| Author | Message | ||
     Ktmguy |
Follow up on previous post about 97 ticking at 2500-3000 RPM I'll not go into great detail as that was in the other post, basically a sound coming from the top end valve area at 2300-3000 RPM with light throttle input. Roll on gas and its not there, idle, and its not there. just that areea where you barely need to be on the throttle and theres no load on the engine while cruising. SO whats the general consensus about changing from an synthetic to Dino oil. That has been suggested, I just worry about the Crank Bearings since om on an 07 with 24,000 miles on it and so far the bottom end is quiet and tight (as far as I know). IM just curious as to whether the noise quiets down, gets louder, generally changes. It sounds like a tapping with a ball pin hammer lightly in the top at those rpms. Im thinking over the winter I may end up installing new lifters.. But for the next 30 days, id like to continue riding, as if it is the lifters its really not going to hurt anything. So Any good Automotive grade oil 20/50 would work? DOes anyone else run Dino Oil? One more note, I never noticed this sound until changing oil a few weeks ago. Was quiet until then. COuld it possibly be that some carbon or gunk became dislodged during the oil change and is maybe clogging a lifter or so? | ||
| 7873jake |
Most people don't get just how cacophonous two skeletons procreating in a tin can sound until they ride a Buell. It, specifically the valve train, will rattle more than most anything you've ridden before in the past (and since I don't really know what that list is made up of, I realize I'm taking a chance with that statement). I don't want to come off sounding dismissive of your concerns (not my intention) but be careful not to 'listen' your way in to a repair unless tearing it apart is the only way to find peace. I find that my valves are noisier on my '07 when I use Mobil1 versus Amsoil...don't know why. As for your question re: oil, YOYO (you would have been safer asking about/discussing fences, religion or politics on the quick board). yoyo- yer on yer own  | ||
| Hughlysses |
All your oil questions can be answered at the forums here: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com Last time I checked, Havoline 20W-50 was getting very good results in Harleys, and this is based on Used Oil Analyses (UOAs) rather than what some alleged HD mechanic said. | ||
| Ktmguy |
I have no Idea where to get Amsoil around me!(greensboro nc) Halvoline, seems easy enough, so theres no risk going from synthetic back to a standard motor oil? | ||
| 7873jake |
Most Napa stores around me carry it. I also find that privateer shops around me stock it as well. IIRC, most brand affiliated shops carry everything BUT Amsoil. If I had to guess, I'd say its because I suspect Parts Unlt'd or Tucker Rocky don't stock/ship/sell Amsoil but I may be wrong. If you drain your synth and go back to dino oil without thoroughly rinsing the engine, you'll encounter a dangerous condition known as synthetic blend. If the two products happen to be Castrol, it will be known as Syntec blend. I'm just kidding about the dangerous condition (and rinsing the engine). (Message edited by 7873jake on October 26, 2012) | ||
| Hughlysses |
A lot of independent motorcycle shops seem to stock Amsoil or you can order on-line. Amsoil sponsors EBR's race teams so it's a good thing to do business with them. I would say there's no risk in going synth back to dino. The only risk going dino to synth is on a high-mileage engine, you're apt to find leaking seals and gaskets with synth. | ||
| Jcbikes |
Shell Rotella t 15w40 is what I have been using for over 35,000 miles on my 04xb12s with no problems. buy at walmart. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Isn't 15/40 too thin? | ||
| Ftd |
I switched from Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50 to Valoline non syn. 20W-50 (motorcycle version) in my HD and ULY and a bike I have with an S&S engine. Seems that there is less engine noise now. Switched 2 years ago. YMMV Frank (Message edited by ftd on October 26, 2012) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Isn't 15/40 too thin? I suspect there's actually very little difference. Lots of guys run this Rotella in air-cooled bikes without problems. | ||
| Ktmguy |
Im just connecting the dots here and assuming that sense the noise began AFTER the oil change with the same HD 20/50 synthetic the previous owner used, that somehow it is all related. Again assuming that it makes little to no noise at idle other than typical valve train noise, no bottom end knocking that I can tell. Hopefully a oil change will help alleviate some of the noise.I only have about 3-400 miles or so on this oil change if that however. | ||
| Nookster |
Don't know if its just me but when I switched to amsoil 20-50 right after I bought the Buell it immediately seemed quieter and smoother. Oil threads are great. LOL | ||
| Teeps |
Ktmguy Posted on Friday, October 26, 2012 - SO whats the general consensus about changing from an synthetic to Dino oil. Not sure you'll ever get one of those (a consensus.) But, anecdotally I've changed back and forth a couple of times, for availability reasons. And, have noticed no difference in engine performance or sound. I'm currently running: Valvoline VV855 Racing Synthetic 20W50. Can be purchases at hotrod shops, Jegs, | ||
| Etennuly |
There was this book put out by Buell.....came with the bikes when new.....has an interesting read about what oil to run and when.  Who would think those guys would know what oil to run.  I tried Mobil 1 20-50 in my '06 for a few minutes. It made it go from a smooth sounding rock polisher to a heavy duty rock grinder.  Immediately went back to dino. After HD went sky rocket with their oil prices I switched to Rotella, 25,000 miles ago. Now at 60,000 it still sounds great and has no oil related problems. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Vern- I don't doubt you at all. I think it would be cool to test this scientifically though. Anybody got access to a dB meter? Put synth in the bike, crank and ride until hot, let idle and measure dB level say 2 feet from the engine on each side and 2 feet above the airbox (to give the rider's perspective). Change to dino oil and repeat. Put data in a table to allow noise levels for each oil at each location to be compared. | ||
