GSXR Water in Oil!

[Damon]

Hi Guys,

Haven't posted here for ages but need a bit o' help with a problem with my road bike.

I've got a problem with the bike leaking water into the oil. I first noticed it after removing the thermostat because it was running hot, due to it not opening at all. After this it seemed to fog up the sight glass with a layer of white emulsion.

First thing I did was rebuild the water pump with new seals, took it for a ride and the sight glass was completely clear... Great I thought!

However, an hour later I came back to the bike and there is now a nice thick mayo sitting on top of the oil line. There is also a pretty thick hellmanns on the underside of the oil filler cap.

The coolant level has also dropped so it is definitely getting in some how!

I know everyone is going to scream head gasket but the bike doesn't seem down on power at all. Runs clean as a whistle with no smoke and is as responsive as it always has been.

There no oil in the coolant whatsoever... which is strange?

So... I have 2 other thoughts. A crack in the casings causing water to mix (although you would have thought oil would have entered the water too?)

or core plugs popped? If the GSXR has freeze plugs that is.

I'm going to do a leakdown test shortly to see if it is indeed a headgasket failure but I have a feeling it's something else.

What should be the next port of call after the above?


Thanks for your help in advance... Here's a picture of the beast!



https://s22.postimg.org/d3hjqtg4x/1000726_10153380348515497_1963587715_n.jpg

Damo

[Robby]

Does the water pump sit under a crankcase cover and rely on the crankcase cover gasket to separate the oil from the water? If so, a tear in the gasket will cause problems.

If the oil and water aren't mixing there, then I expect the only other places they can mix would be the head gasket and base gasket. A blown head gasket can fail between a water passage and an oil passage without affecting any fire rings, so you can have normal performance and no excess smoke or steam with a blown gasket.

[Damon]

The water pump has its own casing with a mechanic seal to separate the water and oil. I took the pump out and replaced the seals + mechanic seal. It seemed pretty clean in the pump itself with no trace of mixture.

R.e head gasket.. I take it a leakdown test wouldn't find a fault if that was the case?

[misscrabstick]

Head gaskets can fail in many ways giving different problem manifestations.

It is conceivable that the gasket could allow coolant into a oil return or feed if it breeches in certain places.

Performance would not be affected in this case as compression is unaffected and there is no coolant interfering with the combustion process.

[Walloper]

You may already know it but the most common symptom of engine overheat is a cylinder head gasket failure.

If it has lost enough water then the engine can be roasted in seconds.

The temp sensor is in contact with the coolant near the top of the engine. When enough water is lost then the sensor won't be getting any contact with coolant or the contact is reduced. So you may not notice an overheat until the damage is done. The sensor can register overheat if the heat is sufficient to heat the iron (metal) of the engine.
You may not therefore see any sign on the gauge until this happens.

If it's a new or recently overhauled engine it may be OK but on an older engine it may have had a couple of hits already.

An overheat which causes a gasket to fail could easily let water into the oil.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[bladerunner]

get your local garage to do a sniff test to see if you have combustion gasses in the coolant. failing that it can only really be as stated above and youve redone the waterpump seal.....was the impeller shaft ok?
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Current bikes...cbr929, KDX200's, Rd125lc mk2, RGV250's

[davebike]

As said sniff test but I say head gasket blown water to oil

Dave
____________________
Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
davebike1@gmail.com

[misscrabstick]

[devojunior]

condensation mines doing it atm on my zx6r.

[Walloper]

[Damon]

Thanks for the replies.

The bike isn't overheating at all and the original temp problem was a faulty thermostat.

It's definitely not condensation. That's what I though it was originally so took it for a nice long ride and burnt it all off. Got back and the sight glass was clear and a nice level of clear oil. A hour later after it had be sitting the emulsion appeared.

Checked the bike today via the sight glass and there is loads of whipped up emulsion ontop of a layer of clean ish oil.

Yep Bladerunner, Impeller looked spot on.

Thanks,
Damo

[stevo as b4]

The only test I can think of that may help in this type of suspected HGF situation, is a coolant system pressure test. You won't be seeing any signs of external leakage of coolant if it's leaking into an oil return void or an oil feed passage, but if your losing pressure still then you know it's an internal leak.

I suppose there's a good few ways that can cause coolant into oil internally, aside from simple head gasket breaches, you could have a crack in a head or block near a coolant channel. The other possibility is if you have a wet liner engine with the liners seated on O-rings at the base of the cylinder block?

It might be feasible that a cracked head could allow water to run up into the valve guide area and or around the valve train, but the head gasket is more likely to have failed than a cracked head issue I would say normally.