This is what my carb looked like after I pulled off the air cleaner when my bike started sputtering when i open my throttle even a little.


background is rebuilt carb a month or 3 ago. Maybe put 200 miles on since. Had a voltage regulator contact melt outside rubber boot of the stator. I noticed some gray chips in the gas when I drained it after bike sputtered when fuel valve was in ON but wouldnt do it when in RESERVE. So I cleaned the tank with apple cider vinegar and rinse with distilled water and baking soda.

what would cause this type of leaking?

1997 FXDWG.

 

Probably from the breathers.......many threads about it......

And it's not a leak........It's part of the crankcase ventilation

 

Makes sense. Possible orong tear. Ive had to replace one before

 

might not even bee torn.......the breather is the one way valve int the heads that let the crankcase ventilate and it ventilates back in to the engine.......similar to a PCV valve on a car........many times oil is brought through that valve and it's dumped into the intake to be burned by the combustion.............keeping your oil level about half way up on the dipstick helps.......or do a breather by pass.........DK Customs has a good set up.

 

and it's not an O ring........the breather is a rubber type material that allows crankcase pressure to go one way but not the other......just a flap valve really........oil from the crankcase goes along with the vapors due to pressure and gets in the air cleaner......and subsequently in the intake......what you're seeing is oil that was not ingested by the engine.......folks have found that if you fill the crankcase to the FULL line......that happens.......seems to be that halfway is the sweet spot and it won't happen.....unless you do the breather bypass.

 

When I showed the tech at dealership the pic, he said a high idle could also cause this?

 

Not likely, check oil level and if you have too much oil blowby then you may need to take the rocker covers off and check the breather filters and umbrella valves.

 

My oil light ironically came on yesterday. It was about 3/4 up on the cold mark.

 

Indication of low oil pressure, anything done to the engine lately?

 

The engine is about the only I havent touched. cleaned tank because of liner flaking and pulled carb to blow it out with carb cleaner and some air pressure.