Can oil cause this?

[fabioz84]

Well everyone I come with an interesting story.

A while ago my engine was making a weird clanking / rattle noise upon deceleration, in fact I opened a thread on the issue:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=61278&highlight=engine+rattle

Anyways, under the suggestion of my local Yamaha dealer, i did a complete oil change and switched to the Yamalube 10w 40 mineral oil, when I originally used a synthetic blend Castrol Activo 10w 40. Mind you the bike at the time had around 6k miles.

Within 200 miles (4 days) i noticed clutch slipping through the high gears, especially 5th when i was trying to pass. I tore the clutch apart to see if the spring or any of the friction disks and clutch plates were within spec (yes they where). Put it all back together and same issue. So i grabbed 2 cans of brake cleaner and tore the clutch apart. Removed all the clutch components and thoroughly cleaned all of them. Replaced the oil with the original synthetic blend and the problem has gone away. I do realize that to conduct a proper experiment I should have put the mineral oi back into it to see if it did it again, but I just did not want to go through and dismantle the clutch again.

To me this sounds weird, but I'm sure there is a logical explanation.

 

Thanks for your continued support. This site is awesome!!

[friesman]

:think::think:

 

Brian

[Condor]

:think::think:

 

Brian

 

When a clutch starts slipping right after an oil change the oil proably contained friction modifiers.... Not good for a wet clutch... Try running Valvoline 20-50 MC oil for wet clutches... You can find it a O'Reilys... It may take a couple of changes to get the 'slippery' oil out of the crank, but it should solve your slipping issues. Adding a little Sea Foam to the crank will help with the house cleaning.... Before tearing into anything again, give me a shout...

[Marcarl]

I use diesel oil and MotorKote and seem to have no problems, can make it slip no how.

[allwx]

Is that Castrol Activo oil a motorcycle specific oil?

 

Everyone seems to have unique experiences with these clutches. Myself, I've never had a clutch go wrong using any oil whatever. I used to use car oils up until about 10 or 12 years ago when warnings started coming out about the new car oils with their friction modifiers that are designed to render better fuel mileage in drive trains that have separate trannys and dry clutches. It was being reported that people were having clutch problems using these new oils. That was when I stopped using car oils.

 

Up until that time, I'd used just about every type/brand of cheap car oil in several motorcycles, all of them large touring bikes. I never had any problem with any clutch.

 

So, from my personal point of view, if that Castrol is a mc specific oil (and Castrol is certainly a reputable brand) it almost surely could not in and of itself have caused your clutch to slip. Most likely there is an existing defect in the clutch that was brought to fore by other factors, including the oil. OTOH, I'm always ready for befuddlement at what actually happens that deviates from logic. Machines don't always follow the "rules."

[fabioz84]

Is that Castrol Activo oil a motorcycle specific oil?

 

Everyone seems to have unique experiences with these clutches. Myself, I've never had a clutch go wrong using any oil whatever. I used to use car oils up until about 10 or 12 years ago when warnings started coming out about the new car oils with their friction modifiers that are designed to render better fuel mileage in drive trains that have separate trannys and dry clutches. It was being reported that people were having clutch problems using these new oils. That was when I stopped using car oils.

 

Up until that time, I'd used just about every type/brand of cheap car oil in several motorcycles, all of them large touring bikes. I never had any problem with any clutch.

 

So, from my personal point of view, if that Castrol is a mc specific oil (and Castrol is certainly a reputable brand) it almost surely could not in and of itself have caused your clutch to slip. Most likely there is an existing defect in the clutch that was brought to fore by other factors, including the oil. OTOH, I'm always ready for befuddlement at what actually happens that deviates from logic. Machines don't always follow the "rules."

 

I hope that a defect is not the cause, but if it is then I'll know how to tear the clutch apart and put uit back together in no time. Pleanty of experience now

 

The Castrol Activo that I've used on the bike since I owned it is motorcycle specific (for wet clutches), as the mineral Yamalube (also for wet clutches).

Personally I would not have deviated from the the synthetic blend, if it wasn't for the dealership reccomendation to quiet down the motor, which it did not resolve at all.

Moral of the story is that I have a non slipping clutch now that it's all cleaned up and the original synthetic blend oil is back into it.

Now all I have to do is