no, it is not normal.
In fact, if your engine is healthy, you can go for 2000 miles and only have a darkening, (Browning) of the oil.
When you change it, you should be able to see some light through the poured stream.

CZ

[dbbrian]

If it is black in the sight window already I would say it may need a flush.

This has always been the case with this bike since I got it.

First and subsequent couple of oil changes (after 1500 - 2000km) I used MMO as per TC's recommendation. Then stopped because I thought it was just dislodging more and more crud, and wanted to see if the oil would clear up.

Now the rattling bolt has me thinking its the cause. Now the washer, or wait, I didn't check to see if the ball moves on the spring - what?

Flush it out. How? Another oil change? Likelly one now required since the washer is not in there, and I haven't checked the new bolt. Dang.

Other symptoms that may be of interest

Burns oil at a rate of 1 L every 1200km, but not really noticeable out of the pipes, or by my good buddy Maximphil when following me. But my clothes stink like smoke when I get home (kinda like it
Signs of oil are in the air filter - from breather tube likely?

Runs good as far as I'm concerned.

[bikerphil]

If it is using that much oil, there is probably excessive blow-by in the crankcase therefore contaminating the oil quicker than normal. I have run these with no washer by mistake with no ill effects. If it was me, I would probably wait till my next filter change to install the washer, your call on that.

[JeffH]

Brian,

You have collected some good info from all the responses. Your info on 1L in 1,200 km was especially helpful.
I think Phil nailed it. Using approx. 1 quart of oil in 750 miles is approaching quite a bit. Especially considering where you are riding and the kind of riding you are doing.

Issue #1: Black oil
You have a nice bike that has been ridden regularly and has had oil changes at regular intervals. So IMO its already been flushed & re-flushed. Wasting oil now to re-flush seems like a waste. Flush isn't going to fix the problem. BTW, how "black" is black after a mere 40km? Doubtful fresh oil & filter gets shiny jet black in 25 miles. As Phil says i'd wait. Use a screwdriver or something as a dipstick and pull up an oil sample if you haven't already done that. Wipe it on a white paper towel and see what color it is.

Issue #2: Oil filter bolt status & washer check
If its really bugging you pull the cover & inspect the parts. Down side of messing with it is cracking the cap or having something to wrong. As Phil said, i'd ride it till next oil change. Or at least ride it a few good rides after its long winters nap then go back in with all this new knowledge of parts how it operates.

Just a thought. Bike ran great last season and should be fine for a couple thou KM's with that oil. Now whenever you go back in there you can be checking things properly. Hate to admit it but i'm not 100% sure i've got a washer on mine either. Had a few extras that came with the WIX filters and am not totally sure i put one on or not.

Good luck,
Jeff

[skids]

Brian,

Hate to admit it but i'm not 100% sure i've got a washer on mine either. Had a few extras that came with the WIX filters and am not totally sure i put one on or not.

I forgot the washer once and the spring somehow pushed the rubber ring on the bottom of the filter up into the filter. I am sure the filter was doing nothing.

[dbbrian]

With all this blow-by talk, think she would make a 1300 mile trip, or am I killing the engine?

[MaximPhil]

With all this blow-by talk, think she would make a 1300 mile trip, or am I killing the engine?

Hi Brian,
Sure, we will never be more than 50 miles from a Walmart and they have oil Or wecan scrape it off my fairing and pour it back in
I find it hard to believe it uses that much oil with no external evidence. Definitely need to check the valves shim gap before we go.

Phil

[MPittma100]

Consumption

Rate of consumption is known. Cause of consumption is yet to be determined. Diagnose problem. Fix problem.

Excessive consumption causes:

Gasoline mixing with oil due to carburetor issue.
Excessive blow by due to ring or cylinder wear.
External oil leak.

Check air filter housing for oil contamination. Check for gas in crankcase. Check for oil leaks.

Let us know what you find.

[skids]

Hi Brian,
Sure, we will never be more than 50 miles from a Walmart and they have oil Or wecan scrape it off my fairing and pour it back in
I find it hard to believe it uses that much oil with no external evidence. Definitely need to check the valves shim gap before we go.

Phil

I lost a quart of oil (Mobil 1 synthetic) between tanks of gas. No smoke at all. Put in some dino juice oil and made it home. Started using Castrol dino juice oil and got regular oil consumption after that.

[dbbrian]

I know there is oil getting to the air filter without checking as I saw it last season but didn't take the filter out this spring yet. See photos here from last August, not long after installing the K&N filter. The oil on my finger is from wiping the bottom of the air side carb intake tube. Saw similar later in the season.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...XY2emU0ek1XUWs

I don't think there is gas in the oil - no noticeable gas smell when changed a week ago or last season.

Not oil leaks on the ground - I watch for this and often place newspaper under the bike after riding to see if it drips.

I only use Castrol GTX 20W-50

I have set the trip odometer to get a for-sure milage on consumption - currently at top line in sight window after adding 3.5 (maybe 3.6) litres.

The oil was grey after 40km, black after 140.

[3Phase]

That'd be from the crankcase vent spider in the airbox or you put too much oil on that K&N filter.

The spider directs the crankcase gasses into the intakes, are the intake boots and carburetor inlet bells oily too? Too much blowby, overfilling the oil or both, like overfilling with oil to get more miles between refills.

[donebysunday]

How

many miles are on the engine ?
How many miles have you put on it ?
Is it relatively low miles or well worn ?
If low miles and has not been run much it may just need to re-seat and may clear up the oil consumption.
If the oil you are using is blowing by try a different oil just to see if that oil blows by too.
Just like some cars there is a certain amount of oil in the crankcase that may get blown out.
Then the oil level reaches a point that the engine no longer blows it out.
Keep an eye on the level of the oil so as not to run below the safety level in the sight glass and run it to see if it stops blow by at a certain level.
Of course be certain of how much oil you are putting in and it's not necessary to fill right to the top.
Hardware/home improvement stores sell line levels. I always keep one handy when changing the oil, set on the valve cover it will give you a constant level.
You may need to make a wedge to go under one leg of the center stand to level it out.
I put too much oil in my 79 way back when, did not notice until I got up to speed on the main road, killed many mosquitos in the few miles I traveled !

[dbbrian]

About 52,500 km (32,600 miles)
I put about 6,500km on since bought it end of May 2016
I wondered about the ring seating thing too, but you would think its done by now? Have read that some larger displacement engines don't seat if babied in beginning.
Different oil recommendations? I had thought of Rotella T 15w-40 used by many on the Honda forum sohc4.com and was going to use in my 350F.
It possible some in the air filter could be from slight overfill in past
Oil gets low - below the bottom line, and I top up. Not going to let it get any lower than that.
I have a line level - good idea for consistent measuring

Thanks

[motoman]

As for your different oil suggestion question, you might give 20-50w Vavoline a try.

[donebysunday]

Rotella

left a bad taste for me. Maybe not the oils fault ?
I was trying to beat a storm home with an XS650, pushing it pretty hard on the freeway. Got home and noticed oil dripping from a breather filter (pods) put my favorite, the Yamalube in and no problem after, but maybe did not push it that hard again. If I ever have problems with oil I go back to Yamalube as kind of a standard.