A good warm-up - reduce blow-by oil (oil in the airbox)?

[groundeffect]

+Stock is still an option, too, right? It's perhaps the least complex (sorta) of all... RK

Indeed, completely stock, unchanged Spyder is absolutely an option, of course. The only thing is just every 3000-4000km or so (or when you notice oil seaping from the airbox) you remove the covers, and the top of the airbox and clean it out. It is also a good to check your air filter and a few other things under the panels, since you are already there!


Thanks for the note.

 

[groundeffect]

At least on mine the blow by was under the filter, the stock filter was and is bone dry, The oil would drip out bottom right side of the air box. It cant go thru the filter.

The blow-by oil I'm seeing in my airbox is not getting on the air filter at all.

Thanks for your note.

 

[groundeffect]

I tried the catch can thing and believe that it may be responsible for ALL of my gaskets giving out. I think there was something wrong with the bowl that I had. It leaked oil pretty badly and seemed to have a lot of back pressure on it when I blew through it. After having the bike in the shop five months to stop all of the oil leaks that it probably created I took it off.

I suggest that you leave it alone and just run your oil level lower which will stop most of it. I bought a 20 dollar oil pan and put it under the bike and that is how it is going to stay.

Thank you for your post. My blow-by oil was not too too bad, but there was enough oil in there for me to notice a drip on the rad and a drop blow from the fan on the right side cover/panel. I got in there and cleaned the airbox, no real problem. I try and keep a close eye on things, so I hope to catch things like this very quickly at the start.

Now, when I check my coolant levels, maybe once or twice a week - it only take 1 minute, I will check the front of the airbox - just get a garage lamp and peek in behind the coolant tank and inspect the seam where the airbox top meets the lower part. If no oil there, I'm good.

For at least another 1000km or so, I will be running stock. My oil level now is near the ADD mark, but still within spec, of course. I will keep an eye on it and see how it goes. If I get much blow-by in the next 1000km I may look at doing the 'sponge in the tube' method.

Mine hasn't been anywhere near that bad yet, key word being yet. The worst I have seen so far is a little bit of oil on the matte black section underneath the radiator cover. This has cleaned off easily so far. My wife's Spyder does it more, as her oil level is almost to the full mark while mine is at the halfway point.

Thanks for your reply, Michael! Yep, you have seen the oil in the same place as me. I will continue to check by peeking at the airbox seam behind the coolant tank, periodically, and if I see oil there, or on that black panel rear of the rad, they will be my indicators to clean out the airbox again, and maybe, just maybe do the sponge in the tube mod.






So, to my original question: does waiting warm-up for at least two bars affect/help (reduce) blow-by oil in the airbox?


Thanks again everyone!
Cheers.

 

[docdoru]

No, it's occurring after the engine is up to temperature, and operating at higher rpm's.....

 

[boborgera]

Thank you for your post. My blow-by oil was not too too bad, but there was enough oil in there for me to notice a drip on the rad and a drop blow from the fan on the right side cover/panel. I got in there and cleaned the airbox, no real problem. I try and keep a close eye on things, so I hope to catch things like this very quickly at the start.

Now, when I check my coolant levels, maybe once or twice a week - it only take 1 minute, I will check the front of the airbox - just get a garage lamp and peek in behind the coolant tank and inspect the seam where the airbox top meets the lower part. If no oil there, I'm good.

For at least another 1000km or so, I will be running stock. My oil level now is near the ADD mark, but still within spec, of course. I will keep an eye on it and see how it goes. If I get much blow-by in the next 1000km I may look at doing the 'sponge in the tube' method.







Thanks for your reply, Michael! Yep, you have seen the oil in the same place as me. I will continue to check by peeking at the airbox seam behind the coolant tank, periodically, and if I see oil there, or on that black panel rear of the rad, they will be my indicators to clean out the airbox again, and maybe, just maybe do the sponge in the tube mod.






So, to my original question: does waiting warm-up for at least two bars affect/help (reduce) blow-by oil in the airbox?


Thanks again everyone!
Cheers.

It doesn't matter, warming up won't stop the blow by!
High RPM's pushes oil out the crankcase vent [tube] into the air box
then if left alone will drip out of the weep hole at the bottom of the air box [right side] and all over hot parts. Also makes a heck of a mess.
When the first PCV's were put in cars. To stop oil from getting into the air cleaner they just put a little piece of filter at the end of the vent tube.
Same idea as the foam in the tube.

 

[Firefly]

I tried the catch can thing and believe that it may be responsible for ALL of my gaskets giving out. I think there was something wrong with the bowl that I had. It leaked oil pretty badly and seemed to have a lot of back pressure on it when I blew through it. After having the bike in the shop five months to stop all of the oil leaks that it probably created I took it off.

I suggest that you leave it alone and just run your oil level lower which will stop most of it. I bought a 20 dollar oil pan and put it under the bike and that is how it is going to stay.

Sorry for your problems... but I don't think a properly done catch-can would cause any gasket failures. Are you using the sponge now instead?

 

[Roaddog2]

Sorry for your problems... but I don't think a properly done catch-can would cause any gasket failures. Are you using the sponge now instead?

:agree:

 

[Recluze]

I am running it stock now with only low oil level to reduce blow by. This works well since I am not a high revving kind of guy.

