1972 r60/5 please help!

[schrader7032]

Specs call for 2 quarts (or liters, I forget which) so 3 was definitely way too much. Having the oil level high reduces the air volume inside the engine case. When the cylinders are traveling down from top dead center, they push a lot of air, and since the air level was low in the case, that likely ended up creating higher than normal case pressures. That can push rear main or front oil seals out of place. Could also have forced additional oil into the engine oil breather system...maybe that excess oil got into the carbs and/or the cylinder heads.

The engine definitely needs a trained ear to hear what might be going on. Pull the plugs and see what they look like. Maybe they're oil fouled.

[Cullen R]

Hi,

So on Monday I went and picked up a 1972 r60/5 with about 33,000 miles on it. The engine ran awesome and it rode like a dream. A few problems were present that needed attention, but nothing threatening the performance of the engine. After riding the bike to work and back for the last week I went and picked up a new oil filter and 3 quarts of SAE 20 W 50 non-synthetic Spectro 4 motor oil as suggested by the mechanic at the shop. I changed the oil and filter as the manual directed filled it with three quarts of oil as directed and let the bike run for about a minute and a half. I shut off the engine and let it sit for one minute, checked the oil and it was way high. I drained it until it reached the correct level (just a little below the full line on the oil dipstick). About three hours later I came out to start the bike again just to hear her growl and the engine ran terrible and didn't want to idle. Nothing was wrong with the bike before this. Did I do anything wrong? I replaced all necessary gaskets and torqued everything to spec. Did overfilling it and letting it run screw me over? Is there anyone around Santa Cruz, CA that could come and help me out? Listen to it run maybe and name the problem? Please, any help is much needed. I am fully prepared to love and cherish this bike but I feel like lately everything that I wrench on falls apart.

Additionally, the oil was kind of foamy/bubbly when I checked it, could this be causing the engine to have trouble?

Thanks,
Cullen Ridgway

[Cullen R]

Oh, ok. Thank you! So does this sound like an engine rebuild? All of the gaskets and seals are pretty old, I was considering replacing them all anyway. I'll grab new spark plugs and remove the float bowl and clean it, maybe that will do the trick. I'll take it down to the motorcycle co-op this Sunday and see if anyone can help.

[Cullen R]

Just had to let her run for a while. In the three blocks it took to get to the motorcycle co-op the oil burned out of the cylinders and the idle went back to normal. Lesson has been learned--Read the manual.

Thanks again!

[schrader7032]

Glad it worked out so easily!!