SuzukiSavage.com - Oil in the air box and in the filter?

RangerBob

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Oil in the air box and in the filter?
06/08/07 at 10:09:29

Hey guys,

I'm brand new here, but I obtained a Savage last September. I've ridden about 1000miles and changed the oil once. The bike has ran fine since I got it.

This morning, on the way to work, it lost power very gradually and I could barely maintain 50mph.

At lunch I removed the air filter and it was oil soaked. There was a puddle of oil in the bottom of the air box.

What happened?

Did I just delay the air filter change too long? Is this amount of oil normal? Can I prevent this by routing the crankcase vent hose to another location?

Any help is appreciated.

RangerBob

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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #1 - 06/08/07 at 10:13:10 Check your oil - is it over full?
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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #2 - 06/08/07 at 10:15:21 If so, then not much. It's right at the upper hash mark on the sight glass.
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Reelthing

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Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter?
Reply #3 - 06/08/07 at 10:24:27

and you checked it today right ? - why I ask is sometimes a failure in the petc0ck will let fuel run into the crankcase and filter area filling both and causing some rather serious problems with bearing surfaces

other wise - there are drain tube(s) on the bottom of the air box you should open cap on now and then and drain - like at every oil change

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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #4 - 06/08/07 at 11:02:39 I checked to oil today. Right at the top hash mark. But, I have never drained the airbox. I had no idea that such a thing was needed. I have no idea if the petcock is troubled. I did have a fuel leak at the knob, but I put in a new O-ring and the leak went away.
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Reelthing

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Fish or ride that is
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Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter?
Reply #5 - 06/08/07 at 11:13:27

Likely the oil drains had never been drained - singles do huff and puff out of the breather tube a lot more than multicylinders - reason being there is no place for the air to go when the piston goes down except out the tube and back in the tube when it goes up - this tends to leave some oil behind in the airbox - in a multicylinder a lot of the air just moves from cylinder to cylinder, so you need to pull the plug(s) on the rubber tube(s) hanging under the air box.

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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #6 - 06/08/07 at 11:31:32 I just checked the drain tube. It was completely full of clean engine oil. I think we may have found my problem. I'll let you know how she runs on the way home. Thanks for the help. RangerBob
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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #7 - 06/08/07 at 14:47:48 Well drat. On the ride home it still didn't have any power. The low end is OK, but it runs completely out of steam on the top end. In 5th gear it won't break 50mph. What gives?
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #8 - 06/08/07 at 15:16:42 You know you're supposed to hold the bike verticle while checking the oil, right?
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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #9 - 06/08/07 at 18:39:03 All that oil in the air box could of soaked the air filter. Pull the filter and do a quick run around the block to see if it performs any better. A piece of 2x4 under the kick stand is a good way to get the bike close to level, then fill to the bottom of the sight glass.
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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #10 - 06/08/07 at 19:36:15 I tried it with and without the filter. No change. I washed the filter, blew it out, and dried it. No change. The bike was verticle when I checked the oil. However, it was full to the top "hash mark".
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PhotoProf Full Member Offline Only the mediocre are always at their best! Posts: 124	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #11 - 06/09/07 at 05:30:45 Is the drain tube you are referring to the one with a cap on it that hangs below the engine. I noticed this tube but saw that it had a spring-type clamp on it. Would it be better to just leave this tube un-capped?
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #12 - 06/09/07 at 07:58:08 I think the purpose of capping it and draining it when necessary is to keep oil off your back tire. Plus, wouldn't you like to know there's an issue going on with your bike?
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justin_o_guy Ex Member	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #13 - 06/10/07 at 04:17:15 How old is the bike?Mileage? Guys, is it just me or is there a chance he is suffering from gas in the oil? Why is it running so crummy? Lost power slowly. Have you had a look at your plug? Maybe it slowly crudded up from the oily crap in the airbox being drawn into the cylinder.
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RangerBob YaBB Newbies Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 21	Re: Oil in the air box and in the filter? Reply #14 - 06/10/07 at 11:47:25 The bike has 9600miles. I haven't checked the plug, but it starts & idles fine. It also seems to run fine at 0-1/2 throttle. It only bogs down when I open the throttle up. Even then, it doesn't run worse, it just won't pick up and run any faster.. It seemed to start running worse almost overnight.
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