Hello

I've read this:http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=53899.msg608094#msg608094

When I change oil, which I do more often than recommended (already experienced spun rods and I'd like to avoid having to make that repair again...), the oil turns dark very quickly, as in by the next day it is already black. I don't see sludge, but I find it disturbing that the oil changes color that quickly. I am using mineral oil, usually repsol or equivalent.

I thought that a good idea would be to 'flush' the oil somehow, and 'rinse' with some sort of solvent the engine. That thread above, however, mentions the risk of loosening something that could block a critical oil passage.

Can anyone offer thoughts, or, better yet, has anyone done this successfully? Do you have a good reason why I shouldn't worry about this and live with the dark colored oil?

Thanks

if the bike sits.. and depending how many miles is on it, when I rebuilt my engine, there was a good amount of 'black' sticky stuff [old oil/dirt what ever else] that I removed from little corners and cracks it had built up in. Also the engine burns a little bit of oil naturally. so my thought on it? What goes up, must come down...

Ok...What do you mean when you say "mineral oil"?  Do you mean "regular" vs synthetic...?

Or do you mean straight mineral oil without detergents and additives?  In the aircraft industry we use straight mineral oil for engine break in...then switch to ash-less dispersant....If you use the "fancy stuff" at first, the engine will not break in properly...because the fancy oil is too slippery"!

I'll assume you are using some standard motorcycle oil with additives and "detergents"....

So...the oil turning dark is "normal"....it is all the crap, which gets put in suspension by the additives in "Modern oil" ...

We commonly use the term "detergent" oil...but it is really "ash-less dispersant" oil...meaning that the tiny particles...too small for the filter, get dispersed or suspended in the oil...this causes the oil to darken.....but the oil is still plenty good...the color is not indication of the oil life or quality..

The idea is to keep the crap in suspension, so it does not get deposited internally in the engine..


Some additives will actually darken the oil due to heat alone...

So really...color of the oil does not tell you much useful information...Some brands start out pretty dark to begin with while others are lighter amber...

I think that attempting to "flush" with solvent, an engine, to clean it...would result in disaster on many levels...and pointless..


The only way to know what is really going on with your black oil , is to have it sent to a lab for analysis...we do this for many of our airplane customers...

But really, for a motorcycle...just do the oil changes according to the interval recommended...and you will have no problems....

If you are a worry wort, then change the oil more frequently...but this is simply a waste of time and money and rough on the environment (if you are so concerned)....

I can't imagine that your spun rod was caused solely by not frequent enough oil changes...or black oil....more likely due to lack of oil pressure for whatever reason...

If you search the internet, you will see this question of "black oil in a short duration" come up over and over again...

Cookie

Quote from: vasama on February 20, 2015, 11:41:36 AM
Hello

I've read this:http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=53899.msg608094#msg608094

When I change oil, which I do more often than recommended (already experienced spun rods and I'd like to avoid having to make that repair again...), the oil turns dark very quickly, as in by the next day it is already black. I don't see sludge, but I find it disturbing that the oil changes color that quickly. I am using mineral oil, usually repsol or equivalent.

I thought that a good idea would be to 'flush' the oil somehow, and 'rinse' with some sort of solvent the engine. That thread above, however, mentions the risk of loosening something that could block a critical oil passage.

Can anyone offer thoughts, or, better yet, has anyone done this successfully? Do you have a good reason why I shouldn't worry about this and live with the dark colored oil?

Thanks

Black oil the next day? .. I think of not drained properly when changed?

Thanks, all

Yes, I meant regular oil, usually Repsol brand; more to the point, not synthetic or semi-synthetic.

The spun rod was due to running it with low oil in the motor, something that I'm careful not to do again. I've become kind of obsessive with checking it.

I'll take your advice and stick with regular interval oil changes, with topping off as needed.

Well, the terms used for engine oil are confusing and vague to be sure...

"regular"  does not really describe oil...

Brand name does not describe oil much either

But "not synthetic" does narrow it down

In motorcycle "slang" ..."Dino oil" means non synthetic...supposedly because this oil comes from the decayed bodies of dinosaurs from prehistoric times...actually it comes from the rotted plant matter...but more colorful to say dinosaurs...

I went to the Repsol website....this is the most confusing oil I've ever seen...They sell synthetic and semi synthetic, but it does not always say so on the label.....I can't find any Repsol in 10w 40 which in NOT synthetic...

But all that is just meaningless mumbo jumbo...

Just get a "brand name" oil....in the correct viscosity, and the correct specification (for motorcycles).


Keep your oil filled up, and change at recommended intervals... that's all you have to do....

Don't wast money on "fancy" oil, or "racing" oil...or whatever...

Yeah, low oil will spin a rod bearing...due to low oil pressure....so it was the the "quality" of the oil...it was the "quantity"..


cookie

Quote from: vasama on February 21, 2015, 03:16:49 PM
Thanks, all

Yes, I meant regular oil, usually Repsol brand; more to the point, not synthetic or semi-synthetic.

The spun rod was due to running it with low oil in the motor, something that I'm careful not to do again. I've become kind of obsessive with checking it.

I'll take your advice and stick with regular interval oil changes, with topping off as needed.

Just a random thought...

You know how everyone is supposed to buy canned tuna that is dolphin friendly and has the little dolphin logo etc. ..

Wonder if the tree huggers will ever notice the terminology and we get a little dinosaur logo on the synthetic oil! .. "give honor to the memory of the dinosaurs people!" .. lmao

LOL!


Some more random.....

I figure environmentalists should love conventional motor oil...It's really 100% vegetarian!

I thought the dolphin on the tuna label means "contains dolphin"

Just like the cans of "dog meat" you can get at the supermarket...you can get collie, dachshund, bull dog, etc...just look at the picture on the label.

My diet is fairly simple...beef, and chocolate.

Maybe we can do the "Jurassic Park" deal and breed vast herds of dinosaurs, only to squeeze the life out of the big buggers and  into oil for our bikes!   

Just sayin'

Cookie

Quote from: Janx101 on February 21, 2015, 03:50:50 PM
Just a random thought...

You know how everyone is supposed to buy canned tuna that is dolphin friendly and has the little dolphin logo etc. ..

Wonder if the tree huggers will ever notice the terminology and we get a little dinosaur logo on the synthetic oil! .. "give honor to the memory of the dinosaurs people!" .. lmao

.... bahahaha. .. marketing! ... we have the ideas... just need the marketing prowess! Lol

Oh, the wonders of an oil thread...

I'll just leave this here...

Quote from: floatingLomas on February 22, 2015, 09:37:46 AM
I'll just leave this here...

^^^ really, really great and informative thread. Lots of good stuff about oil that can be learned there.