Watery sludgy gear oil?

[Guest]

So I cracked open the gear oil (the gear box, not the shaft) and was welcomed by a flood of watery nastiness followed by a thick, slow, brown sludge. I'm no expert but that doesn't seem right

Any suggestions? Just let her drain completely and fill it back up? Flush? Rebuild? Invoke the power of prayer?

It sat outside in Western Washington for a number of years but I'm not quite sure how water found its way into a sealed transmission...

[Randomize]

A video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6l3H5GezmzeWHRYUENrRTNOZk0/edit?usp=sharing

[tkent02]

It's vented. Air goes in and out every day with changes in temperature and barometric pressure. Condensation forms inside when it gets cooler at night… Especially in Western Washington.

Water will likely be in the final drive too. And probably in the motor oil too if you haven't checked it yet, although the vent passage is longer and more convoluted.

Rust will be in axles and swingarms too, for the same reason.

[kdo58]

i would flush it out with some diesel than use compressed air and try to force the crap out of their, fill it with oil ride it, and change it again.

[tkent02]

Might fill it with kerosene or diesel, run it through the gears on the center stand, that will flush it out as good as riding it, repeat until it comes out clean.

[Nessism]

That sucks man. Hope the bearings aren't all rusted up.

[Randomize]

Thanks, guys.

I poured some extra gear oil through it to knock the gunk out and will change it again in a couple days with some similar flushing. Hopefully this doesn't come back to bite me...

The shaft oil showed no signs of water or sludge. It was good and gray and the magnet had a pretty thick layer on it but no sludge.

[Brendan W]

That's similar to what came out of mine 5000 miles ago. I just ran a bit extra through when filling and am changing it often until it settles down. Still some sludge coming out on third drain but nothing like before and at least it looks like oil coming out. The oil at the final drive was clean.

[wymple]

Thanks, guys.

I poured some extra gear oil through it to knock the gunk out and will change it again in a couple days with some similar flushing. Hopefully this doesn't come back to bite me...

The shaft oil showed no signs of water or sludge. It was good and gray and the magnet had a pretty thick layer on it but no sludge.

Umm, no. Change it, period. Then run it around a LITTLE while, and change it again. Gear oil is cheap, gears are not. That gunk in there might as well be a grinding compound.

[Randomize]

I'm thinking this might be a good time to use some of that snake oil alcohol/detergent cleaner like Seafoam to flush. The alcohol should soak up the water and the detergent should help dissolve all that gunk. Any thoughts?

[JTGS850GL]

I would think that Seafoam would work pretty well for what you have there. It's mostly light oil, Naphtha, alcohol and water. I would think that simple kerosene or diesel would work as well in this case. Maybe add a little isopropyl alcohol to it to absorb more water. Personally I wouldn't drive it with that mix in the gear case though. I'd put it up on the center stand and run it up and down a few times in gear. Then dump it. Do this until the mix comes out looking more normal.

Don't forget the brakes. They probably need the fluids changed out as well.

[Randomize]

I would think that Seafoam would work pretty well for what you have there. It's mostly light oil, Naphtha, alcohol and water. I would think that simple kerosene or diesel would work as well in this case. Maybe add a little isopropyl alcohol to it to absorb more water. Personally I wouldn't drive it with that mix in the gear case though. I'd put it up on the center stand and run it up and down a few times in gear. Then dump it. Do this until the mix comes out looking more normal.

Don't forget the brakes. They probably need the fluids changed out as well.

Good idea on the isopropyl alcohol. I'll add that to the list with the Kerosene.

When you say to put it up on the stand and run it up and down, are you saying to start it and run it in all gears with the back tire just spinning in the air?

[JTGS850GL]

When you say to put it up on the stand and run it up and down, are you saying to start it and run it in all gears with the back tire just spinning in the air?

Yep. Put it on the center stand and run it up through the gears a few times with the rear wheel off the ground. It should stir up everything but not put a heavy load on the gears. You can also get it up to faster rotations that way without trying to top out in fifth gear going down the road.

[Randomize]

Yep. Put it on the center stand and run it up through the gears a few times with the rear wheel off the ground. It should stir up everything but not put a heavy load on the gears. You can also get it up to faster rotations that way without trying to top out in fifth gear going down the road.

Thanks. My neighbors are going to love this

[Brendan W]

Thanks. My neighbors are going to love this

Show them the vid and invite them over to see your new coffee machine.
I would keep changing it at every oil change even if you get it to run clear now. Sludge is tenacious as I found when I dropped the oil pan. If you haven't changed the fork oil yet be prepared for more of the same in there. Did I mention brake fluid ?