Motor and Transmission Oil Mixing?

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zacke22 · #1 Post by **zacke22** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:36 pm

I've tried and tried searching for this topic because I know it's been discussed on here before, but I was just curious, is it okay for the transmission oil and motor oil to mix? What could be the cause of this?

Note: I have been using the same oil in both the motor and tranny since I started noticing this about a year or two ago. Also, I can never see oil through the tranny sight glass for some reason?

Any help would be appreciated, I know this sounds quite jibberish, but I'm in a hurry

2000ex · #2 Post by **2000ex** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:07 pm

It could be a cracked case, loose cartridge plate, oil bridge. Either way you need to tear it down if oil is disappearing. Are you getting oil puking out of the front of the airbox?

zacke22 · #3 Post by **zacke22** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:34 pm

Oil hasn't necessarily been dissapearing, it just seems not to be in the right place haha. The case isn't cracked from what I can tell, and I'm pretty sure the cartridge plate is tight. I guess I forgot to mention this oil mixing started happening right after I rebuilt the motor. I used Boomer's blue bolts on the cartridge plate, so hopefully that's not the problem. Maybe I forgot an o-ring on the oil bridge or something? The motor has ran absolutely fine since the rebuild, other than a few little minor issues here and there, and since I did the oil vent line update kit there hasn't been a single drop of oil blowing out of the airbox or leaking anywhere else. Also, I've checked the oil pump gears and they're fine, and after I run the motor, I check the tranny fill hole every once in a while, and you can tell the tranny is getting oil while it's running. However, when I drain the oil, I do seem to get less than the .75 quart that I should have out of the tranny.

Let's say it's the oil bridge, is it a serious enough problem to justify pulling the motor and fixing it considering I only get to ride once a month at best? It has been doing this for a year or two.

2000ex · #4 Post by **2000ex** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:49 pm

I would tear it down regardless. I have heard that the blue bolts may be too long in certain cases can bottom out the threads before tightening the crankplate.

cannondale27 · #5 Post by **cannondale27** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:52 pm

It sounds like the tranny oil is going into the engine oil. If it were opposite the oil bridge would be easy to check since you can get at it with just clutch cover off. Rest is only able to be checked with covers off and pressure testing motor which should be done every motor assembly.

claas900 · #6 Post by **claas900** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:10 am

This should be done at every motor rebuild. http://www.cannondaleriders.com/forums/ind...showtopic=11370

zacke22 · #7 Post by **zacke22** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:38 am

QUOTE (cannondale27 @ Apr 1 2011, 06:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It sounds like the tranny oil is going into the engine oil. If it were opposite the oil bridge would be easy to check since you can get at it with just clutch cover off. Rest is only able to be checked with covers off and pressure testing motor which should be done every motor assembly.

I assumed that the tranny oil is going into the engine oil, but how come my tranny isn't toast yet then? or does it somehow make it back into the tranny while it's running? And does the motor really have enough room to hold it all considering oil isn't blowing out any where?

cannondale27 · #8 Post by **cannondale27** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:23 am

They are really good trannys and clutches.I would think the timing chain and tensioners would take a beating maybe even before clutch would give out.I guess it all depends on if it ever sucks almost all of it out.You never gave specifics on what amount was left in tranny.Why is it you cant see oil through sight glass?

zacke22 · #9 Post by **zacke22** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:40 pm

QUOTE (cannondale27 @ Apr 4 2011, 06:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are really good trannys and clutches.I would think the timing chain and tensioners would take a beating maybe even before clutch would give out.I guess it all depends on if it ever sucks almost all of it out.You never gave specifics on what amount was left in tranny.Why is it you cant see oil through sight glass?

I would say I normally get around a half a quart out of the tranny? Is that so bad considering there should only be .75 quart in it? And i don't know why I can't see oil through the sight glass, it literally just looks like its empty when I look through it. Every once in awhile after I run it, it shows a little bit of oil residue just inside the sight glass, but when it's just been sitting for awhile, it looks like there's nothing in it. Ill take a picture next time I ride, before and after.

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just paranoid about this whole ordeal cause it's been running so well since I did the oil line update, new fuel pump, and boomer's hi-flow tank kit. I guess I'm just waiting for something to go wrong like I'm used to!

cannondale27 · #10 Post by **cannondale27** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:51 am

You cant see the level even if you tilt quad to the right?