I'm changing the final drive oil in my 04 nomad.
1.What would cause the old oil to be milky?
2.The book calls for sae 90,cycle gear sold me 80/90,said it would work,is that true?
My thought is to change fluid,ride a few miles and change it out again until fluid clears up.
The bike is new to me so I have no history.
80w90 is fine. The "80w" part just refers to the weight of the oil when cold. Once it's warmed up it'll be 90 weight.
Milky color generally means water. Look for any oil leaks, especially around seals. Even if it isn't dripping oil; a part of the shaft caked in grease would indicate a slow leak. I suspect you've got a hardened or worn seal somewhere that's letting oil out and water in. I don't know enough about your model Nomad to know if there's a point where a coolant leak could weep it's way into the driveshaft; perhaps someone more knowledgeable on that can share. I suspect though if that were the case; you'd have white crusty deposits somewhere on the engine, transmission or driveshaft (indicating a coolant leak) and/or milky engine oil.
Flushing as you describe should get any water that's there out; or at least most of it. But the issue needs to be addressed or it'll repeat itself.
Thanks Romans,I just rebuilt the engine,so no coolant leak now,but there is grease caked around the final drive.I do know the previous owner left it sitting outside for quite awhile.I guess I'm going to learn how to replace the seal next.Thanks again.
As Romans has correctly pointed out ''milky'' = water contamination. However, it doesn't mean that WATER is getting in. Often a poor seal allows AIR into the system. Air contains water. If you add exposure to heat, you get ''condensation''. So, over a period of time, the air can become water once inside. But i agree it is a seal somewhere that is causing the problem. The fact that you said it was sitting a while would fit in with the condensation theory.
Don't spend hours looking for a place that water may be getting in..if it's an air leak, you will never find it...just replace the seals. But if used regularly, condensation shouldn't occur.
Thanks guys,plan on changing it again soon and see if it cleared up.Cleaned it up and I haven't seen any residue yet,but I haven't been riding much lately.
For final drive gear case oil on your Nomad, get a quart of Amsoil Severe Gear SAE 75w-90 Synthetic Extreme Pressure Lubricant and also a manual pump which makes filling the case easier. The cause of old oil to be milky is water contamination.
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