New oil turned dark fast

[toastershakins]

i just did an oil and filter change on an '01 with 10,000 on it. before the change, i could see the oil in the sight glass and it was fine. not very dark, nice and amber, and the correct level. i have no idea what kind it was because i've not had the bike for very long, but i would assume it was probably just run of the mill 10W40.

so i change the oil and filter, switching to mobile 1 4t. i started it up, ran it around the block, and then topped it off with maybe 1/2 a quart more.

but now the oil in the sight glass is very dark. what i would consider too dark. like, looking-like-it-needs-an-oil-change-badly dark.

anyone heard of this? was i supposed to do something different when switching to synthetic?

[Cheriff]

The oil cooler holds old oil which when mixed with the new stuff can darken it more than you would think, but it shouldn't be darker than what it looked like before you changed it.

[hardlydangerous]

Was the engine warm when you changed the oil? Did you crank the engine over while or after draining the oil to get the old oil out of the pump/lines?

In such a short amount of time that's not to common but don't worry about it. YOU KNOW you have a good quality new oil in there.

Keep in mind when using a synthetic oil or mineral oil with synthetic additives like the Mobil 1 you put in there, it will help clean your engine as you ride. Also some synthetics are darker then conventional oils due to the POA's easter used in the formula.

For higher milage engines I recommend changing the oils after 1500 miles when switching to a synthetic. I have seen engines that ran for years on conventional oils clog up and plug up oil filters quickly with the sludge the synthetic wash off the engine internals. Most engines Have oil PRV's built into the system and oil filters have by pass valves built in as well so you engine won't blow up with a plugged up filter but basically you are running on unfiltered oil.

[toastershakins]

thanks for the replies...

i let it drain for a good long time, but i didn't turn it over while draining. i believe the bike was poorly maintained before i got it, and it could certainly be a case of flushing some hidden sludge out of the system. i feel like i should probably change it again fairly quickly, but at $40 or so for the oil, its kind of an expensive system flush! but, it runs great so far...

[The CyberPoet]

Q: How much fresh oil did you use?

Because of the design of the Kat's internals, a regular oil change will typically drain out only 65-80% of the total oil in the engine. The total amount of oil needed when doing a refill after a full engine rebuild is 4.9 - 5.1 liters (depending on model), according to the manual; you change out around 4 liters of that during a typical oil change.
Leaving the drain bolt out overnight (and/or leaving the fumoto valve open if you've upgraded the drain bolt), plus changing the filter and dumping the contents of the oil cooler will get you around 4.5 - 4.7 liters out of that 5 liter mark. Still not 100%, but significantly more.

For used bikes that I buy, I tend to short-cycle oil changes the first oil change, using a high-detergent fairly cheap oil for the initial change, and the oil I actually want to run just a matter of a few miles later. Then again, everyone agrees I'm simply fanatical about such things, and I drop the oil pan the first time around as well...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

And you not only have just a little of the old oil in there , but crud DOES work it's way in there over time . And I THINK from what I've read , synthetic helps break up sludge and junk better than dino , so there's THAT ...... Personally , I wouldn't worry so long as you KNOW good oil is in there , eh ?

[toastershakins]

it took a little less than 4 quarts, with the filter change (thanks, by the way...). sounds like nowhere near what it should have been.

it was just really strange to see the "fresh" oil darken up that much and that quickly in the sight glass, after having ridden it for only 10 miles or so.

And you not only have just a little of the old oil in there , but crud DOES work it's way in there over time . And I THINK from what I've read , synthetic helps break up sludge and junk better than dino , so there's THAT ...... Personally , I wouldn't worry so long as you KNOW good oil is in there , eh ?

i've never used synthetic before this. since it's an older bike and hadn't been maintained, i guess the new oil just really flushed it out.

i guess its just really that much better!

so... you guys wanna buy a helmet at all?

[md86]

XL ain't gonna fit me , and I'm broke . Otherwise , I'd consider it . I DO need a new one ....

[The CyberPoet]

MD, what size helmet do you wear (I've got a couple extras that came with the new Kat).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

M2 I think is what my Nolan is (medium-ish) . Reason I want a new one is I've had THIS one for like 4 years almost (got it when Chris had that wreck) , and it's hit the ground a couple times . Probably due . I'm not TERRIBLY keen on second-hand helmets (don't need one THAT bad ) , but if you think they're in decent shape and may fit , I'd be willing to chat a bit about that ....

[The CyberPoet]

I'd just toss it to ya for shipping, if you need one -- and you could pay me for shipping later for that matter.

=-= The CyberPoet

[tankman1331]

it took a little less than 4 quarts, with the filter change (thanks, by the way...). sounds like nowhere near what it should have been.

it was just really strange to see the "fresh" oil darken up that much and that quickly in the sight glass, after having ridden it for only 10 miles or so.



i've never used synthetic before this. since it's an older bike and hadn't been maintained, i guess the new oil just really flushed it out.

i guess its just really that much better!

so... you guys wanna buy a helmet at all?

mine did the same thing when i changed mine but i didnt change the filter maybe i should have done that

[Lehbs]

Mine did the same thing last year. Older bike new to me and not sure of the previous owners maintenance. Drained the cooler, and ran short changes on the bike and it seems to have cleared out a bunch of gunk. One thing to check for fun is the wieght of the old filter vs the weight of a new one. I kept the one that came off of my bike, and drained as much out as possible, and filled up a new one with oil and drained it out. The old one was close to a pound heavier. I know it isn't a true test as oil was not run through the filter but it surprsed me as I figure al leaset half of that would be built up crud in there.

[toastershakins]

thanks guys... that makes me feel a WHOLE lot better! you'd have to know a little about my luck to see why i was kinda worried. i'm just getting the bike around to looking the way i want. i'd hate for it all to be ruined by some kind of freak oil change accident or something!