milky oil ? ? ? help ! read me.....

hello all,
i just bought an 81 xj 750 seca & when i bought it i was told it needed a starter. got it home & when i tried to start it sounded like the starter motor wasnt lined up right, like the teeth would catch for a few compression strokes,then slip. so when i tried to push start it, put it in second gear &the motor did not engage i guess kind of a smooth stop. then i drained the oil & it was really thick, dont really know if it was oil,probely was ,but really milky colored , any help would be so much help !

 

milky as in white or light chocolate colored? Usually water. how was the bike stored when you got it?

 

Yep. Water in the oil. DO NOT run the motor with that in it; at all. Change the oil; then get it good and warm, and change it again.

 

The potentially good news is that starter clutches in these bikes are very sensitive to oil formulation and viscosity. Once you've got good oil in there, the starter clutch (which is what's probably making the weird noises), may just start working again.

 

well turns out the clutch was way too tight..... i changed oil . i noticed when one of the plugs was out & grounded on a head bolt, when i turned key on or off, it made a spark, now i didnt turn motor over , just the key ???

 

That would be normal.

You need:

A manual.

To visually inspect your rear brake shoes for signs of delamination IMMEDIATELY. NO RIDING until you do. Unless you really want to fall down unexpectedly.