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Help Burning oil - ZZR250

Discussion in 'Kawasaki 250cc Twins' started by Phteven, Aug 22, 2017.

  1. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    Hi, i have a zzr250 and it tends to use heaps of oil. I am wondering if these are supposed to use oil and how much is an "ok" amount? It has no oil leaks and no oily residue in the exhaust. But i am constantly putting oil in every few weeks.

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  2. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    What is 'heaps of oil' ? How often are you having to fill it? How many K's between top ups?

    Get the fairings off and have a look at the side covers, sump, rocker cover and any external oil feed lines with a good work light. Check for dirt stuck to oil. Engine may need a complete external wash with hot water and CT-18, then run it up and look for clean oil leaking. Suspect rocker covers on old bikes as the gaskets go brittle.

    Exactly what we do at work, as oil leaks are a roadworthy item.
     
  3. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    What type of riding do you do? Long rides or short commuter work.
    A good/new engine will use a tiny amount of oil on every stroke of the piston, as it is designed to do to keep the rings sealed, but it is not enough to notice any smoke or usage between oil changes.
    If you have to add more oil every few weeks, how many Kms do you do in that time?
    If I had to guess, any engine of mine that used more than 100ml per 1,000km I would be doing a compression check and possibly a rebuild. But if the engine is running well with good power then just keep adding oil. My dad always said that "oil was cheaper than an engine rebuild".
     
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  4. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    My bike is a work commute, i do roughly 300km a week. It currently has 45,000km. I tend to be a little slack in measuring and checking often which i should get on top of more. I put 200 to 300ml in last week as the oil came on and stayed on when i started it so i looked and noticed it was low then today the oil light came on again and put almost a litre in it. I stripped down the clutch and replaced the spring a month ago and filled it then to capacity. So 4 weeks 300km a week 1200km to almost 1.3 litres. Might have been 5 or six weeks ago but still heavy on the oil.

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  5. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    An engine burning that much oil would be leaving a smoke screen behind it. I would be looking for a leak somewhere. Does it leave a puddle on the ground where you park it overnight?
     
  6. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    Theres no puddle... i will pull the plastics off this weekend and inspect how dirty it is and give it a bath and go from there i think

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  7. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Check your airbox for excess oil as well.
     
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  8. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

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    all that oil has to go somewhere, it will be interesting to see what you find
     
  9. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    The air box on mine has a hose from the gearbox casing to the engine side of the aircleaner (to suck the fumes back into the combuston chambers for burning) and another hose to drain the airbox of excesive oil that runs out below the engine. If the engine fumes are heavily loaded with oil and getting pushed into the airbox, then the drain would be leaving a puddle when stopped. I suggest a check of your airfilter and make sure the hoses are clear.
    Another thought would be to check the seal on the front sprocket shaft. Is your chain always oily? If so it may be the seal leaking and oiling your chain and back wheel.
    Some pics when you get the side fairings off may help too.
    Are you measuring the oil amount with the bike on the centre stand and level?
     
  10. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    So, its a nice sunny sunday here in perth and i have washed the car and gotten the bike out to inspect and clean the engine. Here are the before cleaning photos. Looking at how clean the engine im not even gonna bother hosing it any further. I have inspected the chain in terms of the sprocket seal leaking. I generally use a white lube that is applied to a cold chain which turns my gold chain white, looking at it now there seems to be an ammount of oily residue but not enough to suggest that it is spewing out of the seal. Not fonna pull the airbox off today. Maybe i cam get an earlier start next weekend for that. 4ca2be95afdab3eb0fd826b0e09a6d14.jpg b4018fa3c99e84f6f0cb1dc0b203642c.jpg 1a63948b7d37c48779a6ed105b3b4b5b.jpg d47983482830978421564221970a3dc6.jpg

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  11. my67xr

    my67xr Bike Enthusiast Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member

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    Look's pretty clean still

    The exhaust header pipe's look like you could clean them up if you wanted,
    i've used Autosol Metal Life Saver on quite a few pipe's and it's made a massive difference to light surface rust and chrome/stainless pipe's come's up very nice.
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/autosol-metal-care-kit_p4460763

    Castrol have a gold spray on chain oil, supercheap etc sell it for around $12 a tin, it is very sticky stuff so doesn't seem to fly off like some can.
    I have just started using Rock Oil spray on chain lube, about $22 for a large aerosol tin, the grease is a blueish green colour and stay's on the chain well too.

    931f96ff-d8c0-4e57-8175-18af927e9e04.png
     
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  12. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Third and fourth pics, you have leaks from the rocker cover and clutch cover. Wipe your finger across those areas, you'll find it's oily dirt. If there are no oil leaks you would just get a fine dust like general road dirt or brake dust.

    Your clutch cover looks like it has a scratch on the oil filler, I'd be checking it with a close eye for cracks or chips allowing oil out. Put a spanner on the bolts and see if any are loose. They only need 10nm of torque which is barely past finger tight, they can and do loosen.

    Get a new cam cover gasket, spark plug seal gaskets and the rubber gaskets for the cam cover bolts.

    Did you have a look at the sump at all?

    Need to fix all the external leaks before you can accurately judge how much oil the motor's burning.

    EDIT: If you want that chain looking like new again, with the bike on a rear stand/centre stand (back wheel off the ground), soak some kerosene onto a rag and wipe the chain with some decent elbow grease, spinning the back wheel to get the whole thing done.

    Wipe until dry with a clean rag. Spin the wheel and spray your chain lube on the inside of the chain on the rollers, until you have completed one full revolution of the chain and no more.

    Enjoy your clean and lubricated chain that won't fling crap everywhere
     
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    Last edited: Aug 27, 2017
  13. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    That does not look like an engine that is using 1300cc per 1200Km.
    Don't have to take the airbox off (it is a pr*ck of a job the get it back on the carbs properly) just the top cover and filter and have a look inside with a torch.
     
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  14. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

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    Back to Murdos query, are you checking your oil level with the bike upright or on its side stand ?
     
  15. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    If you are checking your oil on the side stand and then filling you will be overfilling and the engine will have to burn off the excess oil down to the right level, then you check and over fill again, etc, would explain where the oil is going.
     
  16. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    I no longer have a centre stand as it would contact the ground when turning due to aftrermarket exhausts. I put it in 1st so it doesnt roll away and hold it upright on flat ground to check and fill, generally i do this at home with my wifes help.

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  17. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    Next oil change i am going to try a different oil. Im not happy with how the clutch is behaving. Maybe different oil will help. At high rpm it slips into 2nd and 3rd and also suffers bad clutch drag and is hard to change from 1st to neutral when stationary. I have to give it some revs to free it up or shut it off to do this currently

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  18. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    What oil have you been using? Car oils that are 'energy saving' or contain friction modifiers will cause issues with the wet clutch in motorbikes.
     
  19. Phteven

    Phteven Member

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    Put motul in when i did first oil change then castrol 4t semi synthetic when i did clutch. Gonna try something else soon

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  20. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Get some Caltex delo 400 into it. My ninja 250r hated the motul that was put into it when I had it serviced, jumped out of gear a lot.
     

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