Nearly running out of oil!

[ZK-Awesome]

Hey
So I was off out on my SJ50 last night, decided to check the oil as I had not done so in ages. Well thats strange, the oil is a cream colour?! I gave it a bit of a shake and some splotches of oil went over top of the cream colour. On closer inspection (using a wooden skewer), I found that it was bottom of the oil tank!

There was obviously still some oil in there, as when I shook the bike about, some oil splotched onto the bare tank floor... But how much? It seemed that the middle of the lank was dry, but there was some around the outside edges of the tank.

I hadn't noticed any change in performance, except that from cold the bike sometimes didn't make full power right away from a standing start, but I put this down to the cold weather. Had been happening for a week beforehand though.. Surely it would have seized already if it had been starved of oil for a week's riding (~40ks)?

Needless to say some TTS was put in there pronto, as I had places to go, and no time for a closer inspection (don't have L license yet so didnt want to take a100)

I should also say, the oil light didnt come on to my knowledge.

Do I have anything to worry about?

Please note, the oil itself was not white, what I was seeing was the bottom of the tank itself!

[madmal64]

The cream colour is a bit of a worry. Sounds like water has got into the oil and if thats the case thats not such a good thing.

[ZK-Awesome]

No no the cream colour was the colour of the bottom of the tank itself.

[awayatc]

Out of 2 stroke oil?.....Normaly it seizes the piston into the cylinder quit rapidly and violently....
Sounds like you been lucky! I learned my lesson the hard way, I once seized a Yamaha 350, and 1 perfectly sound chainsaw......

[Taz]

I hadn't checked it in ages..............
Way to go numb nuts

[davereid]

I always put a small amount of synthetic two stroke into the gas tank when I fill up. If I put 5 litres of petrol in, I'll put about 50ml of oil in, so about 100:1 ratio. I have nicked the little yeast measuring cup off Mrs Reids breadmaker, its ideal !.

This is enough to save your engine from serious damage if your oil pump fails, you run out of oil, or it gets contaminated.

The extra oil may cause your engine to run a fraction leaner, but carbs on scooters are not exactly the best examples of the craft, and they are often way rich to begin with.

Excessive oil may also mean you have to de-coke more often. If you use synthetic oil, this tends to be a non-existant problem anyway.

[Murray]

No no the cream colour was the colour of the bottom of the tank itself.

Still sounds like water in the oil. Take it to the bikeshop and get it checked out straight away

[ZK-Awesome]

Still sounds like water in the oil. Take it to the bikeshop and get it checked out straight away

What makes you say that? The tank itself is a cream colour! I checked it with a skewer, it was solid cream plastic.No need to pull out the angry faces

[Murray]

What makes you say that? The tank itself is a cream colour! I checked it with a skewer, it was solid cream plastic.No need to pull out the angry faces

Sorry bout the angry faces, just that I had a bike that got water into the oil and it goes a creamy light brown colour. Angry it happened not angry at you!!

Hope its something simple. double smiles

[Pogo2]

there Mr ZK-A

Just like your C152 except perhaps check every week or so rather than just before each trip.

How's the flying going BTW?

[ZK-Awesome]

Yeah, well this has scared me into beingmore careful. Big smiles Murray.

I think Ive been neglecting the scooter a bit since I got a real bike, need to be a bit more careful (e.g. found a big ol wet bit of glad wrap that had been pulled onto the back of the engine, no harm but looks untidy)

It still goes good, I rode it out to Stoke today with a mate on the a100 to do my BHS test (pieca piss on the a100),no probs whatsoever.

Flyings good, I've been on some trips & comps etc lately as opposed to learning stuff, I've done most of the lessons I need for my PPL. Basicly just need more IF time and solo practice around the practice areas, before X-countries.

[Amz]

I'd say you probably caught it just in time! There was probably still some oil down the pipe. If you run out the engine generally gets pretty hot and starts to bind and slow down then eventually seize or FSWOP, specially a scooter run pretty hard. Good to hear your getting through your flying. I'm over at the college finishing off my commercial so I might see ya up there.