Oil Consumption

[Mustang]

That gasket sure looks like it would fit the timing cover of my 2002 Bonneville !   :shock:

[darmah]

that was my next thught, that the letters stamp on the back was like those #**!% meriden T-whatevers that routinly lubricated my shop floor.

 I also have found while researching this query that a rotary oil breather change occurred during the transition from 855 >885 >955 motors. Only 885s had them! They sit on the left side of the crank outboard the altenator and their job seems to be to grow old and sling oil up into the airbox(kidding).

[EvilBetty]

Are you saying that the oil seal in my 2005 955 is likely not causing the oil in my airbox?

[darmah]

no ,no, it's the same problem of the seal being bad it's just a different reason for seal failure.

[EvilBetty]

I'm going to have to completely pull the cover and remove the hose and harness am I not?  I can't imagine there is any way around it with if I'm going to have to pry and press.

I'm trying to get the cover off but my Happy Trail crash bars are making it difficult.  I knew I was going to have to pull the left side bar, but it looks now like I'm going to have to pull the plate that it and the skid plate connect to.  It's covering the bottom 1/3" of the alternator cover.

There are two bolts anchoring it to the bottom of the engine just behind the alternator cover on the bottom.  First I tried a 12mm but it was a bit loose so I tried a 11mm and a 7/16" and neither fit.  I gave it another go with the 12mm carefully got them turning.  Once one was a couple turns out oil started to ooze from it.

I decided to stop till I got your thoughts.


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*Man taking bikes of my bike make me sick.  I never got enough warm weather to properly wash it since I got it, and it's freaking filthy...

[zadok_oz]

The majority of replies on the RAT forum suggest that Synthetic oil doesn't require topping up anywhere near like the Semi I am using. I will be changing to full synthetic on the next change.

[EvilBetty]

Well I finally got the crash bar out of the way enough to pull the alternator cover.  I realized after I had it free I was going to have to pull the stator completely out of the cover before I could work on it.

Using a flat blade I pulled the old seal out pretty easily but it destroyed it in the process.

I moved on to installing the new seal.  I set it in place and then used a slightly undersized socket to tap it in, making a real effort to keep it moving straight.  Never the less it went in a little crooked, and all efforts to tap it straight have failed.  It's only a "little" cock-eyed.  Think it will be OK or do I need to shell out another $35?  Because I don't think I can get it back out without destroying it as well.

The original seal looked flawless, and I noticed using the socket marred the surface of the new one a little but that's cosmetic, right?

[EvilBetty]

Depending on what you guys have to say about the above, I'm ready to seal it back up.

This will be the first time I have messed with silicone sealant with a gasket before.  If memory serves there all all kinds to choose from.  I need to seal the stator wire grommet, and then later the cam cover points that call for it.

What kind should I buy?

I'm also trying to clean off the old gasket and silicone.  What's the best method?  Scrapping + Brake Cleaner?  Or is there a better solvent to use to remove silicone?

[darmah]

Ooohh. Kinked and scraped! Well, you won't know til you try it. It wasn't that big a chore to pull the cover off was it? Give her a try and repeat as necessary. The best sealer out there is Yamabond 4 (Yamaha accessory), a semidrying sealant that is specifically for engine cases where oil may be present. I've used it for years with total success. I think there is a copy out there now since it's been 30+ years of production but I don't know the exact name. Far better than sillycon sealant.

[EvilBetty]

Actually it was by far the most laborious and frustrating repair I have done so far! :x  Having to pull so much of the crash bars, the oil spillage, then trying one handed to remove the stator wire and then the stator.

And I still have cleaning up all this sealant and putting it all back together to look forward to. I have a spacer that fell out of the frame from one of the crash bar mounts while I was beating on the alternator cover.  No idea where it came from.

And it may turn out that nothing was wrong with the seal and the previous owner was just running the wrong oil through it...   :?

Oh well... lesson learned :)

Looks like Yamabond 4 is discontinued.  I keep seeing this everywhere.

Discontinued By Yamaha, Replaced By Three Bond TB1194

[Mustang]

yes yes  Three Bond is the same and is very good stuff !

[EvilBetty]

Thanks again Mustang.  Stretch, yourself, and others can't be thanked enough for all your help.  Good community support makes owning a Tiger fun when you can't be on the road.

 :D  :D  :D  :D

[diggerT]

My 03 has done 9000 miles and still uses oil. I reckon around half a litre per 500 miles which seems a lot to me.
Someone suggested switch to semi which was slightly better but didn't run as well so I switched back. I will get the crankcase breather seal looked at next service.
Anything else to get checked? It doesn't smoke or leak, but I am told when I nail it, a burst of black smoke comes out briefly.

Cheers

DiggerT

[Mustang]

Anything else to get checked? It doesn't smoke or leak, but I am told when I nail it, a burst of black smoke comes out briefly.

Cheers

DiggerT

black smoke is indicative of too rich a fuel mixture , whereas white smoke is oil burning .

[darmah]

You can verify if the problem is in breather oil consumption by any considerable oil quantity in the airbox. Easiest is to disconnect the oil breather line that passes from the left side crank end cover vertically up to the let side of the airbox, if it mists oil visually, its the seal. Otherwise if it is not evident here, remove the inline plug located at the end of airbox drain line that exits from the right rear of the airbox and travels the frame down the right side ending in the swingarm area. Mine started consuming oil @ 85k and I finally pulled this plug after so much oil pooled in the airbox that I could see excess leaking out the intake/ airbox joint. About 50cc drained out the line and I had quite a mess to clean out of the airbox. As well, with that much oil going through the motor I had much darker exhaust than the grey an oil consumption problem would indicte from typical ring blowby or valve seal leak. The end result is that I have just had the valves and seats reground because of carbon build up. The rings are still very tight, original hone marks visible in the cylinders and now producing 150psi on all bores.
 Long litany but I am impressed with the durability of components other than this oil breather problem that has continued through several generations of the Tiger motor from 885 through, I believe, the '06 models.