2020 KTM 790 Duke: Coolant getting combined with the engine oil

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When the bike’s engine was disassembled on the service centre, it was discovered that each one 4 consumption valves have been leaking.

BHPian rvrmvaishnavi just lately shared this with different fanatics.

Hello of us,

First some background. After having dreamt of proudly owning a giant bike just about all my life, issues lastly got here collectively for me in March 2020. I picked up a model, spanking new KTM 790 Duke.

On paper, just about the proper bike for my wants. Does not look or really feel huge. Tremendous gentle, blends in, has an enormous floor clearance and is straightforward to reside with even for each day rides. Large on energy, torque and all conceivable rider aids to cowl my inexperienced rear finish. Made me grin like a child each single time I twisted the throttle!

The possession expertise over the previous 2 years was okay, with just a few niggles right here and there. Over the past 2-3 months, issues turned horrible.

The entire saga began about 2 months in the past.

The primary symptom was an overheating warning. Rode to security and stopped, requested the seller for assist. They requested me to carry it in. Noticed that the fan was not working. Acquired the fan changed below guarantee. (I’ve changed like 3 followers on my first batch first-gen 2013 Duke 390 thus far in its 9-year lifetime, so no biggie).

All the pieces was nice for about 1k kms after which once more, bought an overheating warning. This time fan was working nice. On inspection, the coolant growth tank was empty and the radiator was brief by about 400ml. Handbook says as much as 500ml loss is okay, however I nonetheless reported to the seller, who, shocked, requested me to come back in once more. Evidently no apparent indicators of an exterior coolant leak, no pooling within the car parking zone, no stink of burning coolant dripping onto the header, and so forth.

On the seller, dropped oil, checked the filter. Oil qty was about 2.4-2.5L (handbook says 2.8L capability) and no apparent indicators of coolant in oil, very minimal stress traces seen on oil filter. However this was after 4k+ kms after the final oil and filter change and was inconclusive. So, we put in new oil and filter and determined to look at for 1k km.

Then after a day’s & 700 kms trip, got here again and noticed that once more compensating tank was empty and the radiator was brief by 600ml! Determined to empty the coolant and change to the nice previous common inexperienced coolant simply to make sure that we aren’t lacking some exterior leak as engine ice is a little bit more durable to identify. Crammed, bumped up the system. Up to date the seller, instruction was to come back in after 1k kms as talked about earlier than.

Once more, one other day, one other 2-300 km trip and one other 200+ml misplaced in a day! Took it again to the seller.

As soon as once more, dropped oil. qty was nice (2.6+L), no apparent signal of coolant mixing particularly given the qty of coolant misplaced (~1Litre). Then examined the oil filter and there was much more twisting of traces. A transparent signal of hassle.

Began opening the engine, alternator cowl. Nothing apparent. Opened the clutch cowl and located a LOT of combined oil + coolant residue.

Sort of gave up on it, left the bike with the seller and headed residence.

Someday later, they tried to vary the coolant pump gasket, checked the impeller shaft seal and changed the warmth exchanger gasket. After which tried a run on the check bench with recent oil + filter. As soon as once more, discovered strained traces within the filter. In order that was not it.

Introduced the engine down on the seller. Opened the valve cowl, discovered combined oil + coolant on the valve cowl. Then discovered scuff marks on the exhaust camshaft, though the declare was that it wasn’t unhealthy sufficient to get replaced. Eliminated the pinnacle and located that each one FOUR consumption valves have been leaking!

Inspecting the pinnacle gasket confirmed some form of deformation, however wasn’t tremendous clear to me personally.