Stupid Ass Question???

[Guest]

ok, here's the story.

i bought a 79 gs750 E about 3 months ago. when i got there the PO said that he had drained the oil to change it but never got around to it so i brought a few quarts with me to try and get it started.

i put the oil in but the bike had some blown fuses and it wouldn't start, the bike was cheap as hell so i bought it anyway.

skip a few weeks, replace a couple fuses and the bike starts up to my amazement, i only leave it running for a few minutes and don't give it much throttle. i haven't started it since.

fast forward to yesterday, finally get to draining the oil and doing the filter. i pull the drain plug and about 7 qts. drain out of the damn thing, and i just slap my oily hand across my face and sigh. the PO must not have drained the oil like he said he did, WTF!

how bad is it that i ran the engine with that much oil for a short amount of time? should i be ok since i only started it once for a few minutes?

sorry for the stupid ass question, the whole things got my brain reeling and i'm afraid of the consequences of this mess and ****ed at the PO for being such a dope.

thanks.

[cowboyup3371]

Smell it first and make sure there isn't gas in the oil.

[Larry D]

If the petcock and needle valve seats have failed, which is highly probable, the gas has made it's way into the crankcase. I suspect that this is the case, take a good whiff and I'll bet the oil has a strong gas smell.

A carb rebuild and new petcock are in order.

[gmoore]

i don't recall a strong gas smell but i will give it a good whiff tonight.

just curious, but, what would the Petcock have to do with it?

thanks

[tkent02]

The petcock is supposed to shut off the flow of fuel when the engine isn't running.
If the oil is full of fuel, the petcock has failed, or it was left on PRI, which lets fuel flow the whole time, running or not.

[chuck hahn]

take the BIG hose from the petcock and run another one down into a clear soda bottle and leave the petccok in the ON position. let it sit for a few hrs then go back and see if theres gas in the soda bottle. If theres any in the bottle then youll know the petcock isnt fully shutting off the gas.

[gmoore]

OK, i just realized that he thought maybe the petcock failed and that is why there was 7 quarts of oil.

that theory is vaguely possible but, the tank has been off the bike since i bought it and was only put on to start it. i also tested the petcock when i cleaned the surface rust out of the tank before i gave it a paint job.

so though it is possible and i will try to rule it out as a cause i still believe that the PO still had oil in the bike.

i will also try to test the petcock again, any good tests for the petcock to see if it's leaking?

[gmoore]

ahhhh, ok, i'll do that.

[spyug]

Allowing gas to sit in the oil for any length of time turns the mix corrosive. That can eat at bearings and seals if the engine run and its allowed to flow around. Since you ran the bike for a short time is not going to harm anything so don't worry about it.

If it worries you, you can run the bike a little bit and change the oil and filter again.

Do check the petcock as the guys suggest, this is a very common problem. Rebuild kits are available but don't always work so many guys opt for a new pcock.

Good luck and enjoy.
spyug

[gmoore]

hey, thanks a lot!

[tkent02]

Allowing gas to sit in the oil for any length of time turns the mix corrosive.

Is this true?

[gmoore]

does the petcock HAVE to be made for the 1979 and prior to work or can i buy one that fits on a newer GS from the 80's?

it seems difficult to find a new petcock for the 79.

[tkent02]

The bolt spacing may be different, and the position of the hoses. Do not get the 1980 leverless petcock, they suck.

[Flyboy]

Ok, let me answer the original question that was asked.
No, you should be fine, I highly doubt any damage was done.

[sedelen]

Although it doesn't say it specifically, like it does in the GS1000 & GS1100 owners manuals, it's not uncommon for the carbs to overflow if the petcock is left on "Prime." I have found this to be the case on both my bikes when I accidentally left them in Prime. The only mention is to use the Prime only when the carbs are dry and to be sure you put the petcock back to On once the engine starts.