While I used the parts list supplied by Lamonster to make my catch can, I believe that there was something defective in the bowl I used. First it leaked oil out of the bottom of the bowl so that provided no improvement. And it seemed to have a lot of back pressure on it when I would have expected none. I took it off as it was just adding complication to a problem without any benefit. I believe that putting back pressure on this blow by tube is NOT a good idea.

One other oil 'leak' I have just discovered and what caused me to buy the oil pan: When draining the oil some of it gets into this protective cover that is covering a small wire harness that runs through that area. The drained oil gets in this wire harness cover and then it will leak out of the split side of this cover. This is NOT an engine oil leak but it has the same effect on my garage floor. This is the point where I gave up and decided I was happier riding.

 

[ddtoit]

Not me...you need to be a plumber to figure mine out!!! :roflblack:

I ran a hose to the catch can and mounted the can to the oil cooler support bracket so I can get to it easily by removing the one panel. The output hose goes back to the air box so it's still EPA legal.

No more oil in the airbox.

hi any pics of install??

 

[BajaRon]

hi any pics of install??

I don't use a 'Catch Can'. They require maintenance and remove oil from the system. I prefer a modification to the crank case ventilation system. It's cheap, easy, and works fantastic!

 

[Entropy]

I don't use a 'Catch Can'. They require maintenance and remove oil from the system. I prefer a modification to the crank case ventilation system. It's cheap, easy, and works fantastic!

View attachment 171910

G'Mornin' Sir Ron;


If ye kindly could explain what I'm a-lookin' at here would be much appreciated!

That be a whole lotta gear clamps, son! I'm all fer adding chrome, but not that way

Lastly - on a new 1330, I'm to look fer spooge in the airbox to gauge whether or not I need to implement such measures?

Thankee!

Cheers
E

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

G'Mornin' Sir Ron;


If ye kindly could explain what I'm a-lookin' at here would be much appreciated!

That be a whole lotta gear clamps, son! I'm all fer adding chrome, but not that way

Lastly - on a new 1330, I'm to look fer spooge in the airbox to gauge whether or not I need to implement such measures?

Thankee!

Cheers
E

Until Ron chimes in …… I have the 1330 and imho this engine doesn't produce these oil vapors …. or it's taken care of by some means in the engine design …… Mike hyea:

 

[Entropy]

Until Ron chimes in …… I have the 1330 and imho this engine doesn't produce these oil vapors …. or it's taken care of by some means in the engine design …… Mike hyea:

Howdy;

Thanks fer the reply.

Lookee like Sir Ron ain't gonna share, lol. Hence, I'm free to speculate. Looks to me like a clear cylinder stuffed with red foam filter media plumbed inline with the breather. That'd be fine if it weren't so danged exposed on an F3.

As it is, y'all might as well install an air/oil separator from Campbell-Hausfield parts at Walmart, if yer going fer that industrial emergency triage field repair look :joke:

What say you? This is a non-starter fer me.... I'll keep a Mark-1 eyeball on the airbox.

Cheers
E

 

[BajaRon]

Howdy;

Thanks fer the reply.

Lookee like Sir Ron ain't gonna share, lol. Hence, I'm free to speculate. Looks to me like a clear cylinder stuffed with red foam filter media plumbed inline with the breather. That'd be fine if it weren't so danged exposed on an F3.

As it is, y'all might as well install an air/oil separator from Campbell-Hausfield parts at Walmart, if yer going fer that industrial emergency triage field repair look :joke:

What say you? This is a non-starter fer me.... I'll keep a Mark-1 eyeball on the airbox.

Cheers
E

As Blueknight says, you're not going to need any modifications to keep oil out of the air box. This was a 998, V-Twin issue. They engineered the 1330 to where it is no longer a problem.

Things do change. And sometimes for the better!~

 

[Entropy]

As Blueknight says, you're not going to need any modifications to keep oil out of the air box. This was a 998, V-Twin issue. They engineered the 1330 to where it is no longer a problem.

Things do change. And sometimes for the better!~

Howdy & Thankee!

I reckon I kin return my separator and shiney new gear clamps to the store

Cheers
E

 

[BajaRon]

Well another old thread, 2010, brought back from the dead. It also appears to be in the wrong forum. F3s did not exist in 2010. This thread needs to go back to the GS/RS forum where it likely started to begin with. Before another new user gets confused.

Not a bad idea. Many see these mods as 'Generic', when actually, they are year and model specific. Resurrecting an old thread, though not necessarily a bad idea. Can run a greater risk of causing confusion.

Confusion definitely runs the gambit. I get customers all the time that heard from a fellow Spyder owner that Item 'A' is the ticket!. Problem being, that item does not apply to their vehicle or situation at all.

It has been mentioned ad nauseum how important it is to give specifics when asking a question or giving advise. But it mainly falls on deaf ears. It's just the way these forums work. So it is important for the reader to assure themselves that whatever they read actually applies, not only to their situation, but to their year and model vehicle.

I am convinced that no one here gives bad advise on purpose. But that doesn't mean you should not exercise due diligence.

A good example is the Original Poster who, for whatever reason, either installed a catch can incorrectly, used the wrong components or had defective parts. He created a big problem for himself. I understand that this may convince some not to do any modifications at all. This is a shame because, done correctly, modifications can make a world of difference in the enjoyment level. And, in the end, most mods are not that difficult to get right.

Have a Great Day out there everyone!