Blackstone Labs oil analysis-re: white slime on dipstick

[louie]

why don't we go ride? Jon

wish I could - my engine is sitting on my garage floor slowly getting a new set of gaskets installed. Time has not allowed more than a few hours each weekend to work so far... Might have to put my foot down and go hide out for a long weekend soon.

Good luck with the oil issues. I've read articles about oil additives doing strange things to the oil performance and/or appearance, so maybe this is just from the Seafoam. Whatever it is, please post back any more information just like you have been. It helps everyone learn.

[Old Wild Bill]

Start cutting apart your oil filters every 1000 miles to see what has been filtered out.

[jon lewis]

Wild Bill: What do you think I would find in there? Jon

[jon lewis]

Louie wrote: wish I could - my engine is sitting on my garage floor slowly getting a new set of gaskets installed. Time has not allowed more than a few hours each weekend to work so far... Might have to put my foot down and go hide out for a long weekend soon.
Louie: I've been tooling up with an eye towards keeping my 98 Shadow running 30 more years. I would be interested in your thoughts on dropping an engine and digging into it like you are apparently doing now. Do you run into stuff that's baffling? How deep into the engine have you gone? Seriously, write at length about the experience; It would certainly help me set aside anxieties I've got about major mechanical work on the bike. Thanks, Jon

[Old Wild Bill]

It might scare you to death, but you should not see any lead or copper specks in the oil filter pleats.

[louie]

Originally Posted by jon lewis

...Seriously, write at length about the experience; It would certainly help me set aside anxieties I've got about major mechanical work on the bike. Thanks, Jon

Jon, I started a separate thread about this in response. I had a lot to write and I didn't want to hijack this thread.

[BigBird]

I have had what I percieved as "Problems" with Blackstone. they run a high volume and most of their busness is fleet trucks, so when you are sending in an oil sample from a motorcycle, one that only had 500 miles on the oil, there are bound to be slight discrepancies.

I am thinking that you should run another 500 miles on new oil and compare the results. I am thinking that the Sea Foam may have scoured the deposits off of the case walls, also it is of a different make up so it may have changed the viscosity tests.

I may send in a sample from my Sabre just to see what it looks like as I have a bottle sitting here for my truck in a few months.

If you make it up to the Page area look me up, I'll go ride with you.

[cl65ame]

The amount of lead an copper is quite low in the analysis and can be attributed to normal wear on an engine of that age. Bearing are in a constant state of wear no matter how often you change the oil. The oil just slows it down.
I make it a habit to cut open my filter at every change to identify wear in the engine. I routinely find a small amound of metal in the pleats that is non ferrous metal. normally Aluminum. Some of this is still residual from a clutch failure 2 years ago that destroyed one disk in the stack. So long as the accumulation of metal in the filter does not increase, I am ok with it. Unfortunately cleaning the residual out would require engine disassembly since AL is not magnetic I cannot use a magnet to get it out of the case. The flakes are large enoug to be stopped by the stainer anyhow so no worry of damage from it.
As for the slime or foam in the oil. A blocked crankcase breather will allow the oil to foam since the air cannot be discharged through the breather. Check for excessive crankcase pressure as an indication of this. It will also cause seal damage if left unchecked.
also continuous riding short distances in cold weather will cause condensation build up in the crankcase leading to WATER (not coolant) in the oil. This will turn the oil slimy and milky. Ensure the engine has a chance to get HOT and remember oil heats up much slower than the coolant.