Questions and Answers

Honda VFR-800 Oil Questions Q. Dear Vincent, Had my motor bike with oil that had done about 2,500 miles and been in the bike about six months whilst in constant use. During the mild winter here in Melbourne Australia the bike had been sitting in my garage for six weeks but the oil had not been drained at all, still left there in the sump so the oil galleries were not drained etc. and the oil filter still on.

After six weeks of not starting the bike at all not even winterizing before hand, I drained the old oil and filter and put in fresh old and new filter. When I started the bike the oil pressure light was on for about 2-3 seconds then went out, no strange noises or nothing prior to that.

From the knowledge that I have learned is that while the old oil is in the sump the galleries would have not drained at all and the buckets underneath the camshaft lobes always have a little puddle so to speak of oil any way. The camshaft journals including the big end and crankshaft journals would always have oil as it doesn't drain anywhere like gravity like on a cylinder wall.

My 1998 VFR-800 model Honda onwards have graphite impregnated aluminum cylinder wall so this would aid lubrication and long wearing any way correct???? My theoretical question would be of a bike that has done 18,000 miles would have a molecular level in film of oil on the walls unless its been sitting there for a year or so???

The oils I use is always synthetic! So i would just like to know happens to the cylinder walls if the engine has not run for 6 - 8 weeks and then drop the old engine oil and install a new filter and fresh oil and if it is of any concern waiting for the oil pressure to build up for the first 2-3 seconds while the engine has started.

Does the modern synthetic oils leave along lasting molecular film on the cylinder walls?????????? or if this has only been done once this way is any cause of concern for engine wear as I normally warm the motor up before oil changes except this one occasion in four years when it was a bit cold outside to start it up and go for a ride about 50° Fahrenheit.

Thank you for answers in this Vincent :))

Best Regards,
George
Melbourne, Australia

A. If you want to know about the properties of a synthetic oil, the best place to go would be my Forum. I have a synthetic oil expert there who can give more information then you probably want to know.

As for graphite impregnated aluminum cylinder walls, I have never heard of aluminum cylinders in an automobile engine. Admittedly I'm not up on my motorcycle engines, but if aluminum is too soft for automotive engine cylinder walls, it seems to me it would be too soft for motorcycle engine cylinder walls. All automotive aluminum cylinder blocks have a steel insert for the cylinders.

It is normal for the oil light to be on for two or three seconds after an oil change. I have done thousands of oil changes and seen this thousands of times. It's when the oil light doesn't go out after five seconds or so that you start to worry. Only once did I do an oil change and not get oil pressure when I was done. And after three hours of trying to figure out what was wrong, I took the oil pan down and found a rag wrapped around the oil pickup.

It seems the owner had the engine rebuilt a year before and whoever did the work left a rag inside the engine. Lucky me, when I drained the oil this time the rag must have dropped from where it was hanging into the bottom of the oil pan.

But you're right, there is usually enough oil in the oil galleries and bearings to ease the wear of a start up.