Mechanical Help Please!

Driving home tonight (its a 20 mile trip) started to notice it was running like a dog, it had lost alot of power and was making really load flitering noises (hard to explain) loader than normal anyway! Now I only noticed with like 3 miles to go, so I dont know how long this had been going for as I had iPod in. Stopped and had a look (for what?.. I dont know!!) then got back on and drove really low revs home. Now I have just looked at the oil level and there seems to be no oil, havent had a proper look though. But I would have presumed the dash would have warned me before it ran out? Could this be my problem? Sorry its lso vague. Cant exactly make a diagnostic with the crap info i'v given!

Help would be very appreciated! Aran

Now you've made it home and turned the bike off, has any oil appeared in the sight window?

None at all! Are these symptoms of running without oil?!

[rictus01]

The light is for oil pressure and not level, that's what the sight glass is for, I'd guess it's knocking from the crack, that'll be a new lump probably.

Cheers Mark.

Ah savage! Cant I just put oil in? Surely it wouldnt even tick over if it was completly empty?

[Spanner Man]

Good evening.


Sadly the oil light on an SV is a pressure light, & not a level indicator.

I suspect that your engine has knackered big end bearings, get some oil in it, & see how it sounds.

Alternatively, It could be one of the camchain tensioners. Without hearing it, it's difficult to say.


Cheers.

My only hope now is to fill it with oil. Would you recomend I take out the plugs and spray some down there?

Originally Posted by Noble Ox

My only hope now is to fill it with oil. Would you recomend I take out the plugs and spray some down there?

Nope. just get the bike to a normal oil level in the sight glass and see how it sounds. its probably shagged though. regular checks = important.

[rictus01]

It'll make little difference if you put oil down the bores apart from making it harder to start, fill it to the correct level and start it up, if as Stewart said it's a cam chain tensioner, then you're a very lucky chap, back it off and reset it, if that doesn't work, remove it and check it's working freely.

However if it's a knocking noise coming from low down in the engine, then it's probably the crank, and no amount of oil is going to fix it, whilst you can change a crank, it's normally more cost effective to replace the engine with a good secondhand one.

Cheers Mark.

If all is screwed. How much will I be expecting to pay for a new engine?

Damn... I checked the other day aswell and thought ahh it'l be fine!