Ran out of oil? Engine damage?

[Snorty]

Was riding the other day, bike started stuttering, like intermittent power when your petrol runs out, so I naturally switched it onto reserve, the problem didn't cure itself and so I decided to pull over.

I looked in horror as I saw the oil on/below the lower level in the glass. Then saw a small leak in the base gasket, so it's obviously losing oil a very small amount over time.

Luckily I was near a petrol station but I didn't hold out much hope for the engine, pushed it there, filled it up with a litre which brought it back up to half way on the sight glass.

Then moment of truth... fired it up... fired straight up, seemed ok, no rattles/knocks/tapping...

Now my question is - if it was bad enough to stop the bike from running, surely it would've caused more damage than whatever has been done.

It doesn't seem to be lacking in power, though I'm paranoid about it now, still seems to pull as it always has - I had 100mph out of it quite easily (on a private road).

It's a GPZ 500
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Taught2BCauti...]

You might just have been lucky this time - catching it as quick as you did.

Fix the oil leak and keep an eye on the level - if you aren't burning oil now, you may have gotten away with it
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Scythe]

If the engine is running you won't get a correct measurement on the glass anyway, the oil takes a minute or three to completely drain all into the sump.

Check it when your engine is cold / haven't been run basically.
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2009 Yamaha YBR125 -> 2000 SV650S -> 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R 636

[Taught2BCauti...]

... and with the bike upright, rather than cocked-over on the side stand. Too much oil can do serious damage as well!
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Kickstart]

Hi

Low oil pressure (which you will get from running the oil too low) will cause damage. The GPz (along with most other modern 4 strokes) uses plain bearings which are dependent on oil pressure. Bit of damage will probably rapidly get worse. Probably land up looking like this fairly rapidly.

The oil lights on many vehicles are only good to tell you that you have already wrecked the engine.

That said, if the engine is running there will be plenty of oil floating around areas of the engine so the sight glass will likely be empty.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Robby]

There are two ways of finding out if you have killed the engine. One is to pull it apart and look/measure lots of things. The other is to keep riding and see if it dies.

Being realistic, the solution on that bike is a second hand replacement engine - fairly cheap on ebay.

So keep riding and see if you've killed it. You should expect to know in the next 100 miles. If it's knackered it will start knocking, vibrating, generally being noisy and running poorly.

If it still showed some oil in the sight glass then you should be ok. Running with very low oil will accelerate wear, but you really need to be running on no/almost no oil to destroy the engine. Even when the sight glass looks empty you can still have up to 1.5 litres or more in the sump, which is just about enough.

If the oil pressure light had come on you would be in trouble.

[dodgydog]

And I would change the oil and filter soon as possible.


Dog
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I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is not exactly what I meant

[Pete.]

Your description of the symptoms don't fit oil starvation. I think you're ok.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[doggone]

[Walloper]

Running out of oil usually means the engine gets noisey, loss of power (due to partial siezure of piston/s in bore) and over heating which can cause loss of power and or misfire if severe enough.

You never said but did you also add petrol?

I would replace the filter and the oil as the oil may have been overheated when low which will seriously adversely affect it's lubricating quality now.

Cut the old filter open. Use a hacksaw and turn the filter so any cuttings drop out of the filter rather than drop inside. Open out the filter paper and look for any metal particles or jewellery (Expensive metal).
It sounds, as you describe, like the engine will be fine but do change the oil. For peace of mind.
Then worry, for the rest of your God forgotten life, that the engine may die one day....

And FFS fix the fcuking leak/s
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Marmalade]

Remember that time when you used to be told there were daily checks of lights, fluid levels and tyres to be done and actually did them.

Nowadays you just wait for the police to tell you your tyre is fucked and the garage to tell you the engine is fucked because 10 seconds a day is too much hassle to see that there is oil in it before riding
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Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[Walloper]

[RIDINGforKICK...]

Drop the oil into a clean container, and have a good dig around in it to see if there are any shiny bits of metal in there.

I'd tip the used oil into another container, then check the bottom of the first container, if it's littered with shiny metal, don't go out on the bike again unless you have recovery cover.

[Snorty]

I do around 30 miles a day to work, I've been to work twice on it now, along with various rides out with my friend.

So I'd guess I've done at least 100 miles on it since.

The petrol was low and I did switch it to reserve as it started to conk out, but it seemed to take ages to stop stuttering and wouldn't idle. It seems ok anyway... maybe I've had a lucky escape.

Will be getting the leak fixed in a few months (It's going to be out of use within a few weeks anyway, hopefully).
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Kickstart]

[Snorty]

I'm hoping maybe it was that, though I've never had problems switching to reserve before, starts to wane in power, I switch it then it resumes.

I will just keep topping the oil up until I get my CBR600 then I'll just keep it in storage until my funds are good to get the work done it needs. Hoping to save it for a friend!
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4