Following my recent jaunts out in the rain I decided to check over the indy. Much to my irritation I lifted the bonnet to discover a whole load of oil had sprayed everywhere. I first suspected a burst hose or similar, however, the oil filler cap had come off! God knows how this happened as I had only changed the oil and done this up VERY tight so this very thing couldn't happen. Anyone know what may have caused this, and how to prevent it happening again?
PS any quick ways of removing superbike oil from an engine bay? Oh, and anyone got a spare blackbird oil filler cap lying about?

Just a thought, make sure things arn't getting pressurised and popping the cap off. Check breathers or whatever.

It's a screw thread thingy with an o ring seal, so it would take some pessure to blow it off. Does anyone know if there are breather vents on the bird engine? I've looked in the Haynes Book of Lies, but can't find anything.

i think the one on the zx9 is combined with the gearbox breather, so it probably has one somewhere. Pressure shouldnt be able to blow it off, as you say its a screw thread and with the rubber it should be very firm.

I had an oil filler cap blow off my FZR600. It was the same placcy screw-in type but I had kinked the breather on the top of the back of the gearbox when I refitted the fuel tank (the fuel tank on my FZR was tall and thin and fitted down between the frame rails). When I found the cap, the threads had deformed.

That's just it though. The cap was a shiny gold anodised ally job. The standard plastic dipstick was still there though. I would've thought that would blow out first.

Interesting, my oil filler cap came off on my Blade too. Same sort of "hot water bottle" affair. It got wedged in the chassis , and looks in perfectly good nick. I assumed it must have just rattled loose. Hadn't considered a blocked breather - I'll have to go and check that.

Having said that - you would have thought the dipstick would have gone before the theaded cap.

Odd.

Martin

I wish mine was wegded somewhere, but I was doing 80 ish on the motorway when I heard a slight bang. Just assumed I'd flicked a stone or something at a wheel arch. Didn't even think it was worth checking when I got home as my helmet got a stone or two at it too.

On my ZX9, I've drilled the flap part of the plug and lock wired it to one of the clutch cover bolts.
Similarly, I've also secured the sump plug and oil filter.
ISTR it was mentioned on a forum (don't think it was this one) about vibration working these parts loose. Having seen the results of the sump plug coming loose, I decided to be a little over cautious

Ive got a spare filler cap for a bird, the only breather I had on my stock engine was the one on the cam cover, this was vented to atmosphere.

Did you over fill the oil by any % or if you did sump mods which could give higher pressure in the engine.

also if modded the sump is the prv working had this prob on mine and the oil pressure went past 100psi which will then have to find a escape route ie the weakeast point of the engine.

only a theory may not be this though.

Overfilled by 1 pint as advised by previous owner. No sump mods, although I will be fitting a baffle soon. Even with the overfill, I can't see how it would blow out the filler cap. If it was the plastic dip stick then maybe, but the filler 'was' anodised ally.

They do say can run 10% extra oil so should be ok.

have you got a oil pressure guage fitted?
should run around 70 psi at normal speed.

unless as prev said your pessure relief valve is getting stuck in the sump which will give big oil pressure.??? had probs with this myself.

Still don't see how that's going to blow the filler cap off though. It can't pressurise the sump itself by that much can it?
Not plumbed in a guage yet, as I wanted to get a one more accurate than my old mini/smiths ones.

[Edited on 11/7/06 by DIY Si]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tangerine Scream
On my ZX9, I've drilled the flap part of the plug and lock wired it to one of the clutch cover bolts.
Similarly, I've also secured the sump plug and oil filter.
ISTR it was mentioned on a forum (don't think it was this one) about vibration working these parts loose. Having seen the results of the sump plug coming loose, I decided to be a little over cautious

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Sorry for the delay...I really should pay attention.
The previous owner (in my "buy" phase) had an engine let go after the sump plug worked loose (ISTR it was provoked by a mcdonalds car park speed hump) Didn't last long without it
Liam may know more about this as it was his pal who built the car?