Just did my 500 mile break in oil change after major engine work. I have a 1983 FLHT with 55,000 miles on it. I used 50W Lucas Oil and a K&N oil filter. Went for a short ride in about 60 degree weather, came home and checked the oil and it was all foamy and had turned kind of a milky color. Does anybody know what would have caused this?

 

Sounds like water/oil mix Does your crankcase vent into the primary ?

 

Condensation... if you had gone for a long ride it would have evaporated.

 

I would first off change the oil & filter as it sounds that it is contaminated with water to another brand of oil.I had oil foam up on me with a Hot Rod I built and I was told by another buddy to swithch oil brands and it took care of the issue.You may have just gotten condesation from a heavy rain as it had to come from someplace.Good Luck!

 

when I went for a longer ride, the oil would sometimes foam and other times not. It would always return to its normal state after sitting for a while including changing back to its usual dark color after being creamy. Never went over 3000 revs as I'm still breaking it in. talked to the tech guys at Lucas oil. They had never heard of that happening before. There's not any chance of water getting in and it has not even rained in the last week. Going to change the oil and try a different brand and see if it happens again.

 

you did not over fill it did you?

 

dont sound very tech to me... if they never heard of oil foaming up before, they havent been in the oil biz very long. usually its water in the oil that causes this. condensation can cause this also, been very humid this week? it go so humid here last week that everything out in the shop where i work was covered in water drops, floor was like walking on ice.

edit: is all your line fittings tight, might be taking in air from a fitting and causing a foaming effect.

 

Doesn't matter if there is no way for water to enter or if it rains. When that steel changes temp, condensation occurs, if it is internal, no big deal, the heat will boil it off, assuming you get the bike up to temp. When you say "shorter" or "longer" ride, what is that? If your short ride is 10 miles or so, you're not boiling off condensation. You need to get the engine up to temp and keep it there a while. This is the exact reason you shouldn't start your bike every week during the winter to listen to it for five minutes, it just keeps adding to the condensation level.

 

edit: is all your line fittings tight, might be taking in air from a fitting and causing a foaming effect.[/QUOTE]

well Im looking up foaming oil too.... My engine is brand new out of the box. just been starting it for the first times.... it does look like bubbles in the oil. Im sure that will happen when pushing all the air out. Kinda mixing in with the air. its back to normal again in the morning. I would look at the fittings like the above suggested for air getting in somehow cant see it being water.

I held some of the oil up hanging on a screwdriver, and I could see the bubbles disappearing and the oil becoming more clear.