Superficial Cracks?

Pizzmeister

Pizzmeister

Born-Again Newbie
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
31
Location
East SF Bay Area, CA
Bike
Honda ST1100
STOC #
8013
Good Evening All. Finally getting around to doing some maintenance on the ST1100. Life got in the way and the bike has been sitting mostly the last year or two so it needs some love. 1998, and only a little over 63k on it.

I was changing the oil and filter today and thought I'd snap a pic of something and ask a question. I have what look like some cracks on the outside of the engine near the oil filter.

PXL_20230318_232703448.jpg

From what I recall, these have been there since I bought the bike and there's never been any issue, but wondering if anyone else has seen anything similar and if it's anything anyone would be concerned about. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 
When new, they would not have been as noticeable, but years of dirt accumulation into the marks make them stand out much more. A pressure wash might improve that.
 
Much easier, safer, and probably more effective to buy a can of engine shampoo. Let it soak for a while, scrub it with a stiff bristle brush and then just hose it off with a gentle spray from a hose.
 
A pressure washer can force water in past seals and gaskets. If you must use one, stand back about 30' so the impact of the water is a gentle rain.
 
I'm no expert on motorcycles but in the aviation world this would for sure be grounded and placed out of service. My 95 ST's oil sump is smooth with no casting marks (cracks) or defects. Or is it just me?
 
Stylo Steve said:
My 95 ST's oil sump is smooth with no casting marks (cracks) or defects.
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Take a photo with a decent camera. Often things appear in photos that don't seem so apparent with the eye for some reason. Every ST1100 that I have ever looked at, including both of mine, has these marks to one degree or another. How much they show I think is most likely dependent on how much and what type of grime has gotten in there. If yours has absolutely none, it would be the outlier.
 
SMSW said:
A pressure washer can force water in past seals and gaskets. If you must use one, stand back about 30' so the impact of the water is a gentle rain.
Click to expand...
Kind of like a cheeseburger without cheese...
 
I have used my pressure washer on every bike i have owned, avoid direct spraying at electric parts and wiring, wheel bearings and steering head and carbs. Then I dry the bike off with Compressed Air. Cheers
 
mortenk said:
Kind of like a cheeseburger without cheese...
Click to expand...
Exactly. A couple of thing. I worked for a company that impregnated castings (I was a temporary contractor working in their building) and I learned that castings are porous. One of the items they had in the shop were hundreds of cast aluminum oil pans. I was told that the raw oil pans would weep oil right through a solid appearing piece of metal - hence the impregnating process. It is possible that casting techniques have improved in the 25 or so years since I did this job, but this company processed all manner of cast items from valve bodies to oil pans to bomb casings*. Ever since then, I've been wary of aiming a pressure washer at "solid' cast metal. Sure, it is unlikely that high pressure water will find its way through cast metal, but for sure, it will go past oil and grease seals that were designed to keep out dust and dirt.

Last summer I borrowed a pressure washer to blast moss and grunge off a sandstone walk and steps. I had my V Strom out, and I used S100 cleaner in the spray bottle to wet down the bike and soak some really dirty areas. Then I backed way off with the pressure washer and used the fine mist as rain to rinse the bike of the soap/chemical solution. That's what I meant in my last post. I used the p washer mostly because it was hooked up and I was not finished with the dirty job of cleaning the walk.

*No joke - that was for corrosion resistance. Your tax dollars at work.
 
My ST11 had similar markings in various casts. Clean it off properly, brake cleaner would do a good job.
Ride it for a few thousand miles and check oil usage, check and clean the area again.
If the oil level stays up and the floor stays dry, ride.
Upt'North.
 
I wouldn't normally even clean a bike with water let alone a pressure washer. If it's just flies and general detritus then a good commercial spray on cleaner will get the crap off. If it's particularly lousy then it'll get soaped and sponged on the shiny bits but only when the engine is pre warmed so everything dries quick.
 
I'd use something like S100 or Simple Green. Soak and let it sit. Then use a brush followed by some running water from a garden hose. Wouldn't need much pressure at all. Low volume and thumb over the end. Rinse repeat.
 
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