Leaky coolant

[Doodle]

I've heard that if you have "milky" looking oil after you drain the bike you have a coolant leak probably due to coolant getting past the water pump seal. I think I may be starting to have this problem. The thing is that it seems like I have to put a small amount of coolant into the bike about every other time I ride it. when I check the oil level right after riding there is alot of "bubbles" on the end of the dipstick and to me it appears to be somewhat milky white. However, whenever I change the oil it doesn't have that appearance. Would the effects of this "milky" appearance decrease if the bike was cold or would it always have that appearance. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem or not. If I have to put coolant in it every so often it has to be getting out somewhere I guess. Lastly, would it be detrimental to the bike if I ran it with some coolant with the oil? I've probably answered my own question but I was just wondering.

[prichard9966]

the oil will aerate while riding (bubbles all over stick) and after it sits for a while all the air escapes and your oil looks fine. if this is what your experiencing it's perfectly normal. if you truly have coolant in there i would think you could tell. loosen your drain plug slowly. if there is any water in it after sitting and seperating it will be the very first thing to come out. if there was alot of coolant in there it would make a total milkshake and you would definitely know.

[J.J.]

To see if there is water in there;

Drain the oil into something clean, the wife's Tupperware works great, then transfer it into a transparent bottle and put the lid back on the bottle.

Put it on the window shelf in the kitchen or any other warm place for a few days.

 

If the oil is emulsified, the water will seperate out and you should start to see an oil/water interface or different layers. The process will work better if the mixture is warm and if the bottle is tall with a narrow base.

[Doodle]

Thanks for the info. I'm headin to the dunes this weekend. I'm going to run it for a while, drain the oil and then see what it looks like.