Oil looks like chocolate milk

[Burnszilla]

After my temperture light came on I thought I may have blown the water/oil pump. I have not noticed any oil coming from the weep hole because the belly spoiler is covering it and it looks dry down there. The coolant was low by about 6 cups and the oil is not even visible in the sight glass.

After speaking with Ted Porter and telling him that my oil was all frothy like chocolate milk, it may be something else. A head gasket?
I just put this engine in the bike in May with only 21k miles on it. 5k miles later and this happens.

Any ideas on what it could be before Ted diagnoses it on Saturday?
:confused:

[JohnHall]

sounds a lot like an emulsion formed from coolant and oil. I've seen it in cars but not in bikes......yet. My bet would be a head gasket. Did the bike have any unusual smoke, probably white?

[PacWestGS]

How far did you or the other PO have the engine down before you got it / installed it.

Could be a head gasket, could be a base gasket. I don't know the "Brick" well enough to know where the coolant journals and oil journals pass near each other.

How was the coolant protection before the fungal ride. Did something freeze that night and make a leak.

You are definately going to need lots fixed depending how long water and coolant was mixing with oil in the crankcase.

Sorry to hear that Stephen. It's not the end of the world though maybe just some new bearrings and gaskets and a engine flush...

Let us know

Russ

[kbasa]

It's going somewhere, which leads me to believe it's a head gasket and it's getting burned along with getting mixed. Oil pump/water pump would have shown some leakage into the belly pan, I think.

[tjtraver]

Sounds like a head gasket . Pull your spark plugs to see if one is sqeaky clean from getting steam cleaned . Depending on how long it ran with water in the oil , if no funny noises or oil lights , you may well be ok .

My wife ( girl friend at the time ) ran her Honda Civic with a bad headgasket and coffee colored oil in it for easily over a month , with no apparent long term harm . I pulled the head , replaced the gasket and changed the oil ran it for 30 mins up to operating temperature , then changed the oil again , to ensure all traces of water were removed . The car ran until it finally rusted out .

From looking at my K75 , it shouldn't be nearly as hard to pull the head ( engine in situ ) and replace the gasket , as it was swapping out the engine . The major thing to be mindful of is the timing chain , to ensure you keep the valve timing correct .

[godzilla]

Could it be the oil/water pump? I know they are one unit. Could the seal between the two be bad? :dunno Never seen it, but I I've wondered if that could happen.

[BradfordBenn]

I am not sure what it is, but I would not recommend drinking it, no matter how tasty it looks!

[roy]

Could it be the oil/water pump? I know they are one unit. Could the seal between the two be bad? :dunno Never seen it, but I I've wondered if that could happen.

No,
there is a drain hole between the two seals to help prevent this from happening. If the drain hole was plugged there is the possibility of happening.

Roy

[godzilla]

No,
there is a drain hole between the two seals to help prevent this from happening. If the drain hole was plugged there is the possibility of happening.

Roy

AH! OK, that explains that! Thankee!!

[bmwmick]

After speaking with Ted Porter and telling him that my oil was all frothy like chocolate milk, it may be something else. A head gasket?
I just put this engine in the bike in May with only 21k miles on it. 5k miles later and this happens.

That's not the one you let Jon and Darryl touch is it?
:hungover

Sorry to hear that it probably needs a head gasket. The water/oil pump usually just seeps but since you are using coolant, it's probably the head gasket.

[lkchris]

I am not sure what it is, but I would not recommend drinking it, no matter how tasty it looks!

Nor running your engine again until problem is solved.

[Burnszilla]

That's not the one you let Jon and Darryl touch is it?
:hungover

Sorry to hear that it probably needs a head gasket. The water/oil pump usually just seeps but since you are using coolant, it's probably the head gasket.
Ya, it's probably all Diaz's fault.

:hide

[jdiaz]

Boy, it sure would have been nice to replace that thing while the motor was sitting on the floor. :bluduh

[NGAK12]

The low water level would make sense if it has a bad head gasket but I'm not sure why the oil level would be low. In fact it should be up if some water ended up in the crankcase. In any case sounds like some expert help & proably engine disassembly is in your future.

[Burnszilla]

Update..
The coolant could have been low because of a leak from a hose clamp that I tighted after I noticed it leaked, but then did not top off the coolant.
The oil level is fine. It was low because the bike was hot.
The foam on the oil filler cap could just be condensation from the cold temperatures from up north.
Going to drain the oil for a change and find out the truth.
I can't tell if the water/oil pump is weeping because the spoiler is on.
Perhaps I over reacted.

Now I'm putting my C back together so the S will have to wait.

[deilenberger]

Update..
The coolant could have been low because of a leak from a hose clamp that I tighted after I noticed it leaked, but then did not top off the coolant.
The oil level is fine. It was low because the bike was hot.
The foam on the oil filler cap could just be condensation from the cold temperatures from up north.
Going to drain the oil for a change and find out the truth.
I can't tell if the water/oil pump is weeping because the spoiler is on.
Perhaps I over reacted.

