Oil light blinking, what can it be?

Ya just run it till it blows then you will know for sure what is wrong.

 

If there were bearing damage wouldn't you have a knock?

 

I think it would depend how bad they were. I would expect the engine to get progressively noisier if bearings were going.

The other thing already mentioned it to clean and tighten every electrical connector associated with the oil pressure switch.

 

Pressure switch is not the problem, this was verified by the oil pressure gauge, no oil pressure whatever way you look at it

 

In the beginning no!

You need X amount of pressure to float the crank/rod. This is about 10lbs pressure for every 1000 rpms up to about 5/6000 rpms is a general rule. With low oil pressure at idle and just low rpms the crank is just dancing on/off the bearings. Not enough to damage them greatly, just enoungh to start taking off the babbit coating and getting down to copper.

Once this happens the bearings are no longer "perfectly" round. Then the knocking will start and increase with time.
If I was Manny and found the oil pump to be fault, I would definitely pop a couple of bearing caps and inspect for copper showing. 5lbs of pressure doesn't cut it.

I think thx1138 hit the nail on the head with his "pickup screen" comment. You should drop the pan and look at the screen!

 

This is almost lucid.

 

Thanks everyone for your input. I just got done installing the new pressure switch. I figured I would work my way down from the top. It was a pain in the ass! I didn't test the switch but it looked suspect. I just when ahead and installed the new one. Now I am taking a small break before I get the throttle bodies back on. From there I will plan on dropping the pan and check the screen and relief valve. I bought a valve just incase. I will check the oil pump as well. Grey, I am curious how you pop the bearing caps to inspect for copper?

 

this is nuts!

 

here's the new switch

 

few beers would have eased the pain...
yes that is a hornets nest!

 

Looks like you got the hard part done. From the post title we at least knew that your blinker fluid was good as the oil light was blinking. :wink:

 

Looks more like a mud wasp, good luck on diagnosis.

 

Just as an aside I can't ever recall seeing a switch that was faulty blinking, if they fail the light just stays on, the fact it is blinking proves it is a good switch and doing its job correctly

 

First you make sure you have a GOOD ACCURATE torque wrench for putting caps back on. The bad part is it's a motorcycle engine. The mains are held in by the case halves. Which are really the ones you want to check most. You only have the option of checking the rod bearings, which get their oil from the crank. So if you see signs of wear/scuffing or copper then you know the mains are hurt also.

Turn engine over by hand until you can get to a rod and both nuts/bolts. Remove nuts/bolts and tap the rod bolts or rod lightly with a rubber malt or something soft. Not a steel hammer. This should loosen the cap enough to pull cap down to remove.
NOTE how the cap sits on the rod. It HAS to go back the same exact way or you'll spin a bearing most likely. Do this to at least two of them if not all four if you can get to them. Which I doubt but don't really know on your engine. You can push the rod/piston up to get the top bearing out or might be able to turn crank at this point away from the rod enough to see bearing. Be careful not to nick the crank with a rod bolt threads. Best to put a thin rubber hose piece over (slid on to) the rod bolts for protection.

If you don't see any scuffing/copper then you're go to go. Put the cap back on and torque to spec. I would do one rod at a time. Less chance of a mistake.

 

Thanks Grey, I printed all the info just incase. I just got done putting everything back.

 

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for their advice, thoughts, and opinions. I appreciate them very much. Here is the break down of what happen today.
Not sure how many people have changed their thermostat or oil pressure switch, but it was very time consuming and back aching. However, I am glad I went that route first since I had already bought the switch. When you get to the switch you have to disconnect the thermostat housing, which leaked antifreeze everywhere, but still managed to save most from the big hose on the right side. I put a new o ring, the old one was trashed and some Teflon just to make sure. I installed everything back and I crossed my fingers that the bike would start and that I did not forget anything. I cranked it about 3 times just to get the oil going. I turned it on, and it worked. I was so glad it did as this was my first time removing the throttle bodies. I waited as it idled and it went up to 1500rpm light was flashing then it started to drop as the bike warmed up. The rpms dropped to about 1000. That's when the red light went off. I waited there for a bit, the light did not come back on. I turned it off. I check the coolant, and it looked good. Then I check the oil window and it looked dirty, milky dirty. I thought I might have done something wrong putting it back, it was driving me nuts. I was going backwards on everything I did in my head. I grabbed a small white tub so I can see whats in the oil. I drained the oil, it just looked dirty. Mind you, I had changed it once after the light came on the first time. I let it drip as I went to get oil and a new filter. I put the oil bolt back on, and I changed the oil filter, after pre filling it and I cranked it up. No oil light, rpm was perfect at 1200rpm. Oil window looked good, oil looked good. I let it idle for about 3 minutes and add a little more oil. It was right at the top line. I let the bike get to 176, revved it up couple of times, bike sounded good, and no light. Turned it off, checked oil window, still looked good, cranked it up one more time just to make sure, no oil light and bike was nice idling at 1200rpm.
Couple of things that came to my mind. Oil pressure switch was bad, I haven check the old one to confirm yet. But on paper and what I did looks like it was the switch. 15 years I can see the switch going bad. Now here's the other possibility. As I turned the bike on after removing the throttle bodies and switch and thermostat housing I am wondering if it got an air bubble in the system, that may have pushed out whatever was stuck. I did let it warm up to operating temperature which is 176 as per the manual. I am not sure if the build up cause this to happen. I have no idea, its just a conspiracy theory. The reality is that after I changed the oil pressure switch, changed the oil, and oil filter, the bike now is good with no oil light on. I will attach a few videos of this experience. I want to thank every one once again, you guys rock!
PS. sorry for the long reply....arty2:

 

Sorry Manny, I'm still not convinced, why did the oil pressure gauge read the low figures, which corresponded with what the light was saying. I would say now take another reading with the gauge and see what it now reads. If what you are saying is correct then the gauge will prove that

 

Norm, I brelieve I was doing it wrong, I did not allow the bike to warm up to 176 as per manual. However, I do believe there to have been low pressure due to a blockage. I am working on uploading some videos that may confirm this. I do believe the switch was going bad, but I also believe there was some sort of blockage. The new switch is working and I can tell that whatever was causing the blockage is now gone through. I will upload some pictures with the videos. I am not that tech savvy with this so it's taking me a minute.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-VFR80...ash=item4d407e9809:g:W8IAAOxyTjNSik5R&vxp=mtr

 

Toe, I found one already if I need it I don't think I am going to need one. My friend has one and is willing to sell it to me, he is holding it for me just incase.

Here is the first cheesy video I made, disregard me talking. I have never made a video, I need practice. What I really wanted to do is just show everyone what I was experiencing. If you look at 1:35 the oil window, it looked clear. I will post a picture after I installed the oil pressure switch and changed the oil and filter.[video=youtube;RY_p46gVyFI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_p46gVyFI[/video]