Hi
I have recently managed to get my CBR out of the garage after several years in there, and legally on the road, a lot due to the the excellent help on this site as I hadn't done anything like that before.
There is still a lot of work to be done on her like valve clearances(time to get my oily manual out again) , the fan, clutch (which just ain't right) and other stuff that I can't think of at the moment.
It has been great riding her to work etc, however, I have just noticed brown sludgy watery stuff in the oil and she has overheated once.
I drained all her fluids out and replaced them and it has gone watery again.

Is there any hope of saving her? The oil is still weird but she runs quite happily..
Any help etc would obviously be gratefully received.

 

Hi Bob. Hope she's not too sick, but I'd do as CBR Classic suggested, just make sure you take the radiator cap off when she's cold, don't want any burny fingers

What's your location mate? You never know there maybe a member near by to pass tools, crack beers ect?

 

G'day Bob.

As above! Get the cheapest bike oil (the addatives in car oil might cause your clutch to slip!) and do a couple more oil changes. I wouldn't even bother to ride it after the first one. Just run it up to temp for a few minutes, then drop it all out again.

I has to be that or the head gasket. Are you losing coolant but no leaks?

 

Actually Dave has made a great point there, keep an eye on the coolant level to see if you're loosing any then you'll know if it's condensation in the engine or not.

 

Hi

Thank you for all your replies.

I am in the South-West of England in Weston-super-Mare.

She is losing a little bit of coolant and the coolant is bubbling up. I will have another look later just to be completely sure.

I will follow all your suggestions later and let you know what happens.

Thanks everyone

Bob

 

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Based on what you have said, I'm thinking the headgasket
Especially if after the oil flush and change it's still getting water in the oil...........
Not a good thought...................
Good luck with it.
Hope I'm wrong........

 

+1 on the head gasket, all 3 symptoms are here:

Over heating

bubbling in radiator

sludge in oil

I suggest changing the oil right away, crank the engine over with the ignition off to get the new oil up in the journals and don't run the engine anymore until you can pinpoint the problem. Antifreeze/coolant and crankshaft bearings are a really bad combination.

 

+2 on headgasket!

 

Yes, it certainly seems that way.

How difficult is it to do? I would like to do it myself in my garage with the help of people here on this forum, if they don't mind, my nephew, who is a bike mechanic and a manual or two. Is is possible or am I living in a fool's paradise, as Father Ted once said?

Thanks

Bob