What the heck is an Oil Separator Plate?

[Anonymous]

The last time I changed oil on my bike (my first bike, had it for about 2500 miles now) I found some metal flakes in the oil filter. It was suggested that I drop the oil pan and see if I could find anything drastically wrong that might be causing the problem.

So, after waiting a month or so for all the gaskets that I thought I'd need to get it buttoned back up, I tore into it this afternoon. I only brok one exhaust bolt while pulling the exhaust system, which is better than it could have been. I've got the penetrating oil working on it right now. Might take a propane torch to it tomorrow...

BUT ... I eventually get to the oil pan. No real trouble getting the bolts out. A minor amount of whacking the pan with a rubber mallet and a chunk of two-by-four to get it to pop loose, and drop away. And what should I find ... but ... THIS:

http://www.mitchn.com/OilPanProject/OilSeparatorPlate.jpg

Now, that CAN'T be good. I coudn't see where it dropped loose from right away... but it's been through the wringer a bit. I poked around on the crankcase diagrams on www.bikebandit.com, and it looks like it's one of two 'separator plate, oil' for this bike.

Unfortunately, if that's true, it'll involve splitting the cases to get at.

So ... what's the oil separator do? Separate oil and water? Oil and air? Star-bellied-sneeches from plain-bellied sneetches?

Oh, yeah. You can express sympathy, too. I think my bike's laid up until I can find a donor engine and attempt my first engine rebuild.

--Mitch

[saaz]

Bad luck there!

The separator plate would separate oil and air, or probably more correctlty stop the oil being aerated by gears, moving parts etc. Aerated oil does not flow that well, with obvious repurcussions. Sort of like the bubbles in the bath dont go down the plug hole that well...

[argonsagas]

I think Saaz has it right and the explanation is good.

Small note....the plate has a retainer hole and it does not look damaged, so that sort of suggests you should have a loose screw or bolt somewhere in there as well .....


Now, back to those star-bellied sneeches. Up here we have a boon of high-backed manooks, and I understand that if they mate to your sneeches the result would be snooks.

Some people like to put snooks at the bottom of the pool, where they eat loose debris and fatten out to become snookers. At the end of the season, they are taken out and dehydrated before going on the table.....


oooops! Sorry, that's my cue. Have to go..

[Jay B]

Snookers

Do Snookers swim? I seem to remember running into something like those when I was a kid and my grandparents would take me up to Lake Erie to swim and fish and Cedar Point to play.

[Anonymous]

argonsagas --

Forgot to mention that I found the phillips head screw that holds that half in, too. It didn't look much worse for wear. So, that's one less thing to worry about, I guess.

--Mitch

[Anonymous]

Ha! I can still reply. Well, it turns out I have my answer. The oil separator plate is what lives just above and ahead of the sump / pan to keep the oil from running forward when either parked on a steep downhill or under heavy decelleration.

Missing it means ... your oil light will come on in those situations. As mine does.

I got a donor engine and tore it down... Now alls I have to do is tear down the ... working engine. :-/

--Mitch