Want mayo with that oil?

[rodekyll]

I didn't change oil last year on account of I was grounded by the bike surgeon.  I dropped it today and it was about as dark as expected.  Removed the valve covers for the annular adjustment and found all on the marks.

As always I look in the valve covers and top of the head for problems.  In a rainforest with an average temp of 43º, you'd expect some mayo up top, especially after the amount of sitting the bike did over the past couple ears.  There is no mayo/spooge/pudding whatever you want to call it -- anywhere.

I read over and over how we need to keep the oil temps above the boiling point of water to keep the mayo from forming.  I don't think that's possible here.  I don't think I can run it long or hard enough to generate more than about 140º -- and I have a temp gauge to keep track of that sort of thing.  So factor that in to your next discussion of mayo.

Back when I did air-cooled VWs we'd get very spoogy engines into the shop.  Back then VW had two specs for spark plugs -- Bosch 145's and Bosch 175's (forgot the rest of the numbers).  For cars that needed it, we used the lower number for town driving and the higher for freeway running.  That seemed to help the problem with some of our problem engines.  Another thing we noticed was that "Pennsylvania grade" oil was the worst for collecting water.  On a really bad example the oil would 'plop' out of the drain hole instead of flowing.  It was speculated that it had something to do with the higher sulpher content of penn. oils, like Quaker State.

I generally use Castrol GTX 20/50 in this Jackal mill during the summer, and 10/40 in the winter.  This time I'm using Valvoline (a penn grade oil) "20/50 4-stroke motorcycle oil."  It does JASO MA, and API SF/SG/SJ.  That's all in spec for the Jackal, but it's not my Castrol.  I'll report back at the next oil change . . .

[oldbike54]

 One word . PARAFFIN .

  Dusty

[lucian]

Does your fuel have ethanol ?

[rodekyll]

Yes, it does.  We have avgas and marine fuel that might not, but we're not supposed to be using it in our motor vehicles, and it's pretty easy to tell your intent at the pumps.

[lucian]

I have noticed that the ethanol seems to increase the amount of moisture post combustion in exhaust and breather systems.

[father guzzi obrian]

I would think that with sitting along time, the mayo would break down and ooze back into the oil, just my opinion, but I have only seen mayo when I had recently ridden the bike in colder, wet conditions

[Wayne Orwig]

I didn't change oil last year on account of I was grounded by the bike surgeon.


................... .......



 There is no mayo/spooge/pudding whatever you want to call it -- anywhere.

If the bike wasn't run all year, why would you expect to see moisture in the oil anyway?

[travelingbyguzzi]

Of the 5 bikes I have listed in my Sig, the 1100Sporti is the only one that ever gets mayo. And it often does. I know I don't run it often enough or hard enough but sometimes the other bikes get neglected also. Both it and the Cal II have the oil breather return in the frame spine, but the Cal II never has mayo.

Bill Lovelady    is
Eskimo Spy

[Dilliw]

Of the 5 bikes I have listed in my Sig, the 1100Sporti is the only one that ever gets mayo. And it often does. I know I don't run it often enough or hard enough but sometimes the other bikes get neglected also. Both it and the Cal II have the oil breather return in the frame spine, but the Cal II never has mayo.

Bill Lovelady    is
Eskimo Spy

I did a lot of short trips (less than 100mi) over the winter.  On the first big ride of this spring my bike started puking oil out of the breather drain line. I'm guessing I had a whole bunch of mayo in that top of that thing.

Oh well, the cure is to ride the darn things!

[rodekyll]

If the bike wasn't run all year, why would you expect to see moisture in the oil anyway?

I was grounded, but the bike wasn't unused.   

My point is that I don't expect to see moisture in the oil.