Oil in coolant....AGAIN...

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AApple

AApple

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Dec 3, 2009
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Location
Duncanville, Texas
My Bike Models
1981 GL1100 Innerstate("The Turd")SOLD!!, 1996 GL1500 Innerstate
:rant: :head bang: :Awe:
So...I started in with a comprehensive cleaning job yesterday, after riding in the rain last Friday. Since I had the shelter off, I wanted to check the coolant level in the rad. SON-OF-A-B :sensored: H!!! Dang reservoir has oil in it again, as does the radiator. What the hell is goin on with this turd anyway???? This is the THIRD time this has happened. As most of you know, I just recently had the engine out, and did a good cleaning/painting job, as well as new head gaskets, since it was getting coolant in the exhaust. I had already done the gaskets once before several years ago, shortly after replacing the stator. I have been keeping an eye on the coolant in the reservoir, and the last time I looked was prolly a week ago, and all was well at that time. Now..Friday, on the way in to werk, I did get stuck in traffic(in da rain), and I forgot to turn my fan on....I normally flip it on as I approach any traffic jams, so it is on before it is needed. Friday, I forgot....and I looked down one time and saw the temp gauge was well past the halfway mark, but not anywhere near the red. Definitely hotter than it has been at any time since I got it all back together earlier this year, but still not hot enough to cause any damage....it has been hotter than that before, in the past.
So now, I have to make a decision....do I REALLY want to tear back into this turd AGAIN, or do I start looking for a "new" ride? I bought this bike in 2008, and it has been a fairly reliable ride, but I'm sick of having to do major repairs like this all the time. Sure, it'll prolly survive the rest of the riding season here, and I could rip into it over the winter, but.....I JUST got done doing a major job on it last winter. I'm betting there is a crack, or something else going on with one(or both) of the heads. I did pull all 4 plugs yesterday, and there's NO indication of coolant in the cylinders, or on the plugs. Not getting any coolant in the oil, just oil in the coolant.
I friggin give up.... :fiddle:
 
WOW !! I'd flush/clean the cooling system and torque the heads again first and try it. Also check the water pump, it the conditions are right inside the pump, (bad orings, mechanical seal or to much slop with shaft and bearings) and the drain hole is plugged which I've seen on all my bike engines due to dirt daubers or road grime, then I think it's possible to get oil in the coolant via the water pump. I could be wrong but I don't think so. If that impeller moves around it's a possibility, imo.
 
For reference on what I was talking about Joel.

IMG_2068.JPG
 
:headscratch:
Otay...can someone 'splain to me HOW non-pressurized erl can get into the coolant via the water pump? There are 2 sealed ball bearings on the water pump shaft, plus the ceramic(mechanical) seal, and the 2 o-rings that seal the pump housing to the trans cover. HOW can oil(non-pressurized), presumably from the seal on the oil pump shaft that drives the water pump, get past 3 different seals, and end up in the coolant, without a corresponding coolant leak? ANY erl leaking past the oil pump shaft seal, or the 3 bolts that hold the water pump to the housing would seep down, and run out the weep hole....assuming the hole is not clogged. Even if clogged, there is still no pressure there....but there is coolant pressure in the system when hot, so any oil build up in the weep chamber would still have to go past one sealed bearing AND the ceramic seal on the pump shaft. IF that was possible, I can't see how there would not also be a coolant leak there.
Not saying it can't happen, just saying I don't unnerstand HOW it could happen.
NOW....there IS pressurized erl in the front cover(going to the oil filter) right next to the water pump, but there would have to be a crack in the housing to allow erl into the water pump area....which would also seem to allow coolant into the erl.
Both previous times this has occurred on my bike, I have found evidence of head gasket issues allowing combustion gasses into the coolant. Last time, I was getting coolant into the exhaust also, as it would steam quit a bit when first started, but not after that. I have yet to ever have any coolant in the erl(knock on wood!).

I put a brand spanking new , OE Honda water pump in this thing in 2012....4 years ago. I checked it this past winter while I had the engine apart, and installed new o-ring seals around the pump. There was no play in the impeller/shaft, and the ball bearing seal that I can see on the backside of the pump was fine at that time, too. Don't mean it's perfect, or anything like that at this point, but I doubt there is an issue with the actual water pump. I DO get a tiny drop of erl out of the weep hole every now and then...maybe once a month I'll see a small drop on the floor. Never any coolant leaking, that I can SEE.

I don't know fellers....I've just aboot had it with this one....between the tire issues, and the freekin head gaskets, I've had all I can stand..... :builder:
 
My guess, (for what it is worth), you are in a hotter climate than where my bike operates. You use your bike (to the best of my knowledge) as a daily rider for work. You do get a lot of stop and go riding in traffic. The engine runs much hotter when it has to cycle through the fan often in stop and go traffic which does put extra wear and tear on the water pump. (There could also be higher crankcase pressure when operating in a hot climate putting pressure on the backside of the seals.)

I know that hot oil finds its way out much easier than water. Put a little extra pressure and it will find its way out. Again, my '81 engine was pretty beat with the high mileage, but when I pulled the heads and checked them, they were fine. No cracks, no bad gaskets or signs of leaks. But the water pump was oily at the shaft when I pulled it and definitely leaking oil into the water. It never leaked through the weep hole.
 
the headgaskets just suck ...it why i went after getting the motor to run cooler ...ro me this is the best improvement one can make to keep the bike from blowing these cheap worthless head gaskets ...heat shields and all that keeps the radiator from working good ....is a total juke to me ...ive been doing this type of runnuing now for yrs ...and it seems to be just what the motor needs to have a broad running window ...manual fan switch along with regular operation for bad traffic....no thermostat ...with restrictor plate used and sometime not ....seems to me this program has done well for me .....i have great air flow in cooling system and it never seems hot
 
I feel your pain on these head scratchers. I've torn down a few pumps I didn't rebuild (Bakelite) that the sealed bearings were so damaged that the ball bearings were not all present and accounted for, on one, the front bearing only had three , I don't know where the rest went to this day, the rear bearing came apart in my hand so I know it wasn't sealing anything. Your right, it's unlikely that it's coming from the pump but anything can happen. I hope you find something simpe.
 
Radiator draws coolant from the reservoir as the motor cools. Maybe it's drawing oil too the same way at the same time? Hot cool several times a day almost every day it wouldn't have to draw much at a time to add up pretty quick.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=182417#p182417:2uy5tjca said:
slabghost » Mon Oct 17, 2016 11:30 am[/url]":2uy5tjca]
Radiator draws coolant from the reservoir as the motor cools. Maybe it's drawing oil too the same way at the same time? Hot cool several times a day almost every day it wouldn't have to draw much at a time to add up pretty quick.
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing and was scrolling through to see if anyone mentioned this, as well a small amount of coolant will not show up in the hot engine/oil environment,it will evaporate and get pushed out the venting.
You should get a new bike either way.
 
Very nice and a reasonable price too! I'd go for it myself. That's a lot of tupperware , bells and whistles but sure is nice.
 

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