| Thejosh |
Valvoline VR1 20W-50 non synthetic, never had any oil related issues. I've ran valvoline in my car since new, 170k miles later it still runs great no leaks no smoke. I guess until I have a problem that can be linked to the oil, I'll keep doin what I've been doin | ||
| Hughlysses |
If you drain your synth and go back to dino oil without thoroughly rinsing the engine, you'll encounter a dangerous condition known as synthetic blend. If the two products happen to be Castrol, it will be known as Syntec blend. I'm just kidding about the dangerous condition (and rinsing the engine). That reminds me of the moron I heard call into "Car Talk" (with Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers) one Saturday morning. He said when he changed the oil in his Toyota Camry, he would drain the oil and then crank the engine and let it idle for a minute or so to pump the last of the old oil out of the system prior to refilling. Someone had told him that could damage his engine and he didn't believe it!  They did straighten him out on that. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
OMG! I had a friend that would run his car til it was "really" empty too. I told him it was a dangerous waste of time. He laughed at me saying he did it "many times". Yes the engine survived ONE more change like that. Second change after that? cachunk! oops. Shiny metal stuff came out of bottom of engine. | ||
| 7873jake |
nothing wrong with squeegee-ing the cylinder walls clean of that nasty old, dirty oil. Seems reasonable if not down right prudent to me! the only thing that likely saved Camry man was the fact that it was, well, a Camry? I understand that a Toyota engine can lubricate itself simply from the relative humidity found in a typical Florida day. | ||
| Hughlysses |
That reminds me of the philosophical oil discussions I used to have with 2 of my co-workers. We all agreed that Chrysler Slant 6 engines were the most durable auto engines ever constructed and would last forever. They both agreed (I was indifferent on this) that Quaker State was the worst oil ever made and would instantly ruin any engine it was poured into. We then pondered what would happen if Quaker State were put into a Slant 6? We all eventually agreed it would render a Slant 6 "normal", and it would only last 100,000 or so miles.  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My granma's car was a Dodge Aspen with a slant-6. I was driving it on my permit with her in the passenger seat when the oil light came on when going around a corner. She said "oh yeah, it does that from time to time but it goes out again" Well I pulled over into a convenience store and checked the oil. Dry dipstick. DRY. So I went in and bought two quarts of oil and put them in. Checked the oil: DRY. Punchline: I put 4.5 quarts in that engine. That engine never gave a crap! The whole car dissolved from rust long before the engine gave any sign of wear. | ||
| Griffmeister |
An Aspen? Yeah, that dissolved into rust 3 years off the showroom floor.  | ||
| Tootal |
Dino oil is naturally thicker than synthetic. The thicker oil hides sounds in the engine better. The noise is still there, just muffled better. Motorcycle Consumer News did an oil essay years ago and the top rated oil was AMSOIL. Castrol GTX was rated 5th overall and it is Dino oil. I believe oil these days is so good that as long as you change it once in a while your engine will be just fine. I break new engines in on Catrol GTX for 5000 miles and then switch to AMSOIL. My engines do not use oil. Some will argue that it doesn't matter what you break it in with or that synthetic is better. All I know, from personal experience, is what I do works for me. If something works for you then by all means do that. I only use AMSOIL because they support our race team and EBR's team and it's good stuff. I use to use something nobody's probably heard about and that's Schaeffers Racing Oil. That's all I ran before AMSOIL started sponsoring us. | ||
| Hughlysses |
So if you put Amsoil in a Chrysler Slant 6 would that be like "crossing the streams" in Ghostbusters?  | ||
| Xbimmer |
Had a '65 Dodge A100 with a Slant 6, Holley 4bbl on Offy manifold and Clifford headers. Beat the snot out of that thing until it put a rod through the block. Swapped it out with a '70 340 and Loadflite and proceeded to try to kill myself with 300 hp in a 90" wheelbase van. Oh yeah since this is an oil thread I was using Valvoline 10w40 back then, in cardboard cans. Man I miss that little hotrod. | ||
| Uly_man |
What the F++K is dino oil anyway. | ||
| Hughlysses |
^ Non-synthetic, the name comes from the belief that petroleum is the remnant of decayed dinosaurs. | ||
| Turf_moor |
I use Repsol 20-50 mineral (dino)oil which is widely available here in sw Portugal. In can't be certain but it appears to run cooler than HD mineral oil in that the fan takes longer to come on in the same conditions. I realize you probably can't get Repsol in USA. | ||
| Ourdee |
Anybody got access to a dB meter? I got one. But, I'm leaving the amsoil in mine. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I love oil threads. There's an iPhone app called... "SoundMeter" from Faber Acoustical. Only app I've paid over $5 for, cost $30 IIRC. Seems pretty accurate on an iPhone 4. Has an audio sig gen also, great for screwing with dogs.  Z | ||
| Ourdee |
Bring it down to 20,000 to mess with teenagers with out disturbing us old people. |
