Oil Seeping into Air Box

HISTORY: I have a 1982 KZ550. Runs great. Yesterday it was low in oil, so I put some in. Oil level was just a tad over halfway. No problems. This morning, I rode it to work with no problems as usual. When I went to lunch, there was a HUGE pool of oil under the bike. Like a dinner plate size of fresh oil.

PROBLEM: I noticed it was leaking from the drain drip on the bottom of the air box. When I took it home, I took it apart & discovered a seeping air box. Oil just seeps in from nowhere, assume the bottom, fills up to the point the drain drip kicks in. I sopped up the existing oil, waited an hour or so, and noticed a new pool forming.

What would cause your air box to seep oil (almost sucks)? I'm wondering if it has something to do with the "breather tube" (that's the metal pipe going from oil pan straight up about an inch to the air box.)I started it with everything hooked up except air filter in box. NO OIL. Oil didn't spurt out any hose, leak from carbs, nothing. It just didn't do anything, but ever so slowely seep oil.

What's your thoughts????

I had the same problem when I first purchased my 81 KZ550 LTD. Sure enough, it was oil from the oil breather hose. I cleaned out the air box with some mechanics towels, drained the oil, and put new oil in. No more leaking into the air box. Hopefully it's just a little too much oil in your bike. How's the oil viewing window look?

Make sure to have the bike level when checking the sight window, not on the side stand.

In most of the KZ models, in laymen terminology, the oil breather feeds into the air-box to clog it as an indicator the engine is building too much pressure... Or the oil is over filled...

* Obviously clean the oil out of the airbox/filter.
* You may want to start fresh here with an oil and oil
filter change. In sure the oil is at the correct levels.
* Warm the engine up keep an eye on the breather tube
into the air-box...
* Measure oil pressure!!! Possibly faulty oil pump....

Or... You just overfilled not realizing... :blush:

It happens, we've all done it... You look in the sight glass, whoa where's the oil better add some... vs start the engine watching the oil light on then off, warm the oil thus circulating the oil, shut her down now and wait a couple of minutes, then check and find it's at the correct level with the bike level.

Hope it's something minor for ya...

OMR

Oil in the Airbox "MAY" be an indicator of bad rings. As was mentioned previously, it is quite normal and usually not a reason for alarm. The same thing used to happen in cars when the PCV valve went bad, and many times even when it didn't. Your airbox is so close to the breather that some oil is inevitable. If it's only a residual amount I would not pay any attention to it if it is running out of the bottom drain of the airbox, I would suspect your rings.

Old Man Rock wrote:

In most of the KZ models, in laymen terminology, the oil breather feeds into the air-box to clog it as an indicator the engine is building too much pressure... Or the oil is over filled...

* Obviously clean the oil out of the airbox/filter.
* You may want to start fresh here with an oil and oil
filter change. In sure the oil is at the correct levels.
* Warm the engine up keep an eye on the breather tube
into the air-box...
* Measure oil pressure!!! Possibly faulty oil pump....

Or... You just overfilled not realizing... :blush:

It happens, we've all done it... You look in the sight glass, whoa where's the oil better add some... vs start the engine watching the oil light on then off, warm the oil thus circulating the oil, shut her down now and wait a couple of minutes, then check and find it's at the correct level with the bike level.

Hope it's something minor for ya...

OMR

Good Morning Sweet Pea.