Hello.
I went for a ride today and forgot to check my oil level. I was going 10-15kph when the engine just shut off. so I lifted to hood to find no oil in the resivior.I figured that the low oil indicator shut my engine off or something-some sort of safty thing. So my friend drove me to get more oil. I topped off the resivior and it started first pull. so we continued on. 3 kms later it died again. I checked the oil again, it was fine. started it again and decieded to drive to my friends house, which was just around the corner. so we pull into his driveway.and when I stopped moving, The engine sounded like it was going to die so I hit the kill switch.

When I went to start it again, every time I pulled the cord, it got harder and harder to pull untill I physicly could not pull it. shure enough its seized. This sounds like a stupid question, but why would this happen? Is there and automatic shutoff for low oil? and if my pistons are seized in the cylinders how the heck will I be able to remove them?

Thanks
dan

I'm no expert here but you're probably anxious for some ideas.

I would guess that since you ran it out of oil and then after adding more, that there may have been an air bubble in your oil lines. By starting it up right away, the air may not have had a chance to work itself out of the system.The damage was probably done the first time it died. You may have caused more by riding it further. Remove the head and see what you find. You can also remove the carbs and Y-Pipe to inspect the front and back sides of your pistons. DON'T start it up tomorrow and if it runs decide it must be okay and go for a ride. You need to see what, if any damage that is there.
Have a digital camera handy to take pics of the inside of the cylinders and your piston tops and sides. Also your head. This may help the experts here see what they need to, to be able to determine what you need to do next.

Good luck.

Jeff

Is there and automatic shutoff for low oil?[/b]

No there isn't. I've damaged pistons, but never had them seized to the cylinders, so I can't help you there.

Usually once the motor cools back off the pistons will become free from the cylinders. If it is siezed up really bad, then they may not free up. At that point its a good guess to say your pistons and cylinders are shot and you might as well just TAP them free of the cylinders using a hammer.....it won't hurt anything at that point. Do not wail on em though....don't wanna mess up the connecting rods, they may not be bad. Could also use a torch to heat the cylinders up, making them expand...that could help break them free of the piston. If heat is really needed just try your best to keep the heat off the piston itself..or they too will expand making it useless to do.
Good luck with the task ahead.

I took it in to work today to ##### the damages. pulled the heads off to find the pto piston dome dinged up(but not to bad) so i removed the jugs, found the 2 pto bearings hammerd out. so I cleaned the pistons up. And went to my dealer to order some parts. It cost 325 for new bearings and gaskets. But a rebuilt crank was 425 so I orderd a crank,new rings and piston bearings.So Ill basicly have a new motor to play with. And my shop forman offered to port and polish the cylinders while I have it out. So its not too bad.

I was thinking to myself today, there was still about a cup of oil in the resivior when this happened, so I didnt run it dry out of oil(now that I know that there is no safety switch when you run out of oil) so, I think that this was on its way anyway. It just was a matter of time.

Thank you all for the input

Dan

When you run out of oil... it usually takes some time to prime the system again. If you ever have it happen again... Just mix some oil into the gas tank and stir it up.. a littlre rich is better than a little lean! I even know guys that will put in a couple 100 ml of oil into a 30-40 litre tank of gas, no confidence in the oiling systems.