View Full Version : Confused! What happened?


Swankster
24th April 2007, 17:40
OK, I went on a long ride and was returning from Monterey to the valley, a distance of around 150 miles this past weekend.
Bike ran perfectly:shhhh and I decided (like we all have at one time) to test its limit or top speed after interchanging from one highway to another with little traffic.:) Funny, had never really done that before.
Well I buried the speedo at 120 mph pretty easily and quickly with it still pulling really hard.
A good thing yes!:D
Anyways continued at a really brisk pace because it began to rain on me, and my velocity stack does not appreciate precipitation very well.:frownone
Iv'e been dealing with a little more blow by than usual but I just wipe her up when there's the need (even while riding). Blow by comes harder:wonderlan of course with higher RPM's.
As you may recall I have the Wimmer external breathers.
Cruisin along at a good clip with more traffic ahead I downshifted to 4th to get a charge to pass a long line of cars glued to the fast lane. When I hit 5th during a speed shift, it wasn't there,:frownthre instead a fake neutral and revvvvved her to its limit (of course only for a split second). Big bellow of blue smoke from the exhaust at this time. Off the throttle and put her in 5th and continued on....

For a moment anyways, until I glanced down to the carb side and holy shit:doh :censor what do I see, what looked like a cup or more of motor oil sprawled on the side of the tank, upper rear head/rocker area, carb, my right upper inner leg and my inner arm sleeve.
Pressure was still up there around 20-22 lbs. although dropped a few pounds but stayed constant. A real freakin mess for sure but I was only about 15 miles from home.:( :o :( :o
Continued into town and stopped by my indy although it was now past closing time. No one there. Drove home and pressure stayed the same.
Got home and litterally poured fairly hot water with Simple Green around the affected area after the motor cooled a little.
Cleaned up the area pretty good and no appeareant leaks.
Next day nothing and cleaned her up even better. Started the bike warmed it and went for a short ride, nothing again except oil level was down around a half quart. It was down slightly too when I left for the coast.

Some background info...
When I first got to my brothers place in Santa Cruz I wiped up the usual blow by and then I got this grand (or stupid) idea:frownthre I don't know? to assist the small filter elements inside the breathers to better collect the oil. What I did was cut some of that blue absorbant shop cloth/paper and wrap it around the filter elements. I first tested the paper to make sure you could breath through it. Yes I could and I only circled the round filter once with the paper.
Of course my thinking:wonderlan was that it would assist in soaking up some blow by; by eliminating it from escaping through the slots on the breathers. It seemed to work until the incident.

I'm going to head off to the indy shortly and have them check it out but I forgot to mention that when I cleaned up the area, I removed the paper that was still intact yet saturated as you can imagine. what I did see however was some orange powder coat material peeled away from the inner slots or vents of the breather. Nothing externally but evidently from the inner sides of the slots or breather vents.
With that being said, I can assure you that the vents or slots were not plugged, blocked or restricted by over spray of powder coat material. The coating however in the vents of the breather were not spot-on, yet did not concern me because you really did not see into that area.
I do wonder though if the blue cloth paper material, once saturated in oil may have compromised or severally restricted the intent of the breathers????
Of course with the slight blistering or peeling of the orange powder coat, I wonder if a bunch of oil puddled in the breather reservoir due to its restriction causing the oil to get quite Hot (seems unlikely though) and then finally having to erupt all at once and ending up all over me.???
For a clearer illustration I'm enclosing this pic.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1384/6513001/13626727/248118638.jpg

What say you; experts out there?
Swankster

Jimbo999
24th April 2007, 18:06
I'm no expert but I'd say the missed shift caused an over pressure the breather
couldn't handle and it puked out the filters...Obvious observation I guess.

Solution ???? Don't miss your shifts. It's prob' the only way to avoid
the mess afterwards.

Just saying, Huh?
:tour

chrishajer
24th April 2007, 23:32
High RPM causes more oil to come out the breathers. I think it's as simple as that.

