A nice old dirt bike has found its way here with a bad water pump seal, allowing most of the coolant into the gearbox. Other than changing the oil multiple times & running it in between oil changes until it comes out clean, is there a more efficient way? Just wondering if there is an alternative to wasting the oil as I'll have to let it sit forever to separate so it can be recycled & how its done if it happens to a really big industrial gearbox. The first change came out looking like a milkshake even after sitting overnight. Plain SAE 30 is specified in this bike, at least its not the usual gear lube that would be 3x the price. It has a wet clutch.
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OT: antifreeze/oil mix removal from motorcycle gearbox
- Thread starter tomjelly
- Start date
- Replies 20
- Views 2,920
dalmatiangirl61
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- BFE Nevada/San Marcos Tx
I'd rinse it with diesel a couple times, maybe while kicking it over slowly to make sure it gets into everything, maybe let it sit overnight while full. Diesel should soak up the water, not sure about the glycol.
technocrat
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2009
- Location
- Oz
The diesel will take the glycol out as well
jim rozen
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2004
- Location
- peekskill, NY
Any trace water that remains will boil off when the motor is at operating temperature.
Laverda
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2014
- Location
- Riverside County, CA
I would dump in some denatured alcohol. It will grab the water and glycol. If any alcohol remains it will evaporate once the motor has warmed up.
Second on the Alky!
Regarding getting the water out of the oil. ...
Commercially, heated centrifuge plates are used. Not gonna happen for the small operation.
You can "Freeze it out", or even alternate heat cycles and freeze cycles.
Put a tap in the bottom of the can to drain off the water, Or use a dip tube to extract the oil from the top.
IF the mix is emulsified, Time and gravity are not enough, unless you have LOTS of time. ;-)
Regarding getting the water out of the oil. ...
Commercially, heated centrifuge plates are used. Not gonna happen for the small operation.
You can "Freeze it out", or even alternate heat cycles and freeze cycles.
Put a tap in the bottom of the can to drain off the water, Or use a dip tube to extract the oil from the top.
IF the mix is emulsified, Time and gravity are not enough, unless you have LOTS of time. ;-)
john.k
Diamond
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2012
- Location
- Brisbane Qld Australia
I generally flush with gasoline......but modern diesel is a light fraction too........detergent engine oil does emulsify water well,and its good for getting condensation out of tractor gearboxes..........far as I know ,glycol in oil blocks oilfilters with a brown sludge .......but a small ammount is not otherwise harmful.......a large ammount will cook into a sugary mess that seizes pistons.
john.k
Diamond
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2012
- Location
- Brisbane Qld Australia
Wow...water cooled two stroke!...whatever will they think of next?
I ran my enduro bike into deep water once (or twice). H2O right into the carb and pipe. filled the crank and cylinder.
Drug the bike out of the wet, removed the spark plug, flipped the bike upside down, and turned the engine over by spinning the rear wheel until no more water came out. Replaced the spark plug and drained the float bowl ,and got the engine running. Worked fine 'till the end of the day. I was freaking FROZEN, must not have been over 4 degrees of frost that day, and cloudy too.
I DID drain and fill the gear box after. Milky bit of grunge it was.
Alas, it was a simple air cooled engine..... ;-)
Drug the bike out of the wet, removed the spark plug, flipped the bike upside down, and turned the engine over by spinning the rear wheel until no more water came out. Replaced the spark plug and drained the float bowl ,and got the engine running. Worked fine 'till the end of the day. I was freaking FROZEN, must not have been over 4 degrees of frost that day, and cloudy too.
I DID drain and fill the gear box after. Milky bit of grunge it was.
Alas, it was a simple air cooled engine..... ;-)
52 Ford
Stainless
- Joined
- May 20, 2021
Antifreeze in the oil isn't that big of a deal.
If the side cover isn't hard to get off, you can hose down the inside of the engine with Brakleen or carb cleaner.
Otherwise, as suggested, dump some diesel, kerosene, or fuel oil in the block and slosh it around then dump it out.
Another thing you can do is prop the motor up do the drain plug is the absolute lowest point and let it sit over night. The water aught to settle down to the bottom, under the oil.
The residual water will boil off when the engine is running.
I've had engines full up to the crankcase vent with water, drained them out, added oil and they were fine.
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If the side cover isn't hard to get off, you can hose down the inside of the engine with Brakleen or carb cleaner.
Otherwise, as suggested, dump some diesel, kerosene, or fuel oil in the block and slosh it around then dump it out.
Another thing you can do is prop the motor up do the drain plug is the absolute lowest point and let it sit over night. The water aught to settle down to the bottom, under the oil.
The residual water will boil off when the engine is running.
I've had engines full up to the crankcase vent with water, drained them out, added oil and they were fine.
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Yeah, 1991 is old now...I must be really old. This is a gearbox issue only, not engine as it is a 2 stroke. I have fresh oil in there now, we'll see what the next change looks like and if its not progressing well I'll do a diesel rinse before the next one.
akajun
Stainless
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2011
- Location
- Brusly, LA
My son likes to sink his atv on a regular basis, I cant be too mad, I did the same thing at his age.
I was taught to drain the oil and water mix, then take off the valve covers and spark plug and pour a little wd-40 down the head and cycle the engine a few times while doing it. Repeat by picking up the front end, then the back end,letting it all drain out. Then change fill back up with cheap oil and ride. You got about a 50/50 shot of getting it all out with one oil change, hence the cheap oil.
I was taught to drain the oil and water mix, then take off the valve covers and spark plug and pour a little wd-40 down the head and cycle the engine a few times while doing it. Repeat by picking up the front end, then the back end,letting it all drain out. Then change fill back up with cheap oil and ride. You got about a 50/50 shot of getting it all out with one oil change, hence the cheap oil.
One day, Antique Roadshow was on while I was at my mother's house. Someone had brought in some set of antique dinner plates and the appraiser went on and on over how they were made in some small US town by some maker that was long since out of business and how not many have of the plates have survived after so many decades etc. We all sort of looked at my mother ....she had just served us dinner on the same plates that she had gotten as a wedding gift. lol.
john.k
Diamond
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2012
- Location
- Brisbane Qld Australia
My nephew gave me his "old" trailbike.... 1992....he was going to put it out for street cleanup........anyhoo,didnt have antifreeze in the gearbox .....had a sort of slime made of metal particles....took many flushes before clean diesel came out.....the bike had coupla things wrong with it,was going great in half a day....I use it for patrolling the back yard,quick to the spot when trespassers get through the fence.
JohnEvans
Titanium
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Location
- Phoenix,AZ
How about the Scott w/c 2 stroke twin in the 1910 era. British ,won IOM race a time or two.
52 Ford
Stainless
- Joined
- May 20, 2021
Have you ever heard of a 5 stroke engine? How about a 6 stroke engine?
There are some really interesting engine designs out there. They just aren't main stream (probably for good reason..?)
Apparently there are at least a few variations of the 6 stroke engine. The one I think is pretty neat (novel, at any rate) is where after your standard 4 strokes, stroke 5 is an injection of steam to produce a secondary power stroke. Stroke 6 of course is the exhausting of the steam. I never really read into it, but I'm assuming the steam is generated by engine heat. I guess the engine would start off as a 4 stroke engine and the steam wouldn't be introduced till the engine was hot? Not sure.
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ponderingjunkman
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2003
- Location
- Cairo, NY USA
So what is the bike?
jim rozen
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2004
- Location
- peekskill, NY
