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Yamaha Tech Originally the Yamaha XT600 Tech Forum, due to demand it now includes all Yamaha's technical / mechanical / repair / preparation questions.
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  #1  
Old 12 Feb 2009
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Question engine flush
hello i have drained my oil from my 1vj and taken the filter out and the oil is very thick and black,does anybody know if an engine flush can be used or shall i put clean oil in and run it for a while and then do an oil change after a couple of weeks to freshen the oil up any feedback would be grateful thank you.
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Old 12 Feb 2009
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I can't really comment on Japanese engines that are machined to fine tolerances, but it was always a thing I was told, never use flushing oil on old British motorcycle, as once you cleaned all the crap out of them they would 'rattle' even more!


I would just settle for the oil and filter change then change both again after about 500 miles, then keep to regular sensible mileage changes, I believe the secret to long life with Jap engines is regular oil changes. My CRF230 oil is changed every 600 miles and often less, Honda recommend changing every 600, this is due to it only holding 1 litre and having just a gauze mesh filter.
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Old 13 Feb 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave ede View Post
I would just settle for the oil and filter change then change both again after about 500 miles, then keep to regular sensible mileage changes
I would do the same except you may not need to wait for 500 miles. Just have a look at the oil and when you think it's mucky enough, do the change.
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Old 13 Feb 2009
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If you can find a source of cheap engine oil, fill up with that and run the bike for an hour or so. Drain, and refill with the proper stuff. You will be astounded at how much crap comes out. This was great in the days when Halfords and the like did really cheap oil - you could flush the engine every oilchange for a couple of quid. Now, even Halford's cheapest is a significant investment, and this is not the option it once was. Flushing oil is no longer recommended for any engine, as it contains solvents to break down sludge and deposits which can (in some cases) break solid deposits down too quickly and leave you with blockages which can wreck the engine.
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Old 14 Feb 2009
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If you're going to refill it with oil for approx 500 mls to flush it(don't forget to clean out the oil strainer in the front down-pipe first), I would suggest using a Diesel oil (like Shell Rimula or similar) as it has a higher detergent content, so will clean the internals better than normal Petrol oil.
After the 500 mls, drain it, & clean out the oil strainer again, & renew the oil filter.
Probably a good idea to use Diesel oil long term to clean it further & keep it clean.
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Old 14 Feb 2009
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You can always use diesel
I did use diesel once.

I filled the engine completely and removed the spark plug. Then hold the starter button for about 30sec. Flush the engine. Then repeated the process again and again...

I did that on my KLR because it was filled with sand. The bike still ran another 50 000km. Now the piston would need new rings at 100k km.

Patrick
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Old 14 Feb 2009
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More info on the oil strainer please.

Where exactly is it, how to disemble and so on, thx a ton.
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Old 15 Feb 2009
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Old 15 Feb 2009
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Okay, now I know just about where the opil strainer is, what do i need to disemmble to get it out and clean it?

Just about everything?
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Old 15 Feb 2009
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I'm about to to do the same oil change, again thicky black sludge in my 1985 XT600 Tenere.

What grade quality would you advise to replace it with? - a fully synthetic type?

Thanks

Gary
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Old 15 Feb 2009
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Originally Posted by foggie View Post
I'm about to to do the same oil change, again thicky black sludge in my 1985 XT600 Tenere.

What grade quality would you advise to replace it with? - a fully synthetic type?

Thanks

Gary


Probably not a good idea on an old worn engine .
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Old 16 Feb 2009
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I don't understand why a fully synthetic oil wouldn't be advisable on an older engine. I would have thought it would be best to use the best quality oil you can get.

So....any advice on which oil to use?

Thanks
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Old 16 Feb 2009
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hi foggie ive got a 1985 43f and i use castral gp 10/40 actevo ,this is a minaral oil ive done about 4000 miles in the last 14 months and i have no complants .i change it every 2000 kms /1200 miles it uses vertualy no oil between changes .ive not tryed synthetic but some guys say the old xts burn synthetic oil take care zigzag
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Old 16 Feb 2009
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Thanks for the info ZigZag
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Old 17 Feb 2009
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Originally Posted by foggie View Post
I don't understand why a fully synthetic oil wouldn't be advisable on an older engine. I would have thought it would be best to use the best quality oil you can get.

So....any advice on which oil to use?

Thanks

Because your old engine is worn and will probably burn oil , it will burn even more oil if you use synthetic .
Your seals are old and probably hard ,synthetic will find a way past them and the very slight leaks you have now [some even only a tiny oil mist ] will turn into much more serious leaks .
Another factor is that GOOD synthetic [and not a blend or a low quality super refined mineral oil ] is expensive .

The above examples are not theory but lessons learned the hard way .

Synthetic oil is great when used in a freshly broken in new engiine and you will realistically double or triple the service life of the engine .
But to stick it in an old engine will be a waste of money .
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