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Oil change resulting in VERY POOR engine performance, slipping clutch, stalling, etc.

8K views 44 replies 11 participants last post by  Street_Fighter2 
#1 ·
I recently changed the oil in my 2005 zx636 with Shell Rotella T6 Synthetic 5W40 and it was fine for about 5 miles, then started running very poorly and the clutch was slipping/hardly catching, like crazy. After stalling it 5 or 6 times and barely making it back home. I went out and bought MOBILE 1 10W-40 Advanced and changed it out AGAIN. No success. This is a short test ride after putting in the Mobile 1. It sounds bogged down and you can even hear the internal engine parts oscillating and rotating around (in person). Any thoughts or suggestions are GLADLY ACCEPTED! Please help!


Youtube video of idle right after Mobile one was added in hopes to solve problem:
https://youtu.be/6knCQo53cfI
 
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#2 ·
Neither one of those oils are motorcycle-specific, but I know guys (cheap bastards) who run Rotella T6 with no issues.

Try using a 4T (4-stroke common sump/gearbox) type oil. At the outside, you will probably have to pull the clutch and clean the friction plates thoroughly.
 
#5 ·
Just IMO, I don't like using synthetic oils. In all these years, I don't think I've never used synthetic oil and haven't had issues with any of my bikes.
 
#11 ·
I have plenty of car experience and know that when you change something, thats when problems arise. I tried using the same oil that the guy I bought the bike from used. Clearly I messed something up or did SOMETHING wrong. lol
I appreciate your guy's responses! Ill have to do some more learning on pulling the clutch plates and the best way to clean them. Ill drain al the oil again and put even more new stuff in. That mobile 1 stuff is friggin expensive! (yes, the r4t)
Luckily it's been raining for the past week and its supposed to rain for the next MONTH basically so i have some time =P
 
#15 ·
Another dumb question: what should i use to clean off the clutch plates? kerosene? engine degreaser? lol
I have the clutch all apart and have somewhat wiped things off with a rag but i wanna make sure i get as much of WHATEVER IT WAS out of the internals as i can.
 
#19 ·
Thanks guys for all the help! Used brake klean, put everything back together, put NEW, actual motorcycle oil in (again), re-adjusted the clutch cable (somehow was thrown off by quite a bit, hehe)
took it for a spin, and it's SO MUCH BETTER. Lesson learned. Always always always make sure its oil specifically for motos.
Can you believe I actually did a ton of research on what oil to use before i bought that shell stuff?! haha, didn't help me much eh. I guess I missed the detail that it was all supposed to be motorcycle versions of each oil.
Anyway. I appreciate the help!
 
#21 ·
I saw a blurb recently talking about Shell changing the formulation of Rotella T6. Didn't read it since I don't use the stuff, so I can't say if that had anything to do with this problem.

It's possible that the clutch plates were not factory stock and made with different friction material. Some friction materials might cause issues when used with particular oils. I know a few people who have been using T6 in their bikes with no issues.
 
#23 ·
I'm not an oil expert in any sense but your reduction in performance doesn't make sense to me. The clutch slipping yes but the bogging down and poor performance do not.

Car oils are designed to be slipperier than bike oils with additives and bike oils are designed to maintain their viscosity against the additional shear loads the bike engine produces because of the oil interface with the gear train and clutch disks/plates.

Clutch slipping I can see, performance loss I dont understand. Hopefully the other smart guys on this board can add info as to why this actually happened??

From the Mobil 1 web site:

"Motorcycle oils and passenger car oils are very similar, with the exception of a couple of areas that are key to motorcycle operation. The first area concerns common sumps, or the use of motor oil, to lubricate and cool the transmission. As you know, in a passenger car the transmission is lubricated by an ATF fluid, which has frictional properties required for transmission operation. In a motorcycle, where the engine oil may lubricate the transmission, an engine oil that does not have the same level of friction modification (for fuel economy) of a typical passenger car engine oil will provide better transmission performance in terms of transmission lock-up and slippage. So motorcycle engine oil does not contain the friction modifiers of a passenger car engine oil. The second area of concern for motorcycle engine oils is that they tend to shear (break down viscosity) more quickly than a typical passenger car. Mobil 1™ motorcycle oils are designed to provide exceptional protection against viscosity loss."
 
