SilverStar Oil in Airbox

[comanche91]

I'm having a niggling problem w. my SilverStar. The SilverStar tool box is directly under the air box, and oil leaks down from the air box on to the plastic tool box cover and eats it up. Somewhere I saw a thread regarding problem this a long time ago, but can not locate it now. Is there any cure for this? Thanks. Don

[Nozz]

Why is fuel leaking down there?? That's one problem I have not had!

[comanche91]

I should have explained this better. Actually it's more like oil than fuel, feels kinda slippery. In the pic below, this fluid is collects at the bottom of the silencer where the red arrow is pointing. Then it seeps out through the sheet metal seam on the bottom and drips down on the toolbox just behind the plastic cover. You really can't see it until you pull the plastic cover off, and it's wet on top just behind the cover lip. I have no idea how this fluid gets there. Both the bike I ride and my parts Silvy has this fluid at the bottom of the air box silencer assembly. Just curious if any of you guys with Silvys have this problem.

I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the bottom, installing a nylon nipple, and attaching a drain hose. Sure would like to know how this stuff is getting there though. I'd think it would have something to do with the carb intake hose? But why oily? .....

If you guys with SilverStars could pull the tool box plastic cover and run your finger along the top of the tool box and see if it comes back oily, I'd sure appreciate it.

[Nozz]

I'll have a look at mine tomorrow. I have a bigger leak up front by the starter motor that I need to see if I can sort out. Definitely wanting to get back on the road!

[comanche91]

Thanks Nozz. Hope you find it mate.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

there is an oil line that comes up from motor
it is hidden by the intake rubber to the carb it goes into air box at the end of the
green line in the picture its hard to see with bike together
see picture
might change the line the one on mine is old and brittle
dave
its where the oil is coming from if you run it at high speed a lot

[comanche91]

Thanks Dave, yep, that's got to be it. That hose comes from the crankcase and it's the crankcase breather tube. I pulled it off at the crankcase end and out came about two tablespoons of a milky white oil froth. The carb intake is sucking this crap into the airbox or it's getting blown into it. It's blowby of some sort, which is usually caused by a bad PCV valve in an auto, or bad valve stem seals causing excess pressure in the crankcase. But I'm sure that's not the case here. I don't drive particularly fast either. I bet it has something to do the the breather tube on top of the frame oil reservoir under the gas tank? I think that's how the crankcase breathes. So what's the fix?

And Dave, you must be going to watch the Mountaineers later in the NCAA Final Four. First time they've been there in 51 years when the great Jerry West was playing! I'm pulling for them; if not, then the Dukies.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

put a cheap fuel filter in the line give it a place to go besides the air box
sports are not my vice ..
only thing that gets me in front of the tv set is speedway racing
but you could not pay me enough to ride a bike with no brakes

my saxon tour is on the to do list it is still apart from the wreck
mostly because i have not felt like working on any thing of late

need to get my butt up to the radio electrical work bench
and fix the com radios we use to talk to the river lot on
using to many cell phone minutes ....
and i bought an Elcraft k2 kit ham radio that is partly finished from an estate sale
and need to finish it (it looks like i will be chewing on that for a while its a bit much
as i have to figure out where the other fellow stopped but its to where i have heard my voice come out a test reciever
so it does transmit and receive still have to tune it up and build the high power amp
dave

[comanche91]

I checked this with the Tom Wood people and they said a small amount of blowby was natural. Went riding yesterday for about 150 miles and popped the hose at the crankcase when I got back and three clear drops came out. I'm going to make a catch can out of a small aluminum canister and place it inline with the crankcase breather hose, then I can drain it periodically.

Some Harleys, Ducatis, and others have to be drained after nearly every ride I've read to keep oil out of the airbox.......

[comanche91]

Problem solved. I fabbed a small catch can from a 2" aluminum canister, added fittings and a draincock, and placed in inline with the crankcase breather tube. It cost about $10 total and works well. After a couple of hundred miles I drained a few drops of water/oil from it, and no more of this stuff gets into the airbox.



Material list:

1 - Aluminum "stash" canister from here: http://store.superpiece.com/servlet/-strse-177/2%22-Small-Polished-Aluminum/Detail
2 - 1/8" NPT x 5/16" barb elbow fittings
1 - 1/8" NPT draincock