Now I'm putting my C back together so the S will have to wait.Hmmmm... some delayed maintenance?

You can run it without the belly pan (spoiler of sorts..) I do on mine when I'm doing this sort of thing. It's ugly, but then it's only temporary :brow

A quick look at the top of the pistons through the plug holes might tell you if you have a head gasket problem.. if coolant is being burned - one or more of the piston crowns won't have ANY carbon buildup on it.

[mrich12000]

:type :lurk :newtoy Take an oil sample to any Caterpilar dealer and spend $ 15.00 to have the sample checked at the dealer's tester. the report will confirm any glycol in the oil, and bearing metal present. as a diesel mechanic for many moons this is the foolproof method to inspect for glycol and engine :eat damage..Mike. :bikes :bikes :bar

[Burnszilla]

Good news..

After an oil change, there's no water in my oil and no oil in my water. The beige foam was condensation and from the cold weather up north. The engine overheated because it was low on coolant that leaked out of the hose that I tightened 3 days later.

[Motor31]

Great news!

[PacWestGS]

What he said :D

[Mika]

Good news..

After an oil change, there's no water in my oil and no oil in my water. The beige foam was condensation and from the cold weather up north. The engine overheated because it was low on coolant that leaked out of the hose that I tightened 3 days later.

Excellent news.

A follow up question - By any chance did two brands of oil get mixed during use between oil changes?

[Burnszilla]

Excellent news.

A follow up question - By any chance did two brands of oil get mixed during use between oil changes?
Come to think of it.. Maybe.. I might have topped it off with a different brand.
Not a good idea?

[PHMarvin]

Hi, Stephen,
You should be able to mix oils. In my '96 K1100LT, I was using Castrol GTX 20w50 (before going to Mobil 1 synthetic) and topped up the engine at various times with Exxon 30 wt (left over from the lawn mower), Castrol GTX 10w30 (open bottle usually used in the car) and STP Oil Treatment. I also switched back, from synthetic to Castrol GTX when I found another case of GTX in the garage, then back again to synthetic. Through all this, the bike ran the same and didn't use any more (or any less) oil. From the time I bought it until I sold it at 122k miles, it used a quart of oil every 3k-4k miles. My current '95 K1100LT hasn't needed a drop of oil (dino squeezings so far, as the break-in is just about complete) added between changes.

Excellent news that the engine doesn't need a head gasket. You don't need that aggravation, and besides, haven't you seen enough of Jon? :D

[cjack]

Come to think of it.. Maybe.. I might have topped it off with a different brand.
Not a good idea?

Someone once told me that if an oil company ever wanted to sell oil to the federal govt. that their oil must be compatible with other govt. approved brands.
Or put another way, my former dealer Mr. Underwood used to say when asked about oil, synth, dino, this weight, that weight, brand..."If you need oil...put some in!" then he would turn and walk away.
You had to get to know him.

[Mika]

Come to think of it.. Maybe.. I might have topped it off with a different brand.
Not a good idea?

The thought came to mind from my miss spent street racing days. We ran into frothing and chocolate milk syndrome with one of my friend’s cars. We were not able to identify any leaks into the oil supply. We changed oil several times in short order after racing, err, driving rapidly around town. He stuck with the same brand all the time from that point and the problem did not occur again.

It was a MOPAR product. It had a habit of drinking the first quart in the first 500-1000 miles and then holds. When we were driving rapidly he would top it off. He topped it off with a quart of another brand before the problem occurred. It was what was available that evening. In the future it did not happen again.

The evidence is anecdotal. It was suggested by our local mechanic we went to for advice that some oils had detergents and additives that may not have done well together in the same crankcase. It could have been condensation. It could have been the phases of the moon. The car ran for a long time after that without the problem recurring. We never had a verifiable explanation for it.

Didn’t think about it until I re-read the thread. Someone may have some idea actual science about this.

[jdiaz]

Excellent news that the engine doesn't need a head gasket. You don't need that aggravation, and besides, haven't you seen enough of Jon? :D
I found the perfect Burnszilla ride in Seoul last weekend. Note the turbo horn section above the muffler. :laugh

[PHMarvin]

I found the perfect Burnszilla ride in Seoul last weekend. Note the turbo horn section above the muffler. :laugh

Hi, Jon,
What powers the horns? Is it compressed air or methane gas from partially-digested beans? :fart I like the BMW Roundel. Look out, Korea, the Roundel Police will be there shortly! :nono

[Burnszilla]

I found the perfect Burnszilla ride in Seoul last weekend. Note the turbo horn section above the muffler. :laugh
No one would wave at me. :(

[BradfordBenn]

We had this debate over at the Rounders (http://www.yearroundriders.com) and decided that one should wave at Scooters!

[terham]

I wave at scooters...and most of the time, they wave back. :wave