07 Rage Lost Engine Oil on the Trail!

[Gone Blue]

I am just crushed! I was riding my 07 Rage GT this week that might have 900 miles on it and lost the engine oil on the trail. I came out of a corner and started to accelerate down a straight when the sled stopped pulling and the motor just free revved. I thought I had a belt going and slowed to a stop. I let the motor idle a few seconds and then shut it off. I opened the hood and pulled off the clutch guard only to find it dripping with oil. The clutches were soaked with oil. Most all of the oil was on the left PTO side and I watched it all run out on the trail. After looking back down the trail you could see two trails of oil a couple hundred yards. I did not see any idot lights come on and I am hoping I shut is off before I did any engine damage.........

While waiting for my buddies to come pick me up and spending 4 hours in the Rexton General Store, I talked with my dealer about what had just happened. They have not seen anything like what I was describing. The only thing they could think of is if the previous oil filter gasket was stuck on the filter base or if the oil filter had come loose. I flipped the sled on its side and pulled the access panel. After wiping off the filter I could not turn it with my hands. Thats as much as I have looked into what had happened.

I just cant believe this happened. I followed the recommended breakin procedure to a T. The sled never moves until after the warm up light goes off. I never get on it until I have ridden it a little bit. I have yet to even pin the throttle to the bar after 900 miles. I did the first oil change myself. I used a Yami filter and did everything by the book. I could not get my torque wrench on the filter so I just tightened it as much as I could with my strap wrench. If the old oil filter gasket did stick on the filter base, it must have stuck in a groove. I cannot believe I wouldnt have seen it or knocked it off. I wiped the oil filter base with a clean rag before I put on the new filter. I have put something like 350 miles on the sled after I did the first oil change.

It looks to me that if the oil came from the filter (either being loose or double gaskets) it would have had to be a perfect shot to pass through the hole in the frame were the crank shaft passes through to hit the clutches.

I am dropping it off at the dealer tomorrow morning and cant wait to hear what they find out. This sport is just killing me! If anyone knows me from the 2 stroke side might remember my problems trying to bleed my Viper cooling system after a complete engine rebuild. After having a new crank bearing replaced and completely rebuilding the sled and motor, I found out that the bronze drive gear on the crank was spinning. So after being tired of wrenching, I decided to part the Viper and buy a new sled so I can just ride. Well $7,600 and less than 2 months later, I am no better off. G.B.

 

[Turk]

you overtightened the filter & pinched the rubber gasket in the filter. Saw the exact same thing happen on a rx-1 3 weeks ago.

 

[Gone Blue]

you overtightened the filter & pinched the rubber gasket in the filter. Saw the exact same thing happen on a rx-1 3 weeks ago.

Turk, what do you mean by pinching the gasket? Do mean that the gasket can be rolled over on itself causing a leak path if over tightened? I wouldnt have thought that I could put over 17Nm of torque on the filter with a small strap wrench. Even though I wiped the filter base, I did put some new oil on the new oil filter gasket. I put over 350 miles on the sled after the oil change. Does this still sound like over tightening is a possible cause? Is it just luck that most of the oil shot over to the PTO side? Not considering what the cause was for a moment, what do you think my chances are of damaging the motor? Thanks, G.B.

 

[Turk]

Looks exactly what happened to this rx-1. Took 300 miles for oil to leak out; coated the clutches & cracked the primary from belt slip.installed a oil filter primary clutch;cleaned up mess;he was good to go. we caught it just before the oil lite came on & it was actually a fluke the we found it.

 

[Gone Blue]

Looks exactly what happened to this rx-1. Took 300 miles for oil to leak out; coated the clutches & cracked the primary from belt slip.installed a oil filter primary clutch;cleaned up mess;he was good to go. we caught it just before the oil lite came on & it was actually a fluke the we found it.

Wow, that is freaky. I have been changing my own oil in vehicles for the last 30 plus years and I cannot believe that I could have screwed this one up. Yeah, my problem sounds just like what you saw with the RX1. I did not see any oil light come on either before I shut it down. I was watching the tach the whole time as I couldnt understand why the sled was not accelerating but the motor was revving. I first thought I was getting some track spin. It wasnt until I slowed down to something like 15 MPH and tried to accelerate that I realized something wasnt right.

Were was the crack on the primary? On the sheaves? Thanks again, G.B.

 

[flesh]

Sorry to hear your bad news.... any type of cartridge filter, car,bike,sled only needs to be hand tight. Hope everything with the motor is alright.

 

[gsxr]

We had one freeze up the crankcase breather tube and pushed out the half moon seals on the valve cover at the cams ! lost oil also !

Fix was thaw the tube , push back in the plugs , fill with oil , all good !!

 

[Gone Blue]

Thanks Flesh and GSXR.

I heard from the dealer last night and they told me that I had the old filter gasket stuck on the filter base and that is why it leaked. I cant believe that what it was. I was sure that I wiped the filter base before I put on the new filter. Can anyone tell me is there a groove or recess that the filter gasket sits in that causes it to stick on the base? I would have thought if I wiped the base that I would have knocked the gasket off. That was my first 500 mile oil change and the OEM filter that left the gasket on the motor.

Oh well, I wont be able to relax until after I ride this thing again.

Thanks, G.B.

 

[gsxr]

The base is machined flat / smooth , the groove to hold the filter gasket is built into the filter!

 

[Gone Blue]

GSXR,

Thats kind of what I thought and how I find it hard to believe I didnt knock off the old filter gasket off when I wiped up there. I just picked up my sled and they gave me the oil filter they took off and the extra gasket. You can remove the gasket from the filter easily with your finger so I can see how it can come off.

The dealer told me that the oil filter they took off was full of oil which is a good sign. So between that and the fact that the low oil light didnt light up before I shut the motor off, I am counting on this being a $166 lesson. The $166 was for the oil change, cleaning the clutches and belly pan, chain case lube change, track adjustment, adjust all cables, and grease job.

Thanks, G.B.

 

[MadMax]

That gasket tries to stick on mine every time I change it... You "MUST" make sure it's off.. MM.

 

[KZOOVIPER]

I have a friend who did the same thing, cost him a rebuild. Around 3 grand.

 

[FJR1300]

GETTTING THE OLD FILTER OFF FOR ONE THAT SUPPOSEDLY TORQUED TO 13 NM IS HARD. I HAD THE SAME THING OLD GASKET STAYED, OIL WARNING LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON. $3000.00 REPAIR BILL.

 

[Gone Blue]

GETTTING THE OLD FILTER OFF FOR ONE THAT SUPPOSEDLY TORQUED TO 13 NM IS HARD. I HAD THE SAME THING OLD GASKET STAYED, OIL WARNING LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON. $3000.00 REPAIR BILL.

Ouch! FJR1300. I am still kind of freaked out by this. I havent even made a payment yet on this sled and I have put 856 miles on it since I bought it in January this year. This is also the first sled I have ever bought new.

How did yours go? Did you have belt slippage? Did you lose the bottom end right when it happened or later? Thanks, G.B.

 

[FJR1300]

I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHERE THE OIL WENT. CLUTCHES WERE DRY. NO OIL ON TRAIL. LIGHT FILM INSIDE BELLY INSPECTION COVER.
WHEN I FELT UP INSIDE TO WIPE OFF THE FILTER SURFACE I HAD A SMOOTH SOLID FLAT SURFACE. FLAT SIDE OF O RING. MECHANIC AT DEALERSHIP USED GASKET SCRAPER TO GET IT OFF.

THEY SAID, DID YOU PUT IN OIL, AND I SAID YES . I HAVE 3 EMPTY BOTTLES.