Engine problem, please advise

[deliriousthunder]

Got off my bike today, put it on the centre stand and noticed between a couple of the fins there was a liquid boiling and frothing out.. creating little plumes of steam.. It had been raining so I thought at first I had just knocked a drop of water into it when I put it on the centre stand.. but it continued to froth and boil away for at least a full minute..

So I checked the oil level and it has dropped quite significantly, from completely full to somewhere between halfway and three quarters.. Not sure how it could be an oil leak though, as I wouldn't expect it to boil at normal engine temperatures.. and it didn't feel any hotter than normal..

I have a sneaky supsicion it has something to do with dropping it the other day.. I've ridden it a couple of times since then and not had a problem with it.. but I do remember it making a horrible noise before I flicked the engine off..

What's the next step? Is this something I'm going to have to take it to a garage about? I hope not cause I can't afford to , totally broke just now

EDIT: bike is an xj600n, hence thinking posting here would be a good idea too..

Thanks,

[bobh]

If you'd lost that much oil due to a leak you'd certainly see oil stains all over the place. As you don't seem to have that, and as you say there was steam coming off, I'd guess it was water dripping onto the engine from somewhere. The engine is not that hot, so it could well take a minute or so to boil away even quite a small quantity of water (think about how long it takes to boil off water that's dripped onto your cooker, for example). There's no water actually in the engine, of course.

Normally, the only damage that dropping a bike can do to the engine is holing the side covers. It would be very unusual (and unlucky) to damage the top part of the engine, unless it fell on something pointy.

You say the bubbling was coming from between the fins. This makes me wonder if it might be the head gasket that's gone adjacent to an oilway. This could gve extra noise and oil seepage. Can you remember where it was, and does it coincide with the head joint?

I think you're going to have to run it up to temperature again and give a good check-over for any signs of oil leaks or a leaking head gasket.

Good luck - Bob

[teejayexc]

DT, Firstly I would guess at the frothing and steam being water trapped in the fins boiling. I have noticed on my D9 after I've washed it, watching water bubble and steam in exactly the same place when I've left the engine running to warm her up, took four or five minutes to completely disappear too!

The D6 can use a bit of oil if ridden hard, at least the ones I have had do. Not a lot of oil between full to the top of the sight glass and two thirds up, I would keep my eye on it but it doesn't sound too excessive from my experiences with a D6.

trev

[CD]

If it was oil I'm sure you'd have a really messy bike. Perhaps you splashed through a puddle shortly before.

One thought... do check its not a petrol leak - should be obvious, but better safe, etc.

[deliriousthunder]

I posted the same thing over on BCF, and have been told pretty much the same things, thanks much

Thread is here: www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=152705

There's a pic there of where it was coming from..

General consensus seems to be that it was probably just water, and not to worry unless it happens again or the oil level drops rapidly..

[teejayexc]

There's a pic there of where it was coming from..

Yup, on the D9 it was in the exact same place that I was watching water boil and evaporate.

trev