Oil in Coolant, No Water in the Engine Oil???

[SpecOps13]

I've been trying to wrap my head around this all day.

History: My Daughter in Law and I went on an 84 mile ride yesterday. Around Tampa bay. We took my 94 and hit 120-130 a couple times, she had a blast. When we got back, I told her the 89 was even faster... Big mistake, She wants to go out on it before she goes back to Alaska next week.

Today, I figured I better give it a good inspection, oil, water, tires, brake fluid and so on. I stood the bike straight up and the oil level was fine. Pulled the seat and faus cover. Checked the battery, 12.97 volts, started the bike and checked the charging. All was well up to this point.

I was sitting on a roll around so I unscrewed the overflow tank cap but couldn't see the coolant level through the tank. Grabbed a flashlight and shined it through the side, nothing, shined it through the top, nothing. Stuck my finger in the top and down to where I could feel liquid. My finger came out black. Instant 4 letter word generator....

I pulled the right scoop and popped the radiator cap, Oil slick there too. I dumped the overflow tank into a clean jar to get a look, then siphoned the coolant from the filler neck into another jar. in all reality, maybe 1/100th oil and the rest coolant.

Put a clean pan under the engine drain plug and drained enough oil to fill about 1/2 a jar. Let them set. There doesn't seem to be any water in the engine oil. I searched and read most everything here, talked with a couple people but I'm still stupid and mystified. How can there be oil in the coolant but no water in the engine oil?????:ummm::confused2:How is that possible for a one way transfer????

 

[one2dmax]

It may be pushing oil into the system down in the waterpump area where maybe a gasket isn't sealing. I think that's the only pressurized oil location that comes very near coolant passages. So, if there is more oil pressure then coolant pressure (which there would be in most cases) you can have it leak oil into the cooling system but not the other way around.

Typically when a head gasket fails on these bikes the combustion pressures let gasses get into the coolant system and push the coolant out of the bike (making it fill up the reservoir and then out the overflow until it runs out of coolant in the engine).

Sean

 

[SpecOps13]

Thanx Sean, that sounds very possible. Do I flush, refill, change the oil and go on with life or should I really go after stopping it? I read
in an old thread that you've seen this a few times but I have a much clearer picture with the explanation you gave here.

Others have said they have seen this on Max's that are being run hard (Which I've Been Doing) and on some Chevy Engines...


Thanx for the input....
Dave

 

[XBoxMax]

Hope it's something that's normal Spec. I read all of your posts about the resurrection of this bike, amazing job. Somewhere here, I saw that the oil pressure on this bike is higher than normal and bypasses at about 70 lbs. Might that be the cause of this problem? Someone must have massaged the oil pump for the higher pressure?

 

[SpecOps13]

I was hoping someone else would chime in. I'm hearing that this is somewhat common for modded engines but I'm not really sure what has been done to this engine by PO's. I will try a flush and fill on the coolant and oil and see what happens from there. There really wasn't that much oil in the cooling system and the oil was just under the full line on the sight glass.. Got a nagging oil leak on the left side to fix for good too.

We're still waiting to meet you XBoxMax????????????