--Chris

davidcar
25th April 2007, 01:41
I agree with Chris, adding to this the extra cloth that you installed would restrict the head breathers especially once they get oil soaked, I would remove the extra cloth. Those filters look great, I almost got some but thought they would be high maintenance.

High RPM causes more oil to come out the breathers. I think it's as simple as that.

--Chris

Joe Dirt
25th April 2007, 02:05
High RPM causes more oil to come out the breathers. I think it's as simple as that.

--Chris

I think that is all it is. You just ran the snot out of it. :p

Which reminds me, I still need to do an external breather on mine. Anything more than a brief ton-up run and I'll get oil in the air cleaner.

Little_Dave
25th April 2007, 12:13
Can you post a pic of the whole bike, it looks pretty interesting from the info on your post!:tour

Swankster
25th April 2007, 19:57
High RPM causes more oil to come out the breathers. I think it's as simple as that.

--Chris

Well Chris I spoke to my indy and he checked it out and simply concluded like you and others, that my need for speed caused the condition.
I knew I had some typical blow by from my usual antics but Jeeeeeez! I just couldn't believe the amount.
You know when I think about it, I probably was so fixated on the road ahead at those speeds, rather than looking about I didn't even notice it until that momwent when I did look down and discover the mess.
A pic for the UK guy....
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1384/6513001/14060332/241917850.jpg
Swankster

Bruce
26th April 2007, 00:29
Swansker, Great looking bike, the Chevy in the background does'nt look bad either. Show us a better picture of the car.

Swankster
26th April 2007, 06:45
Swansker, Great looking bike, the Chevy in the background does'nt look bad either. Show us a better picture of the car.

The car, one bad ass 1956 Chevy Hot Rod!!! Belongs to my indy.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1384/6513001/14060332/241917821.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1384/6513001/14060332/241917794.jpg

Swankster

Paulie420
26th April 2007, 16:29
You'll have less blow by if you use a normal A/C.

Especially when riding hard, I wouldn't suggest a velocity stcack.

Your bike looks so f-in badass though, nice!!! I assume thats part of the reason you run a stack - it looks GREAT with your setup.

Good luck man...

Swankster
26th April 2007, 16:58
You'll have less blow by if you use a normal A/C.

Especially when riding hard, I wouldn't suggest a velocity stcack.

Your bike looks so f-in badass though, nice!!! I assume thats part of the reason you run a stack - it looks GREAT with your setup.

Good luck man...

Paulie,
Is there anything "normal" on my bike:smoke .
Sorry! but no ham cam is in order or even an air filter, for the time being!
Swankster

Little_Dave
30th April 2007, 15:08
Thanks Swanxster for the pic, that is one nice looking sporty, not sure about the motor behind, I'm afraid that I have absolutely no interest in cars, get 'em off the road I say!:D :D More room for bikes!:tour Then of course over there you have more room than us here anyway! Our roads are pretty crowded with cars & lorries of all shapes and sizes. The only way to get away from them is to travel on the back roads.

Swankster
3rd May 2007, 00:04
Thanks!
Don't your roads beat the crap out of you though?
Swankster

Thanks Swanxster for the pic, that is one nice looking sporty, not sure about the motor behind, I'm afraid that I have absolutely no interest in cars, get 'em off the road I say!:D :D More room for bikes!:tour Then of course over there you have more room than us here anyway! Our roads are pretty crowded with cars & lorries of all shapes and sizes. The only way to get away from them is to travel on the back roads.

rottenralph
3rd May 2007, 01:31
Why do you think we put our filters back somewhere that does not spew oil all over our clothes. The wimmer is pretty up until it starts spraying the oil all over you and the side of your bike.

Confused89
3rd May 2007, 01:38
I looked at the title and though :doh "oh boy, what did I do now?" I guess it wasn't refering to me. :D