Gas in the oil, won't go into gear: valve problem?
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:56 am
I just bought my first bike. It's a new bike (as in not just new to me, but only 120 miles on the odometer) that hasn't even been broken in, yet.
The guy I bought it from said it had been sitting for a while, so decided to do some maintenance before I took it out for my/its first ride.
I put some fuel stabilizer in the gas, cleaned the spark plugs, charged the battery, and changed the oil. Everything seemed normal except for the oil. It was suspiciously dark for having only been used for at most 120 miles. It was also really thin and smelled a little like gasoline. There were also tiny metal shavings in the oil and filter. And finally, after I shut the bike off, some grey smoke came out of one of the exhaust pipes.
I've read that metal shavings are to be expected on brand new vehicles, as the pistons scrape grooves into the cylinders. But should the oil be dark brown after just over 100 miles? And is it normal for there to be gas in the oil (maybe something to do with the cylindars not being fully sealed, yet?)? I'm pretty sure this isn't normal, but I thought I'd better ask someone more experienced.
So, anyway, after I changed the oil, I ran it for a little bit, then I was going to take it for my first spin around the block on it. I thought it was a bit odd that the engine wouldn't keep idling unless I kept the choke at least halfway open. Is this something to do with it being new as well?
So, I left the choke about halfway open, but, whenever I put it into gear, it would die. I don't think it was because I was releasing clutch too fast or not giving it enough gas; when I eased of the clutch, I'd give it a little throttle, and it would start to lurch forward, sputter, then die. After three tries to get it into gear, it wouldn't start anymore, and there was a weird smell to the exhaust.
My roommate, who is a little bit more mechanically inclined than I am, suggested that the problem might be with the valves not having the right timing, which he said might account for gas in the oil (because too much gas was getting into the cylinder at the wrong time, then seeping out with the oil) and smoke coming out of the one exhuaust pipes (becuase the exhaust valve wasn't fulling closing). Does this sound plausible? What are some other problems that could be causing these symptoms?
What and where should I start looking at my bike to determine the exact problem? Should I tear down the engine to look at the valves? If so, how do fix them? Am I getting in way over my head? Should I just take it to a mechanic? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
The guy I bought it from said it had been sitting for a while, so decided to do some maintenance before I took it out for my/its first ride.
I put some fuel stabilizer in the gas, cleaned the spark plugs, charged the battery, and changed the oil. Everything seemed normal except for the oil. It was suspiciously dark for having only been used for at most 120 miles. It was also really thin and smelled a little like gasoline. There were also tiny metal shavings in the oil and filter. And finally, after I shut the bike off, some grey smoke came out of one of the exhaust pipes.
I've read that metal shavings are to be expected on brand new vehicles, as the pistons scrape grooves into the cylinders. But should the oil be dark brown after just over 100 miles? And is it normal for there to be gas in the oil (maybe something to do with the cylindars not being fully sealed, yet?)? I'm pretty sure this isn't normal, but I thought I'd better ask someone more experienced.
So, anyway, after I changed the oil, I ran it for a little bit, then I was going to take it for my first spin around the block on it. I thought it was a bit odd that the engine wouldn't keep idling unless I kept the choke at least halfway open. Is this something to do with it being new as well?
So, I left the choke about halfway open, but, whenever I put it into gear, it would die. I don't think it was because I was releasing clutch too fast or not giving it enough gas; when I eased of the clutch, I'd give it a little throttle, and it would start to lurch forward, sputter, then die. After three tries to get it into gear, it wouldn't start anymore, and there was a weird smell to the exhaust.
My roommate, who is a little bit more mechanically inclined than I am, suggested that the problem might be with the valves not having the right timing, which he said might account for gas in the oil (because too much gas was getting into the cylinder at the wrong time, then seeping out with the oil) and smoke coming out of the one exhuaust pipes (becuase the exhaust valve wasn't fulling closing). Does this sound plausible? What are some other problems that could be causing these symptoms?
What and where should I start looking at my bike to determine the exact problem? Should I tear down the engine to look at the valves? If so, how do fix them? Am I getting in way over my head? Should I just take it to a mechanic? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!