Flushing oil out of coolant and vice versa

[Aracheon]

As some of you are probably aware, the water pump seal on the Duke gave out last year at the end of the riding season. I've now got a nice healthy mix of water and oil in both the cooling and oil systems on the bike. (I think there's more oil in the coolant than coolant in the oil, though.) In either case, both systems are going to need a good flushing out.

I know how to flush the coolant, but are there any additives or chemicals that I should put in with the flushes that would help clean out the oil? I've heard liquid Cascade with a little bit of Dawn mixed in and diluted with water works well.

What about the oil? What sort of oil should I use for flushing it all out? I'm sure as shit not going to be doing it with my regular regiment of Motorex at $17/quart...

[Bueller]

Kerosene, and get the water contaminated oil out of there ASAP.

[MetaLord 9]

keeping an eye on this thread due to a similar problem...

[Ricky]

WTF? That's messed up.

[UglyDogRacing]

I haven't had a water pump seal go on me but I have blown multiple head gaskets which results in the same crankcase full of "milk". I did 3 oil changes with some cheap oil to continually flush it out.

[TinkerinWstuff]

If it were mine; as said earlier, an oil change with cheap oil and filter. Run for just a few moments so oil gets pushed through the system.

Drain and change oil and filter. Run again, this time letting it warm up to temperature. Drain while it's hot.

Drain and change oil and filter, this time using your normal products of choice. Run and ride. Check for foaming to be sure water isn't finding it's way back into the case. A warm motor will help expel any remaining moisture.


keeping an eye on this thread due to a similar problem...

You're probably just paranoid.

[The GECCO]

I haven't had a water pump seal go on me but I have blown multiple head gaskets which results in the same crankcase full of "milk". I did 3 oil changes with some cheap oil to continually flush it out.

What he said, I've had a couple head gasket failures myself. Use the same filter for each of the "cheap" oil changes and get it up to full operating temp each time before flushing. Three "flushes" should do it. Then change the filter and put in the good oil.

As for the cooling system, Simple Green works great. Don't over do it, though, as any soap product will foam pretty easily with the agitation of the water pump. Drain the coolant, put in about a cup of Simple Green and top off with water. Ride it or just run the engine until the fan cycles a few times (full operating temp). Drain. Repeat two or three times, then do a flush with clean water to get all the Simple Green out. Then fill with a 50/50 coolant and water mix.

You should be able to do both systems (oil and cooling) at the same time and be done in an hour or so.

[Aracheon]

I haven't had a water pump seal go on me but I have blown multiple head gaskets which results in the same crankcase full of "milk". I did 3 oil changes with some cheap oil to continually flush it out.


Jim, what oil did you use? Just the cheapest shit a dealer had laying around on the shelf?



What he said, I've had a couple head gasket failures myself. Use the same filter for each of the "cheap" oil changes and get it up to full operating temp each time before flushing. Three "flushes" should do it. Then change the filter and put in the good oil.

As for the cooling system, Simple Green works great. Don't over do it, though, as any soap product will foam pretty easily with the agitation of the water pump. Drain the coolant, put in about a cup of Simple Green and top off with water. Ride it or just run the engine until the fan cycles a few times (full operating temp). Drain. Repeat two or three times, then do a flush with clean water to get all the Simple Green out. Then fill with a 50/50 coolant and water mix.

You should be able to do both systems (oil and cooling) at the same time and be done in an hour or so.

I hadn't considered Simple Green. I have a metric shit-ton of it around my garage. Thanks Glenn!

[TinkerinWstuff]

Jim, what oil did you use? Just the cheapest shit a dealer had laying around on the shelf?

Rotella

Oh shit, now this is an oil thread

[UglyDogRacing]

Jim, what oil did you use? Just the cheapest shit a dealer had laying around on the shelf?



Cheapest shit they had at the autoparts store. Change your oil, bring it up to temperature and drain it.

[rybo]

I think I got the oil for Jim once. I got NAPA brand 10W40 car oil. It does not contain friction modifiers that can affect clutch performance.

Also, between the first two oil changes be sure to take the oil filter off and drain it of any oil you can before adding new oil.

[Aracheon]

Rotella

Oh shit, now this is an oil thread

I'm not trying to turn it into this-brand-vs-that-brand thread. If it's an oil flush, I don't care what it is, as long as it's cheap and it works for what I need it for. :D


Cheapest shit they had at the autoparts store. Change your oil, bring it up to temperature and drain it.

Noted.


I think I got the oil for Jim once. I got NAPA brand 10W40 car oil. It does not contain friction modifiers that can affect clutch performance.

Also, between the first two oil changes be sure to take the oil filter off and drain it of any oil you can before adding new oil.

The existence of zinc or phosphorus in automotive oil was a concern... I didn't think it was safe to run in a bike with a wet clutch. But if the NAPA stuff is safe, that's what I'll go with. I'll stop by there on my way home tonight.

The oil filter in the Duke is internal... it looks like a long, tubular cold air intake filter off of a car. I've yet to figure out a way to remove the thing without punching a nail through the top of it and using that to pull it out. I need to get another couple of oil filters anyway, since the one I have on the shelf is my last.

[rybo]

Chris,

If you just take the cap off and let the oil drain from that area you should be fine. No need to remove the filter itself.

Look on the back of the bottle for a round SAE label. Any 10W40 oil that does NOT have the words "Energy Conserving" in that label should be totally safe for this application.

[TinkerinWstuff]

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUslXkXR89cAmnLHbFDLsEuD5NsnWV-sYVtf99QOBBF0YQF490&t=1

or what rybo says

[Aracheon]

Chris,

If you just take the cap off and let the oil drain from that area you should be fine. No need to remove the filter itself.

Look on the back of the bottle for a round SAE label. Any 10W40 oil that does NOT have the words "Energy Conserving" in that label should be totally safe for this application.


Noted. :up:




http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUslXkXR89cAmnLHbFDLsEuD5NsnWV-sYVtf99QOBBF0YQF490&t=1

or what rybo says


:lol::lol::lol:

[McVaaahhh]

As some of you are probably aware, the water pump seal on the Duke gave out last year at the end of the riding season. I've now got a nice healthy mix of water and oil in both the cooling and oil systems on the bike. (I think there's more oil in the coolant than coolant in the oil, though.) In either case, both systems are going to need a good flushing out.


Does this mean that it's been sitting for some significant length of time with "milk" in the crankcase?

[Aracheon]

Does this mean that it's been sitting for some significant length of time with "milk" in the crankcase?


Nope.

The day after the seal popped I drained the contaminated water and oil, and then refilled the oil a day later with some older (but unopened) stuff I've had sitting on a shelf that I'd never used. The water was refilled also. Any contaminants left in the system after that initial drain were still in there, but the amount of milky residue in the oil and water that I drained last night was negligible compared to the shit that came out of the bike in September. I should have taken a picture.