Oil with the best ant ifoaming prperties

[chuck hahn]

Looking fir recommendations on an oil with the absolute best anti foaming ratings. Must be ok for wet clutches. And / or what additives can be added to oil to enhance the anti foaming. Stopped at a semi truck supply and they told me tha Navistar additive for diesel engine wasnt made anymore. I also heard thatb adding silicon oil would do the trick. I want the best anti foaming oil to run in my 73 Yammy TX750.

 

[Steve]

Don't have any suggestions on the oil, Chuck, but I do have a question.

The "usual" cause of foaming is having the oil level too high and the crank is whipping it up.
Any chance that is the case here, or is there something inherent in the TX750 that foams the oil? :-k

.

 

[Nessism]

Where I work we use Viscoplex anti foaming additive for hydraulic fluid to reduce foaming. We were having issues with the foaming on a batch to batch bases with the oil we get from Quaker Chemical and they sent us the Viscoplex to shut up our complaints.

 

[rustybronco]

More to consider than anti-foam properties. There is also ZDDP protection, type of base-stocks used, additive packages, compatibility with seals ect.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1252272

Nevertheless, esters are often used in combination with PAOs in full synthetic motor oils in order to balance the effect on seals, solubilize additives, reduce volatility, and improve energy efficiency through higher lubricity. The percentage of ester used can vary anywhere from 5 to 25% depending upon the desired properties and the type of ester employed.

If were mine to decide, I would probably look into Redline engine oils.

 

[Brendan W]

I know this one. It's the oil that never gets an oil thread started

 

[chuck hahn]

Steve, the TX is a dry sump engine. What happens is the counter balancer sytstems lobes whip the oil as its running down the cam chain tunnel and what little does accumulate in the sump for the scavenger pump to send it back up to the oil tank. once its frothed up the pup sucks air and thus the top end gets no oil...then youve got smoked cam journal blocks and cam ends.

I want to ride it but I want to be sure im doing all I can to prevent frothing and scavenger pump from loosing suction.

So to answer your question...yes its an inherant problem to the bikes engine that causes the concerns here.

 

[chuck hahn]

Anyone have any solid knowledge of the Silicon Oil as an additive to prevent oil foaming????

 

[Steve]

Steve, the TX is a dry sump engine. ... So to answer your question...yes its an inherant problem to the bikes engine that causes the concerns here.

Thanks. :encouragement:

I learn something here just about every time I log on.

,

 

[RichDesmond]

Anyone have any solid knowledge of the Silicon Oil as an additive to prevent oil foaming????

Chuck,

I really don't think anyone here is going to have a definitive answer for you. I'd just buy a good synthetic, stay away from the redline, limit my miles and hope for the best.

 

[Fjbj40]

Try some air cooled Porshe forums for info.

 

[bwringer]

Silicone oil as an additive does not strike me as something that would be friendly to a wet clutch. Not sure though.

I agree with Rich that your best bet would likely be use a high-quality modern motorcycle-specific synthetic and stay off the racetrack. Modern oils are pure science fiction compared to what was available in the '70s.

You could also see what you could cobble up in the way of a clear oil tank or some sort of sight glass. That way, you can experiment a little and see what kinds of conditions bring on foaming. You may find it's no longer a problem, or only happens at X rpm for Y minutes, or with certain oils, etc.

 

[chuck hahn]

What do you guys think about that Honda race oil..HP4 synthetic?? Description says enhanced anti foaming..... Sounds like it may be good enough to me...but im no oil expert either.

http://www.motosport.com/product?ps...aOGT7bgSgxzszgNv-lAU76zu_kAcMGkh0PhoCGnDw_wcB

 

[rustybronco]

That could be nothing more than market wank.

Description says enhanced anti foaming.....

I'd go with a blended PAO that has a fair amount of ZDDP in it.

 

[bwringer]

What do you guys think about that Honda race oil..HP4 synthetic?? Description says enhanced anti foaming..... Sounds like it may be good enough to me...but im no oil expert either.

http://www.motosport.com/product?ps...aOGT7bgSgxzszgNv-lAU76zu_kAcMGkh0PhoCGnDw_wcB

That would probably be a great choice. Although I think any modern synthetic motorcycle oil would have excellent anti-foaming properties. In other words, it's hard to tell whether this one is significantly better than others; they're all pretty good.

If you poke around t'intarwebz for "Harley oil foaming" you'll find some good discussions of this problem and what oils people have used to counteract it in their Milwaukee paint shakers.

 

[RichDesmond]

...but im no oil expert either...

None of us here is, and likely no one on any other motorcycle forum is either.

Forgive me, but let me vent a little.
"What oil should I use?" threads are completely worthless. There is no possible way any of us can know the answer to that sort of question. Think about what it would take to answer it with any sort of scientific certainty. You would need at least a hundred of computer-controlled dynos (with an engine for each), running for thousands of hours, an army of technicians to tear down motors and measure clearances (both before and after) chemical analysis of oil samples...etc.
Many, many millions of dollars, and the answers you got still might not be conclusive.

Bottom line...the reason that oil threads are a continuing feature of motorcycle forums, always have been and always will is... NOBODY KNOWS!! Which of course leaves the door wide open for conjecture, anecdote, speculation and unfounded opinions. A lot like the Vortex.

 

[Fjbj40]

The right oil question is so funny! Everybody overthinks it really. We are driving 30+ year old bikes, designed to survive on the oil offerings back then.

Simply pick a high quality motorcycle oil, or our good old Rotella or equivalent and run it! Change it frequently. If you want more info look at other high performance air-cooled engines and see what they run, such as Porsche.

How many of these GS engines die of an oil problem such as a poor quality lubricicant. Ignore an over stressed engine as in wild mods.

cheers

 

[Nessism]

Chuck, I did a quick google search and it seems there are various things you can do to help your TX engine live. Things like increasing sump capacity to modifying the oiling system passages. I didn't do a deep dive on this subject but there are options. http://www.tobyfolwick.com/tx750/

As for oil, I'd make sure to use a high ZDDP oil like Brad Penn V2. The TX engine seems to run hot so 20W-50 might be in order for riding in OK

 

[chuck hahn]

Ive read all that ED and Im a member on the TX forum. If i could ever find a 74 engine or the extended sump collar that was the "fix" back then I would be all set. But for now I want the best advice on the best oil so I can enjoy it without that nagging " whens the cams gonna burn out on me " feeeling.

 

[Guest]

The right oil question is so funny! Everybody overthinks it really. We are driving 30+ year old bikes, designed to survive on the oil offerings back then.

Simply pick a high quality motorcycle oil, or our good old Rotella or equivalent and run it! Change it frequently. If you want more info look at other high performance air-cooled engines and see what they run, such as Porsche.

How many of these GS engines die of an oil problem such as a poor quality lubricicant. Ignore an over stressed engine as in wild mods.

cheers

It's more than that. He's asking about anti foam in the oil because of the TX engine design. I would try the Honda HP4 synthetic. Modern diesel oils might provide enough anti foaming also.

 

[850 Combat]

I thought the problem was exacerbated by high RPMs. Hopefully, if you ride it easily, you won't have a problem.

I say ride it now. If you have a problem later, you will be in the same boat that you are in now., which is not being able to ride it. For what its worth, I recently bought new repop calipers for my RD400 from HVC Cycle. I think that you have the same ones in the TX.

There used to be one of those in my neighborhood when I lived in HB. It was painted black, and had the "grills" shaved from the side covers to make them look smooth. It was a good looking machine.