REF: Engine Mechanicals - Sub-07Q

Breather Catch Can Test For Oil Leaks Out the Vent

Breather Catch Can Test For Oil Leaks Out the Vent

A test was done by XLFORUM member cjburr. Test apparatus and results are below. 1)
This testing was done to help diagnose an oil leak that couldn't be seen or otherwise detected.
However, this may be a good exercise if you are concerned about how much oil you may be losing from the crankcase puking.
It should show what, how much and when oil accumulates in the hose / catch can.
The length / size of tubing will change crankcase pressure to an extent so the results may not reflect exactly what's going on inside your engine.

The vent to air cleaner was inspected and then removed for testing. The factory system routes the breathers to the front of the carb.
There was no evidence of the amount of oil that was being lost in the intake tract.
With the Forcewinder A/C removed, there was no evidence of oil. A homemade catch can with a vent hole and a clear tube was installed to inspect while riding.

A/C removed. 2) Homemade catch can. 3)

The A/C was re-installed with the venting ran to the catch can.
The oil tank was filled to just under half way up the stick with SYN3.
The bike was ridden hard (10 miles of city driving then 50 miles of elevated speeds).
RPM was ran up to 6000 in 5th (8 times) and up to 100 MPH for 2 miles twice.
Total miles run were 75 and all but 20 miles of that were at 80 MPH or more.
The only thing that showed up in the tube running to the catch can was just some moisture but no oil.

The catch can was clean but 1/4 quart of oil had been lost as viewed from the dipstick. 4)


This website uses cookies for visitor traffic analysis. By using the website, you agree with storing the cookies on your computer.More information