#24 ·
I dont understand how it had such an effect on performance either thats why it worried me so much. Bike was running great again until this last Monday I went to ride home from work and it sounded terrible again with loss of power. Something different this time. Im pretty sure it was only firing on 3 cylinders. I believe it's unrelated (totally new problem, yay). Im going to replace the spark plugs this weekend along with the valve cover gasket since i noticed it was leaking oil. Hopefully its just old spark plugs.
First 2 months I've owned a bike and this many problems already! Guess that's what I get for buying something with more miles. It's a good learning experience I suppose.



 
#29 ·
I dont understand how it had such an effect on performance either thats why it worried me so much. Bike was running great again until this last Monday I went to ride home from work and it sounded terrible again with loss of power. Something different this time. Im pretty sure it was only firing on 3 cylinders. I believe it's unrelated (totally new problem, yay). Im going to replace the spark plugs this weekend along with the valve cover gasket since i noticed it was leaking oil. Hopefully its just old spark plugs.
First 2 months I've owned a bike and this many problems already! Guess that's what I get for buying something with more miles. It's a good learning experience I suppose.

These bikes are sensitive to oil leaks and can cause engine issues because it throws off the pressure sensors, which will set an incorrect a/f ratio.

Also, I noticed you have 43k miles. Have the valves ever been check for clearance on the cam lobes?
 
#26 ·
This may be a stupid question, but Are you putting in synthetic 5-40 and 10-40 car motor oil? I only ask because Mobile 1 I use for my cars... Bike oil and car oil are quite different.

Excuse me if I am stating the obvious, but cars do not use their oil throughout the entire engine and lubricate the clutch plates (that is what the transmission oil is for). That is why it is important to always use motorcycle oil in your bike because that oil is what greases, coats, and runs through the entire engine.

If this happened after 5 mins of riding I am guessing this is your culprit.
 
#34 ·
I think you are confusing oil seepage with a drop in crankcase pressure caused by an open path for pressure spikes. I've seen a lot of weepy valve cover gaskets and shift shaft seals (most common oil leaks on Kawasaki 4-cylinder engines) and I've never heard of one affecting performance in any measurable way. Those are quite different from leaving the oil filler cap off and starting the engine, which will blow oil all over the right side.

That being said, oil leaks are their own reason for repair.
 
#35 ·
Need to take that thing to a carwash and get that oil off.
Then see where the leak is coming from.

Have you checked in the airbox to see what you might find?


Sent from my new fangled Morse Code machine.
 
#36 ·
I ordered a new valve cover gasket and was going to change it today, but reading all your replies Im thinking i have a few more gaskets to order before tackling the job? (spark plug wells, etc)
The airbox looks alright to me. I
I had planned on just cleaning everything up and changing the valve cover gasket (and spark plugs)
 
#37 ·
No what he means is the wells were the spark plugs reside are filled with oil and short out, pull you caps off and see if the wells are filled with oil. My old Katana did that after a heavy rain, filed one with water causing me to run on 3 cylinders. I had to take it apart and blow the water out as it was full to the top. My kids 99 zx6 looks like, we are fixing is this winter with a new gasket as well, they get old and brittle.
 
#38 ·
I GOT IT! Rebuilt the fuel pump, installed a new valve gasket, new spark plugs, cleaned coils, CLEANED THE CRAP OUT of the entire engine, changed fluids again. Got it all back together and took it for a spin (luckily there was a break in the weather) and WOWIE. Better than when I first bought it. Not exactly sure what the main cause was of it running like it was but it sure is good now! Took some progress pics too.
Oh yeah and I used a brass bristle dremel brush on the headers, f*n MAGIC....Then I painted them with the hi-temp stiff from the auto store :p couldnt find a gloss clear coat locally though. shame.
Thanks for everyone's help!





 
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