Sitting 8 years - how to clean out oil?

[hutchwilco]

I've got an '85 GSXR-400 I bought from sitting in a garage for 8 years, I've added a bit of oil, but have waited till I got it vinned, registered and on the road before oil and filter change.

The clutch has a bit of drag and it's almost impossible to put it in neutral (gotta use my hand) which I think is a symptom of crappy old oil.

I have an oldish but unopened can of STP oil cleaner - add to your oil before you drain it and it supposedly helps clean out the residues. It presumes you're doing this to a car engine - can anyone allay my concerns about putting this stuff in and stuffing the wet clutch or something like that? I wanna get it all clean for the new oil and filter, and I have this laying here - any advice or better way to clean her out?

cheers

[vifferman]

I can't tell you about the STP (do you add it to the oil, or flush with it after draining??), but I think it would be OK to flush the oil out with some diesel or kero, then refill with some cheapish oil, run the bike till hot, then drain again before refilling with the good oil.

[Flip]

Please don't put diesel or kero in the crank case, its not a lubricant. It might not be able to stop the cam shaft touching the cam followers and buggering them.

If you feel you must, just use a "medium ash" (relatively high detergent) diesel motor oil to flush the crankcase, you will probably find the diesel oil has dual S(petrol motor) and C(diesel) ratings and will make a fine bike oil.

If you want to go the STP way follow the instructions on the can. You used to just add the STP to the old oil, warm the motor and drain the oil. The days of flushing motors are long gone, back in the old days the lube oils were useless at preventing motor oil deposits you used to do this from time to time. Nowdays unless you were running one of the vintage penzoil single weight motor oils the modern oils will prevent these kind of deposits.

[CookMySock]

Any of the engine flushes are fine. You will probably discover they are (gasp!!!) 90% kero.

Steve

[hutchwilco]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm less concerned about cleaning it out now, but will probably use up my STP cleanout since it's sitting here.

[AllanB]

Here's what I'd do if it was mine.

Before you fire it up (if you have not already) I'd be inclined to pop off the cam cover and pour some oil over the cam/valves.

Unless you can find a bike specific engine flush, I'd not use a car one due to the clutch (which may or may not be stuffed anyway sitting so long).
Drain what's in it now - if you want to be through you can always drop the sump off it and clean that down. If just draining it cold out the sump plug after the old crap is out fill it up again with some cheap oil and repeat heck poor it in while the old shit is flowing out.

Drain the old crap as above, fill with some el-cheap-o motorcycle oil use a light 10/30, run the bike to heat it up and distribute it, drain and fill with the correct oil grade (new filter of course). Run it for a hundred or two kms and do another oil/filter change.

Tell you what - if you are happy paying $12 for a courier I have a 4l pack of Spectro/Elf 10w40 mix (brand new fresh motorcycle oil left over from changes on a previous bike) I can send you. It would be absolutely fine running in that bike.

[Pixie]

Change the oil for a good hi spec Diesel lubricant -Caltex DELO 400 is available from The Warehouse for $40/5L.This will clean out any crap.Do a couple of 1000K km changes,then go to normal periods.You can keep using the Delo 400 too if you like, it's good oil.