Have another quart

[czakky]

My bike has basically always burned some oil and I've never really measured it against my mileage to volume or had any type of consistent riding (i.e. city, commute, freeway, hooliganism). But I had just returned from a 2300 mi./3700km trip recently and went through about a quart in that time of some pretty hard riding. I typically keep my level a bit over the line using the level bike screwed in dipstick between the hours of 3-4:15 AM but never during Ramadan or while the Easter bunny has seen it's shadow...

 

So when doing some post trip maintenance I took a looksee in through the sparkplug holes and to my eyes the cylinder walls didn't look too hot. I haven't seen a whole lot of cylinder walls, especially on air cooled bikes, but honed is not the word I would use to describe what I could see. Seemed like I could feel the roughness (if I could) if that makes sense. There was no "crosshatch", just rings parallel with the....rings/piston.

 

One sparkplug had that typical sooty build up like the "Elephant Man's" bones, the other had a small amount of oil residue but I've seen worse.

 

What do you guys think? I've read varying opinions on Guzzi oil consumption, but seems like most spine frame guys don't use much.

 

Do the cylinders look bad when you see them through a small hole and I'm just a paranoid little sissy that should just ride the dam thing?

 

It runs great pulls like a train and never smokes.

[docc]

A quart in 2300 probably isn't too much of a concern depending on how much high rpm running and how many heat cycles (short rides less than 10 miles).

 

Risky to ask, but what weight/type oil and change intervals? How old are those plugs (the one on the right looks justifiably funky!)?

[czakky]

I switched to Mobil 1-20 50 syn. before I left and changed it when I got back (2500 miles) I knew I was burning/was leaking some oil and wanted to switch to a syn. before I left. Otherwise I was running Castrol 20 50 dino MC oil changing it around 2k.

 

Plugs are around 4k miles. I've never seen a plug look like that in this bike. The piston dome didn't look much better. BTW right cylinder right plug in pic.

[docc]

ugh. So, worn valve guides?

 

Does your valve adjustment need changing frequently or more than 0.001?

[docc]

Maybe the SeaFoam dislodged a goof-load of crap and fresh oil and plugs will self correct it over the next 4,000 miles? (wishful thinking, I know . . .)

 

FWIW, I would not let my sump get down a full quart before topping up!

[czakky]

As far as the valves go they have never really needed much adjusting and I probably don't go but 4k mi. between adjustment, so I'll probably just let it go for a little longer.

 

Keep your fingers crossed for me....

 

I am always pretty good about checking my oil, like my valves I see it probably too often. So the qt. is over the course of 2300 miles, not at once.

[luhbo]

... It runs great pulls like a train and never smokes.

Get out, let it run and pull and have fun with it. These holes aren't meant for peek-a-boo.

 

Hubert

[jwh20]

If you really think the cylinder walls are trashed, pull the heads and have a good look.  But I seriously doubt that there is a problem here.  First of all, if they were as bad as you suspect, the engine would run like crap and you'd have metal particles everywhere.  Secondly, you'd also be using a LOT more oil that 1 qt. in 2300 miles.  That's probably well below the factory spec for oil consumption.  I don't know what Guzzi says but most auto makers consider up to 1 qt/1000 miles to be normal for warranty purposes.

[GuzziMoto]

There have been a few people, myself included, that have had issues with worn valve guides. The stock guides are made of hardened cheese and there is no valve guide seal so if the guide wears it allows a small amount of oil past.

I don't think it is worth worrying about in most cases. If you are worried, do the basic checks like a compression test and/or leakdown test. I would not pull the heads unless those tests showed a cause for deeper concern.

How many miles total are on it. I had to have the valves done on the wifes V11 because the guides were worn. It had somewhere north of 30,000 miles on it and the motor still ran fine, I could have put it off but I was doing some other things to it and figured I'd fix the valve guides while we were at it.

I second Luhbo.

[jwh20]

hardened cheese

 

I like that!  Parmesan or Romano?

[AndyH]

I'd be worried if I started getting through that amount of oil over that distance. I do something like 4-6k miles per year and don't get through more than half a pint between yearly changes. It's done around 30k so far and I'm not overly kind on the engine either.

 

However I said 'started getting through that amount' because it's the change from the status quo that should ring alarm bells: if it's always burned/lost oil it then no change is surely a good thing.

 

Nevertheless I'll be paying a bit more attention to my oil consumption from now on.

[czakky]

  I don't know what Guzzi says but most auto makers consider up to 1 qt/1000 miles to be normal for warranty purposes.

Wow, I never knew that.

 

I could have put it off but I was doing some other things to it and figured I'd fix the valve guides while we were at it.

I second Luhbo.

 

 

Was it a tough job Guzzimoto?...

 

 

 

However I said 'started getting through that amount' because it's the change from the status quo that should ring alarm bells: if it's always burned/lost oil it then no change is surely a good thing.

 

 

 

It seems to be pretty consistent, granted I've only had the bike for 6k miles or so....

 

On luhbo's advice I'm going to stop playing peek-a-boo   and go for a ride.

[jwh20]

Here is an article that has everything you always wanted to know about oil consumption:

 

https://www.amsoil.com/techservicesbulletin/MotorOil/TSB%20MO-2004-04-03%20Oil%20Consumption.pdf

[docc]

I am relieved to know that there are only 40 things that contribute to oil consumption.

[jwh20]

I am relieved to know that there are only 40 things that contribute to oil consumption.

 

There are probably some others they didn't think of, but I agree, it seems to be a pretty exhaustive list.  It includes some that I never would have imagined.  But oil is their business so I'd expect them to be thorough.