Can i run cheap oil momentarily to flush all gas out?

So I'm going to be doing my carbs this week because I discovered the smell of gas in my oil.

Just wondering if I can run the cheapest 10w-40 I can find for 2 minutes then drain, refill with another shot of cheap 10w-40 for 2 minutes, drain, then refill with good motorcycle oil? I just spent 30 bucks on oil for my ride and 10 miles later it smells like gas.

Would a few minutes of idle with a cheap automotive oil be ok?

Jim

 

Yes, The main thing you want is the right viscosity. In a pinch, Any old cheap oil will run just fine in the bike. I advise against getting oils with additives tho. (High mileage, and oils with built in stop leak to name a few)

Just make sure to change the filter before putting in your nice oil. If you have a filter full of the cheap oil already, your nice expensive oil wont do much good.

 

for sure

 

ALL automotive oils have friction-reducing additives these days it's part of the current "standard" specs.

You should be able to get Castrol 4T or Havoline motorcycle oil at Auto Zone or Wally World for around $3 qt/liter; car oil could very well play havoc with your clutch. I wouldn't do it.

And don't use 10W anything unless it's not gonna be over 60*F outside.

 

Fitz, thanks man, Autozone had the castrol 4t at 6 bucks a qt. I don't want to spend 18 bucks to dump it in less than 2 minutes!

Car oil would play havoc on my clutch if I'm just idling for a minute then dumping? I just want to clear the gas out of the entire crankcase after cleaning this carb.....

I'll have to go to a few wal marts I guess and see if I can get cheaper oil. autozone was pricey but my local wal mart doesnt carry motorcycle oil....

 

I don't think u need to flush it out , just let it set open and empty while you do the carbs. Then use good oil and change it in a few weeks. There's such a tiny amount of gas left in it It's not worth it.

 

Polock, that's not a bad idea, i just don't want to leave it all off as it's parked outside and rain is in the forecast. Even with the cover, it'll splash into the filter opening and drain plug....

 

what da heck kind of rain you get out there?
i always hose the cases out with a garden hose before i put them back together, way more water in there than would ever splash in those two places.
if you get monsoon rain it might splash some dirt up in there, that's not good.
put the bolt in and the filter cover back on, the amount of gas still in there is insignificant. tilt the bike forward and you might get more oil out, or park it facing downhill. this would be a good time for one of chacals spin on adapters.

 

With apologies to The Old Philosopher, (http://www.madmusic.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=270),

You say you parked your XJ11 for a few years, and when you took it out of the collapsed shed and the cobwebs, and you cleaned it up, and changed the oil, and used the $8 a quart oil from the motorcycle dealer, because you wanted to make it up to your bike, and you put some premium gas in the tank, and found out the battery was dead, and when you came back and got the new battery in, you noticed a puddle of gas under the air box, and the oil level window was full of fluid, and pounding on the carbs with a screwdriver handle didn't stop the steady drip out of the air box, and now you don't have any money to get more oil, 'cause you had to buy a battery,
Is that what's trouble'n you Bucko?
Well hold your head up high, take walk in the sun, show the world where to get off, and never give up, never give up, never give up that ship p p.

Let me remind you, do not try this at home. We are what you call experts.

Take a metal pan big enough to hold the diluted oil, or portions thereof, in case you cant find a big enough container to hold it all. A clean 5 gal metal can works great.
Get an electric hot plate, an extension cord that will handle the watt draw of the hot plate, and that will reach a spot that is out in the open, with no over hanging combustibles or ground cover, a router speed control, (on sale at Habba Fleight , Item #43060, for only $19.99, hurry, sale ends soon), a measuring stick that is oil and heat proof, and a kitchen thermometer that reads to 350f or so. If you meet resistance from your kitchen help about the thermometer, explain that you will return it in better condition, or at least as good of condition, as when you took it.
Besides, if you have to ask permission to use it, you aren't man enough to be doing this , so you better go back to watching Sponge Bob reruns.
Place the can on the ELECTRIC, (and I can't stress that electric part strongly enough, DO NOT use the propane BBQ), hot plate and plug it into the speed controller, and that into the extension cord. ( The cord into an outlet, for our slow readers)
Suspend the thermometer so that the sensing tip is about an inch deep in the oil, and position so that you can read it. The measuring stick also.
Turn on the hot plate full blast, and monitor the temperature. As soon as small bubbles start rising, and you can see convection currents in the oil, turn the control down a skosh, and watch the temperature. You are trying to get to 250 deg F, and to set the controller so that it will hold that temperature.
Once that is achieved, you can find a cover that will not impede the fumes from escaping over the lip of the can, but will stop the malevolent magpies from any success in their bombing mission. Some professionals use three beer cans, crushed in the middle, placed evenly spaced on the edge of the can, and a metal garbage can lid placed on them.
I realize that you, being strapped for cash after buying a battery, won't be able to afford the beer, so you might invite a friend over, and maybe he will share, but if not, you can use his empties. JAT
Remember, gasoline fumes are heavier than air, so they will over flow the can, and run down to the ground and spread out, mixing with air, forming a combustible mixture until they are diluted enough to reach the lower limit of flammability. ( Look it up in Wikipedia 8O ) Now you understand the open flame prohibition during this exercise.
For those who, if you will pardon the expression, like to kill two birds with one stone, the operation might be located so that the fumes ran down a prairie dog hole, and thus they might get double usage from the vaporized gasoline.
Once the temperature reaches 250 and stabilizes, make a note of the fluid level, and go clean up the mess that happened as you were getting the oil drained. Don't try and kid me! :roll: Everybody makes a mess draining oil on an XJ11.
Check back every hour or so, and make a note of how much the fluid level drops. As the day wears on, the level will drop, and finally you will see it stop dropping. Give it another hour, and turn off the heat. Let it cool, and if the wind was blowing, strain it through an old tee shirt to get the big chunks out.
There you have it, for a few cents worth of electricity, and a days worth of fun on a par with watching paint dry, you have your oil back, almost as good as new.



The forgoing is intended as education material only, and the authors cannot be held responsible for any mishaps, should any readers try the process/s described. Your state may prohibit such disclaimers, so you may or may not have certain legal rights, consult an attorney. :twisted:

 

i have no idea what Zap is talking about, i would just drain it. like suggested try to get it on a bit of an incline so it drains well. and leave it open for a while untill you see no more dripping. put the plug back in wait an hour or so and pull it again to get any more that has settled, should be good to go then. grab some new oil and refill