Redback Motorcycle Smash Repairs - 1/ 9 Collie St, Fyshwick. Ph: 6280 5433

Air Box Oil Separator... got some questions

Discussion in 'Tech Help' started by somelad, Jun 15, 2015.

  1. somelad
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    somelad Member

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    So the KTM 1190 Adventure appears to be leaking oil from the hose that connects to the Oil Separator on the Air Box. It's a sealed unit and doesn't seem to be letting any oil into the airbag but it is dribbling down the Oil Separator Foam Hose and onto the rear cylinder and making a fair bit of mess.

    My questions to those more educated in these things than I:

    1. Can the oil separator be cleaned/drained? I figure it must be leaking because it's got excess oil in it... although I did remove it and gave a bit of a shake and only got a tiny dribble out of it. Maybe this is because it was cold?

    2. What's this thing for anyway? Like really, what purpose does it serve?

    I've attached a screenshot of the KTM parts fiche, the Oil Separator is number 3 and the connecting hose is part number 17, it connects to what looks like a breather on the rear cylinder head:

    Screen Shot 2015-06-15 at 11.22.18 pm.png
     
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  2. gazman
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    gazman Member

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    crank case breather, I assume it leads back to the air intake to burn the fumes .
     
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  3. Andy95503
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    Andy95503 Member

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    Buy a BMW, problem solved.
     
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  4. MStevo
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    MStevo Member Veteran Member

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    I take it the oil separator is to condense the hot oil fumes and allow the oil to drain back into the cylinder head, that should be oil tight depending on where it's leaking you might have to reseal it somehow, which means pulling it apart. :-(
    Have you dropped the bike or over filled it or been flogging it on very hot days to allow that much oil to condensate up there??
     
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  5. jaffa
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    jaffa Member

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    Yep, looks like a breather tube to take atomised oil back into the engine via the breathing system.
     
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  6. gazman
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    gazman Member

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    The more you rev it, the more it pushes up there. Just like old Holdens.
     
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  7. somelad
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    somelad Member

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    Dropped Bike: Yep, fell over in the dirt a couple of months ago. It got a bit scuffed up but insurance made her all pretty again
    Over filled: Don't think so. Oil level is a little above the middle and it's only been changed by the dealer.
    Flogging it on hot days: Well.... it does get a pretty hard time most times I ride it but there have been no really hot days as yet.

    The hose is held on with a simple spring clamp, maybe if I swap it out for a proper hose clamp it'll be more oil tight. When I was investigating I discovered that changing an air filter requires fuel tank removal... it's around 25-30 mins of pulling shit apart to get to the airbox and then another 25-30 to put it all back together again. That was on the second tank removal when I knew what had to be done, the first time was a fair bit longer as I kept referring to the youtube tutorial. Also, the airbox is not very well sealed. There was a shtiload of dust on the wrong side of the stock paper filter. I'll be ordering a UniFilter kit ASAP to rectify this... it's almost as if KTM didn't really expect anyone to take these things down a dirt road or something...
     
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  8. somelad
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    somelad Member

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    Might have a look at that on the next purchase... that water-cooled GS is bloody impressive.
     
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  9. Blackjack
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    Blackjack Member

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    Pulling monster wheelies causes problems with KTM Crank Breather hoses - I ended up cable tying the breather over the chain 'auto-oiler' and checked oil level regularly - Well I wasn't going to stop the wheelies!!
     
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  10. Ron50
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    Ron50 Member

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    Ditto the Yamaha TT500s and Honda XR600s. The old Yamahas would even just cut out in a cloud of smoke when the excess oil in the airbox drowned the spark plug.
     
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