Starter Clutch still slipping..

Me again,
My XJ only has 26 thousand miles on her and was well looked after by her previous owner, as lady who always kept her perfect.
Some time back the wrong oil was used which I believe results in the starter clutch slipping.
Last week had a sticky float dump fuel into the crank. Changed the oil immediately and had the carbs sorted.
Still a smell of fuel from the crank so changed the oil again this using flush.
I only let her run for a minute with the flush and drained her again.
So new oil in yesterday and the starter clutch doesn't seem as bad.
My question is...Does it take time for the starter clutch to settle down after the wrong oil was used.
Incidentally the oil that originally came out was manky black.
Thanks all,
Morg.

 

Yes it can take time for the friction modifiers from wrong oil to work their way out of the clutch. If it's slipping badly though as suggested by your other thread on choke use, I'd say you might want to remove the starter motor & try to "wash" the starter clutch out with brake cleaner (change oil afterwards) as prolonged slipping can cause damage that will result in the slip becoming permanent (flats on rollers or crack in clutch body)

 

Thanks,
And a bit of sunshine this morning...
I wonder if the engine flush helped remove the old oil from the starter clutch.
So you are saying I should physically remove the starter and spray directly through the opening onto the clutch.?
Brake cleaner.? Would WD 40 work.?
Thanks as always,
Morg.

 

Not WD40 no! That would probably make things worse

I'll say hold off on doing the brake cleaner thing until someone else confirms/squashes the idea, but it's what I'd do in your situation. (having a slipping starter clutch, suspecting synth oil to be the original cause)

As it seemed to improve after the petrol dilution/oil changes I'd think there's still some synthetic crap floating round there & the oil changes helped to remove more of it...

 

Although the brake cleaner is a good idea in some ways, it is going to end up in the sump which will dilute the oil.

 

Hence why I said change the oil after

Glad you approve otherwise Just hope it gets sorted in time & the rollers don't develop flats...

 

Thanks lads.
She didn't slip at all yesterday evening when I was heading home. slipped a tiny bit this morning but considering it pissed rain non stop last night she didnt let me down. Started fine.
She was so wet when I got home I couldnt put the cover over her.
So brake cleaner. Is it similar to the high pressure carb cleaner.? Only reason I ask is I have a new can of carb cleaner.
Planning on changing the oil again this weekend anyway..Thats if it isnt raining. Getting sick of constant weather warnings lol.

 

Sounds to me like it's clearing up. Hold off doing anything flush-wise until you see how it is after yet another oil change.

 

Agreed it seems to be improving pretty well & if you're planning to change the oil again I'd say wait & see what it's doing a few miles after that.

The only reason I suggested flushing was because in the choke/enrichment thread the way you described it sounded like pretty horrendous slippage, if it's improved that much in the last couple of days then the fresh oil approach is a better plan as it seems to be clearing itself now.

We haven't had the rain.... yet! bloody windy though, dangerously so...

 

Thanks lads.
Fionnuala ( my XJ...Don't ask lol ) would be lost without ye.
So I'll drop the oil again this weekend. See how she gets on with the clutch.
Question.. I have just over a litre and a half of 20w40 left and nearly 2 litres of 20w50.
Any reason why I cant use them both..ie, mix them.?

 

I don't *think* theres a problem, provided they're both wet-clutch (and st/clutch!) friendly mineral oil with a max of SG rating. Don't mix mineral/synthetic though (doesn't really apply to our bikes but all the same, advice for other applications).

Personally I wouldn't mix them but that's possibly just me... I believe from Fitz that the 550s have a primary chain and hydraulic tensioner that don't like heavier oil but I've got 20w/50 in my 750 with no issues there so although I can only recommend 20w/40 as per the book, if finding it is a problem then that's what I use.

 

Thanks,
Getting paranoid now lol.
Maybe its just me but I can still get a smell of fuel from the oil filler..or is it just hot oil.
Another thing, She went onto reserve earlier after only 70 miles..Tank wasnt quite full though. But it was extremely windy on the M50 this morn and I'm wondering if strong winds have an adverse effect on fuel consumption.
Thanks again,
Morg.

 

Possible this wind knocked your MPG pretty bad actually if it's anything like it is here, like I say it's been dangerously windy! What do you normally see from a tank? If you've filled your oil as per forum advice you'll be able to tell at a glance if it's filling with petrol again (bike on level ground, centrestand, you fill above the mark, till there's just a bubble in the top of the window) Then if the bubble goes away when you check the level (cold of course) you know you're "making oil" again...

Warm oil can smell a bit that way sometimes but I'd keep an eye on it all the same.

 

Yea,
Really dangerous. I met a piece of foam rubber this morning coming right at me. Flew over my head though. I changed the oil last weekend and used the recommended amount 2.65 litres. I cant see the bubble in the window. Is it obvious.?
Even when I changed the oil there was no obvious bubble. Mind you me eyesight aint what it was. Come to think of it the engine flush had sort of a fuel type smell off it.
Either way I'll change the oil again.
Oh the joys of old ladies..

 

When you change the oil, STOP SHORT of the 2.65L.

Put in 2L and watch the sight glass with the bike on the centerstand. Add oil until you're about halfway up the window, and stop.

Run the bike. Shut it off. Wait 10 minutes, then check the oil level again. Adjust so you can see "just a bubble" at the top of the window. Then check every day before riding. If you suddenly have too much oil, then you're getting gas in the sump still.

 

What engine do you have by the way, you could be low on oil thinking about it, 2.65 is UK model 650, oil only no filter change as well as US model oil AND filter. if it's a UK 650 you need nearer 2.95 for oil and filter change. Fitz just posted how to fill to the level it wants.

If you've only been changing oil then its possible you have nearly half a litre of contaminated oil still flowing round in there & need to fo the filter too.

If you can't see it in the window I'd check it sharpish lol... Should be pretty easy to see once the level starts to come up, but can be harder once the window gets mucky over time.

EDIT-: XJ650 11N & 650 RJ (2.65L oil ONLY, 2.95 oil AND filter)

All other XJ650 (2.35L oil only, 2.65 oil/filter)

 

Thanks BigFitz.
Will take that onboard.
Just surprised to go in reserve on the way home.
But as I mentioned it was extremely windy today..She struggled to keep a steady 65mph. I assume this will cause havoc with fuel consumption.? Perhaps this is why she went on reserve so soon.? And if I'm honest I kinda drove her at bit hard up to 6000 in all gears..
Thanks.
Morg.

 

See the specs I posted above. What model do you have? If it's in your signature it makes it easier to remember what we're working with

UK model 650 oil only and other 650 oil+filter filling quantitys are the same (UK have oil cooler?)

 

Thanks,
Fionnuala is a 4KO XJ650 European model with YICS.
I changed the filter too and took into account the little extra needed. But without a filter change she takes 2.65 litres.

 

That's right, 4KO with no filter change is 2.65. Was just a little panicked because you said you couldn't see a bubble in the window & then noticed the different capacities for Euro vs Rest of World bikes...