Broke it

[davamb]

I've been away, running up 11,000ks on a round trip the The Cape on the Tiger, but I'd not been neglecting the TRX; she's had a coolant line replaced and I've also repacked the Staintunes and been giving the old girl a thorough clean-up.

Thought I'd take her out for a fang Sunday, so checked the oil - needed a half litre and then tried to start her up. No go. Would not turn over. Started motor engaged, but won't rotate the motor. Connected up my charger and tried again a half hour later. Bike started to turn over but wouldn't fire. Kept cranking, pausing after every 10secs or so to avoid overheating the starter and eventually she started firing but wouldn't run. Waited a couple of mintes, had another bash and she started to run, but a lot of vibes and a lot of smoke out the RHS pipe. After only say 5 secs of running like this, she started to make a clanking noise so I shut her down completely. Small pool of oil on the floor. Gave up in despair, something clearly not right and fear I've done something horrid to the poor old thing. Had a power outage yesterday evening so couldn't investigate further last night when I got home. Big pool of oil under the bike this morning though. Chucked a rag under the bike and will investigate further tonight.

Don't like to jump to conclusions without all the data in, but to say it doesn't look good is likely to be an understatement. I think I've overfilled the oil and this has done something nasty. Will let ya know what I find.

[Con Rod]

you sure you didnt over fill it with oil?

[dicky]

I doubt that overfilling by half a litre would cause any problem. I've done worse.
Does the oil smell of petrol?
Perhaps the carb has let fuel run into the cylinders while it's been sitting.
Good luck with it.

[davamb]

you sure you didnt over fill it with oil?

yep, I reckon I did.

... I think I've overfilled the oil and this has done something nasty...

Don't understand how though. Unless it filled the cylinder, but then I thought it'd pump out while cranking.

I doubt that overfilling by half a litre would cause any problem. I've done worse.

Yeah, think I've done the same myself in the past too Dicky.

Does the oil smell of petrol?
Perhaps the carb has let fuel run into the cylinders while it's been sitting.

No idea yet, will know more tonight.

Good luck with it.

Thanks guys.

[alextrx850]

An interesting problem you have Dave, dosent explain the oil on the floor if you've looked at the sight glass in order to determine the engine needed a half litre...
Fuel lock in the cylinder is a good guess at this stage.
You might have a couple of issues going at once..did you spill the oil when filling ?
Obv the lower oil bung is tight !

[M.V.]

If you just checked the oil without starting it, after sitting for a bit, it will definitely be overfull.

I can't think where the excess would escape from though... May have worked it's way into the airbox?

Not starting after sitting for a bit is not uncommon, hopefully you're just being cautious & it's not something serious.

[alextrx850]

Smoke on the eventual start up from the right side pipe..would seem like coolant being burnt.
You've suggested a coolant line replaced before the start up...
Keep the clutch in when cranking to isolate any clunk issues to the engine only.
I'd be pulling the plugs ..crank it (with the clutch in)....and see what throws out...a clean rag would be a good crap catcher.

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

Hey Dave,
Bummer mate.
Dump the oil and check how much in total you have..
Take your sprocket cover off and check its not pushing the oil/fuel mix out of the shift shaft seal or the seal behind the countershaft sprocket.
If you have fuel leaking past your rings into the bottom of the motor, the excess pressure once pumping starts will push the oil out here.
Have a gander in your air box or take off the breather hose by the cam cover and look for any oil pushed up that way too.
The fuel will wash any oil from the bores and if you'v
e fouled a plug it may be continuing to push the Unburnt fuel past the rings.
Pull out the plugs and read those.
May be worth while just lifting the cam cover and turn the motor by hand and check no valve is sticking and cam timing is ok.

Hope its an easy fix mate.

[HolerTogni]

Hi Dave!

What a bummer ...

Plenty of good advice here so far (as could be expected - great place here!) so no additional remote diagnosis needed at the moment, I think (at least none that I can think of).

I do hope that the cause is not that severe and easy and cheap to remove!

"Keeping fingers crossed" greets from Munich!

[davamb]

Pulled the sump plug and a mix of oil and petrol came out. I imagine it's not a very good big end lubricant. Gutted.

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

Fingers x mate and hope its just started to chew the bearing and not too much damage to the journals.

[dicky]

I'll be ordering myself some carb seal kits, this is becoming a common failure now.

[M.V.]

Pulled the sump plug and a mix of oil and petrol came out. I imagine it's not a very good big end lubricant. Gutted.

Ah... How long was it running before? Hope you haven't done the left hand big end bearing... Fingers crossed.

[davamb]

It ran for no more than 10 seconds before I shut it down Mick, but that may have been more than enough. So what's happened? I tried to crank the bike and the battery was a little low, so I put the charger on and at the same time put the fuel tap in the "Prime" position. Hypothesis that during the period of inactivity float bowls have dried out, one or two floats have dried stuck open and subsequently petrol has gone into the cylinders and drained down into the sump in the half hour of priming? Seems to have been an awful lot of petrol??? Don't understand.

[paulambry]

Pooh-bugger-bum-bitch Dave. That's not the "Welcome home!" one would expect after an epic adventure.

Sigh.

Double sigh.

Quadruple sigh!!!!!

Busting to hear any news bro. Hopefully nothing catastrophic.