TOPIC:

I am new to the forum world but I am now a proud owner of a 1980 KZ13B tour model. It runs and rides and I'm getting ready to drain the oil and noticed something in the sight glass. The oil looks milky white? I don't remember if water was white and gas was brown or other way around. The motor runs smooth but the rad fan turns on with the key is turned on.
The bike has 22,000 miles and I believe all original.
I just wanted to weigh any options or suggestions.
Thanks

Hello and Welcome to the Forum:

More than likely the white substance you see is water, or moisture. If the bike has been sitting, especially if it was outside at anytime, water was bound to seep or leak into the crankcase.

Hopefully you drained and replaced the oil and filter before you put it into service. Also on any engine that has been placed back into service, it would be a good thing to change the oil often for two to three short cycles. New oil can act like a solvent in cleaning sludge and moisture out of a crankcase.

I would monitor the coolant level (Out of the reservoir tank) and make sure the radiator is maintaining a siphon from the reserve tank to the radiator. Also perform the frequent oil changes for a time, to see if it's just residual moisture or a continual leak from a gasket or cylinder liner, or coming from the cylinder head.

After a few hundred miles are past you, it would not be a bad idea to perform a cylinder leak-down test and compression test. This will be an indicator on how healthy your engine may or may not be.

as for your radiator fan always being on, this sounds like someone may have added a fan switch somewhere, or hardwired it to the on position.

Keep us posted.

Regards.

Todd.

I have experienced some "milky" appearance in the oil sight-glass. This was from working on the bike in the winter season - high humidity, no heat on in the shop over-night and Many starts and short idles as I tuned and tweaked. The first time I ran the bike up to operating temp. for about 15 minutes the condensation evaporated and was removed by the crank-case vent. No repeat since- no concerns.
And a good call on the fan coming on with the key. The possibility of someone hard-wiring the fan permanently ON doesn't make any sense but...... !!!!!! Start hunting for that manual switch. Look for splice in the fan wiring, look for an additional wire directly off the batteries + post, remove the fuse-block and check the bottom of it for and extra wire. If someone has wired in a switch it should be in a location easy to reach while riding. It won't necessarily be a typical Automotive looking switch so keep an open mind.
If there's no switch: Remove the fans power wire from the temp. sensor. If the fan quits the sensor is likely stuck "closed". Failing that: pull the fan fuse. If the fan quits then the anomaly is likely "down-stream" indicating the power is coming from elsewhere. Hope I got that all correct? Then, you're back to looking for a switch.

As a foot note and what might, to some, seem really out-there: The fan relay andthe fan sensor switch may be both defective in the closed position thus turning the fan on with the ignition switch. I wouldn't have given this very remote possibility any consideration until this morning when I had to identify an issue with an auxiliary driving light that stopped working on a ride the night before. Fuse-Good, Bulb-Good, power to the relay-Good. Everything seemed Good. Last culprit -the relay. Opened up the relay (curiosity) and found BOTH mag-coil wires broken. The wire used in the electromagnet coil is as fine as a hair and both ends were broken at the terminal soldered point. The odds of both wires breaking at the same time is simply mind boggling but once again proved to me that anything is possible. Again: keep an open mind. Good hunting.

athomesdaddy wrote: I am new to the forum world but I am now a proud owner of a 1980 KZ13B tour model. It runs and rides and I'm getting ready to drain the oil and noticed something in the sight glass. The oil looks milky white?
I just wanted to weigh any options or suggestions.
Thanks

If the engine is repeatedly started and then shut off before it really gets up to temperature (15 to 20 minutes) the moisture that is a natural product of combustion will condense on the inside surfaces of the crankcase, including the inside of the site glass. The solution is to ride the bike till it's thoroughly warmed up. If I'm going to start a bike and I know I'll not have an opportunity to let it get up to temp, I often remove the oil filler cap, after I shut it down, and set it beside the open hole to allow the moisture to evaporate. When I do so I ALWAYS set the key next to it so that I'll remember to reinstall the cap.

When you drain the oil, if you find that all the oil is white, tan or gray you most likely have a coolant leak. If the oil looks normal but the site glass is covered with a white film the problem is condensation.

Good Luck and Welcome to KZ1300.COM!

Bill

Todd,
Thanks for the quick reply! I have since changed the oil and still have some white residue in the sight glass. The oil drained out was just over 5qts.

However, after replacing the oil I started the bike and noticed a noise coming from the inside of the clutch cover. It sounds mechanical and can only hear it during idle. The clutch cover shows signs of work with the bolts egged out and some liquid gasket. I'm just not sure if the noise could be clutch basket chatter or something else. I have a spare gasket and replacement hardware and want to take a look. I don't have the service manual yet but I want to put some miles on her before the winter sets in. Any suggestions? --The clutch has no signs of slipping and pulls very well.

Thanks again Todd

athomesdaddy wrote: ...I don't have the service manual yet ...

The manual you need can be downloaded from this site. They're in the frame at the upper right of most pages.

Bill