Oil Leak and Bad Smell

[beemrdon]

Hey guys,

I have an oil leak which appears to be the crank case cover (not absolutely sure). 

Questions -

*Do I need to drain the oil before I take the crank cover off to replace the gasket and grommets? I would guess not because the oil level appears to be below the crankcase on this machine but just want to make sure.

*Also, would burning oil on exhaust or on outside of engine be strong enough to irritate a person's eyes?

*What else could be going on that would produce a strong enough "smell" to burn one's eyes? Smells like soot.

*How do you check for an exhaust leak?

*How do you check for a dirty running engine? Just changed spark plugs and they looked good but curiously, engine oil turns black almost immediately after a change.

The odor has gotten pretty bad during my last ride and now riding the bike has become much less enjoyable. I have somewhere over 124,000 miles and it runs and idles very good.

*How do you check the cat on a K 1100?

...............................Lots of questions...Thanks in advance for your input.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

The only thing that "burns" my eyes is overheated coolant/antifreeze.  Are you sure there isn't some leaking onto the engine?  A leaky head gasket may allow coolant to drip onto the headers.  I had that problem a couple years ago.  Nasty!

Depending on how much dirt is in the engine from oil changes neglected by a previous owner, I wouldn't be that surprised if the oil discolored fairly fast after oil changes. 

There is little if any oil behind the crank cover.  Maybe 3-4 ounces at most.

[Martin]

Easy to check for exhaust leaks cold. All you need is either a vacuum cleaner with the ability to blow instead of suck or a compressor set on low output. If using a vacuum cleaner make sure it's clean and empty and the hose is clean. You don't want the cleaner blowing crap into your engine. St the vacuum to blow and loosely wrap a rag around the hose and stick it up your exhaust. There is no need for an airtight seal, spray exhausts joints with a mix of detergent and water and watch for bubbles. If using a compressor it's the same method. It's probably a good idea to rinse off the soap residue before riding.
Regards Martin.

[volador]

A cup of kerosene or diesel in the crankcase oil will give the internals the cleansing bathe they deserve

[Scott_]

A cup of kerosene or diesel in the crankcase oil will give the internals the cleansing bathe they deserve

And wouldn't be a bad idea either as it will also help clean the starter sprague assy in the process....

You might check the coolant riser tube(top of the engine behind the radiator) mounting as the o-ring could be dried(old age) and leaking.

[Laitch]

Burning transmission oil will produce soot and strong odor. Inspect the breather at the top of the transmission and the weep hole beneath the transmission. Engine oil could be leaking from the hose attached to the crankcase and airbox. Burning oil produces acrid odor and fumes. Eye irritation from fumes wouldn't be surprising.

I expect oil to darken if working as intended. Change the oil more frequently to determine if that makes a difference. The unintended consequence of using hyper-flushing chemical combinations in the crankcase could be clogging of the oil pickup screen by undissolved sludge. That would lower oil pressure and could lead to engine damage. If anybody uses the kerosene/acid/diesel concoctions recommended by some members here, I suggest removing the oil pan after use to inspect the pickup screen before running the engine again.

[volador]

When faced with extreme and undesirable aromas and irritating eyes it may be necessary to employ additional equipment when operating moto.


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[beemrdon]

Thanks folks, I will look into these possibilities this weekend. Or maybe just invest in a good gas mask!