Oil Problem...Help!

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, so first I would like to say hello! I would appreciate any help you may offer on an oil leak issue I'm having.

Well here is the deal...

I helped a buddy of mine clean out a recently deceased family member's house/garage and ended up w/ a motorcycle for the help, 81' 550 maxim.

It hadn't been started since 89'. Has 9K miles on it. Bike looks new as it has been stored in the garage the whole time.

I read Rick's carb cleaning post and did just that. Bamh! it started ran for a minute...sounded good...and then started blowing oil out of where the air filter sits. Did a compresion test and if you're sitting on the bike the right 2 cylinders have 120 #'s, the left have 110.

I did not do an oil change. I opened up the oil fill cap and the oil level looked to be up 1/2 way up.

I was excited about the bike....now I'm bummed..especially after working on the carbs all afternoon. Am I screwed?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

you are either over filled with oil,or most likely you have fuel in your oil,not a disaster either way,does the oil smell like gas?

 

So, you're trying to run the bike with oil and filter from at least 1989? Yeah, definitely change those two items and go from there.

Stay excited.
Z

 

There's a lot of "You don't know's"

Seeing as how it cranked right up ... maybe whoever parked it ... prepped it for a Rip Van Winkle!

Drop the oil in it and see how much comes out and if its got gas in it.
If it's got gas in it ... we have to find-out where the gas is coming from.

Check:
Petcock function
Floats for sticking
Carbs for "Clunk Test"
Pilot Mixture Screws -- Between 2.75 & 3.0 - Split the difference erring closer to 2.75 - than 3.0.
Have a Propane Torch standing-by when you get it fired-up; again.
Turn-on the gas -- (DON'T light it) -- and PROBE all over and around the Intake manifolds and Airbox boots.

A rise in rpm will indicate an Air leak source ... NOT Uncommon for a bike that's been taking a little time-off between runs to McDonald's!

 

Thanks for the advice..oil change seamed to have taken care of it!

 

I could be wrong, but this sounds like the classic fuel leaking through the carbs issue.
If you leave the fuel switch in Pri, you run the risk of having the fuel go into your engine case, because i's gravity fed at that point, and especially if our cabs floats aren't working properly, there's nothing to prevent it from just flowing into the engine & therefore blowing out through the air tube.
In the ON position, the petcock is vacuum operated, and prevents fuel from flowing without pressure coming from the carbs via that vacuum line.

I took possession of an XJ650 that did just that.

Amazing..
Forgive me if you already know all this..