V7 2013 on oil venting problems

[elkgrichard]

As some folks have found out this bikes oil head venting system is somewhat problematic. In that the heads vent into the airbox leaving oil to collect in the air box which in theory is ok because they left an oil return line ....two of them to drain the oil in theory back into the sump using a check valve that opens up once the engine is turn off allowing the collected oil in the airbox to then in theory flow back into the sump.

Actually what is happening is that the oil that sits on/in the bottom of the airbox is sucked up into the air intake and then into the fuel injection system thereby causing an oil consumption issue. That oil end up atomized with the fuel and burned in the combustion chamber. It appears not to cause fouled plugs because of the atomization process mixed with the fuel but it certainly is causing oil consumption issues on this bike.

My question is this......Is there a way to re-route this head venting system as not to cause pressure in the head but allow the oil to return into the sump and by pass the airbox.

Tod, I know you're one hell of a fabricator design guy, is there something you can come up with to correct this issue sir? I think that you and I are on the same page with the same understanding as to what is going on with this airbox oil vent issue.

One thing that puzzles me on this issue is some folks claim they burn or use no oil on this bike, maybe they are not putting enough miles on the bike or they are not checking the dip stick properly, I've found if you move the dip stick around you can get just about any reading you so desire because of the 30 degree insertion angle, so these no oil claims for me at least don't hold water. The dip stick is a very bad design and difficult to get accurate readings or at least that is my conclusion since I can stick the damn dip stick into that sump 10 times and get 10 different readings depending on which way I hold my mouth.

 

[sib]

I don't think your description of the oil recovery system is accurate. First, the heads don't vent directly into the airbox. They vent into an oil condensing unit just in front of the airbox (it's physically part of the same molding). This unit contains a coarse plastic meshwork that works similarly to the "filters" in a stovetop vent hood. The separated gases then pass through a small orifice into the airbox. The condensed oil drains from the separator, through a one-way valve and back into the crankcase. This happens whether the engine is running or stopped. You may get a small film of oil in the airbox, but most of the oil manages to get back into the crankcase. In my experience, the 1-TB V7's lose virtually no oil between 10,000-km changes. If significant amounts of oil were passing into the airbox and then into the intake air stream, this wouldn't be true. Also, my plugs don't foul. I'm sure I'm using my dipstick correctly. Perhaps you are worrying needlessly.

 

[elkgrichard]

Sib, maybe the system on your bike is a bit different then on my 2013 model. On my 2013 model the vent is going directly from the head into the airbox with nothing in between to stop the oil from going into the airbox. Or am I missing something here?

I'm finding more then just a mist into the airbox, it pools up at the bottom and I can trace the oil being sucked into the air intake pipe and thus into the Fuel injection system.

Also that check valve on my bike is only closed when the bike is running and only opens once the motor is turn off allowing that pool of oil to drain into the sump. However much of what is pooling end up getting sucked into that air intake Fuel injection inlet.

I'm burning up about a quart of oil in 5,000 miles. Much of which is just flat out being sucked out of the airbox and into the intake hose. I've found oil over an inch deep on the bottom of that airbox after turning the bike off.

 

[sib]

Sib, maybe the system on your bike is a bit different then on my 2013 model. On my 2013 model the vent is going directly from the head into the airbox with nothing in between to stop the oil from going into the airbox. Or am I missing something here?

I'm finding more then just a mist into the airbox, it pools up at the bottom and I can trace the oil being sucked into the air intake pipe and thus into the Fuel injection system.

Also that check valve on my bike is only closed when the bike is running and only opens once the motor is turn off allowing that pool of oil to drain into the sump. However much of what is pooling end up getting sucked into that air intake Fuel injection inlet.

I'm burning up about a quart of oil in 5,000 miles. Much of which is just flat out being sucked out of the airbox and into the intake hose. I've found oil over an inch deep on the bottom of that airbox after turning the bike off.

Burning a quart/5000 mi definitely indicates a problem somewhere. A quarter inch of oil in the bottom of your airbox also indicates a problem. I think one possibility is a clogged or restricted check valve not letting the oil drain properly into the crankcase, so it then backs up into the airbox. Maybe the check valve was installed backward at the factory.
I know that, from the outside, it looks like the hoses coming from the heads go directly into the airbox, but this is not what is happening internally. Take a close look at the parts manual and you'll see what I mean. I'm very familiar with both versions of the airboxes used on the 1-TB V7's. The one I'm describing to you was the first version, which I'm sure your '13 (US) V7 has. When the V7-II models arrived, the hose configuration was changed, but oil still drains from the oil separator back through the check valve and into the crankcase.

 

[tonUPRacer]

I've found a small amount of oil in the airbox, nothing I was too concerned about. Oil consumption is variable on mine maybe 100ml over 1-2K miles.

 

[elkgrichard]

I wonder if anyone else is having this oil issue other then just me.

Sib thanks for the information.

 

[Wisconsin v7 Racer]

I just checked my oil level and air box for oil a couple days ago my oil level looked good but was hard to see when it's so clean and my air box had very little oil in it and I wiped it clean. This was after about 900 miles of riding. It also would be nice if you dint have to check the oil level when the bike it hot I like the skin on my hands.

 

[pokeyjoe]

It also would be nice if you dint have to check the oil level when the bike it hot I like the skin on my hands.

Don't. Next time you check it hot, verify the level. Next morning, check it cold. Now you know where it should be when it's cold.

 

[sib]

I just checked my oil level and air box for oil a couple days ago my oil level looked good but was hard to see when it's so clean and my air box had very little oil in it and I wiped it clean. This was after about 900 miles of riding. It also would be nice if you dint have to check the oil level when the bike it hot I like the skin on my hands.

I've checked mine hot and cold and there's little or no difference.

 

[elkgrichard]

I agree with Sib on this oil check, have also found little difference hot or cold.

 

[elkgrichard]

I just checked my oil level and air box for oil a couple days ago my oil level looked good but was hard to see when it's so clean and my air box had very little oil in it and I wiped it clean. This was after about 900 miles of riding. It also would be nice if you dint have to check the oil level when the bike it hot I like the skin on my hands.

That sounds like the way it should be when you check the oil. My bike pumps oil into that airbox like the inside of the airbox is another engine component. It drives me nuts.

This all happen after I gave a chic a ride with heavy eye makeup who wanted to do strange things with Mars bars. Homey don't play that chit.