My DAMNED oil leak(s)...

[j2dawson]

I replaced my front brake lines getting rid of the leak there. Then I replaced the shift shaft seal, sealed the stator wires, replaced the gasket, cover 2 gasket and crush washer, torquing everything to book specs. I rode it a few miles parked it and I'll be damned if there isn't a spot under the left side of the bike already.

This bike is really beginning to irritate me. :bang head:

 

[Rand-5107]

Is it coming out the drain hole on the bottom of the u-joint rubber dust boot?

 

[alorio1]

You could have a warped stator cover, did you seal the wires going thru the grommet ? If you tear it back down You can use a 6 or 8 inch mill file to check for warp-age, by laying the file on the machined surface of the stator cover. Lay the file across each bolt hole and if you can make the file tilt on either end it's warped probably from PO over torquing bolts. If I were using two stator gaskets I would not torque to specs. Some may disagree with this theory, but my thoughts are the stator cover can't compress 2 gaskets evenly without warping the cover going with factory torquing specs. Just my thoughts........

 

[alorio1]

Thats another good place to check.........

Is it coming out the drain hole on the bottom of the u-joint rubber dust boot?

 

[MaxMidnight]

Unless there is damage to the face of the cover then torquing down evenly should ensure a good seal. If it is that which is still leaking then a thin smear of silicon sealer should fix it. Two gaskets are not the answer.

Other places to look are the copper washer on one of the middle gear bolts and the neutral switch.

Without wishing to state the bleedin' obvious, establishing where a dark coloured fluid is seeping from a black engine is a right tw"t!

The best way I have found to trace a leak is to ensure there is absolutely no trace of oil on the outside of the motor. Use some white kitchen towel to wipe down - you can easily see if there is any residue.
Go for a ride and as soon as you get back go over each potential leak point, staring from the front, with the kitchen towel. Go slowly as you wipe and keep inspecting the towel. As soon as you see fresh oil you should be able to work out where it is coming from.

 

[j2dawson]

The leak is definately worse since I changed the stator cover gasket. It used to just leak for a bit after a ride. After I changed the gasket, rode it, and parked it overnight, it looks like it has leaked all night. It is running down the exhaust pipe and dripping on to the floor. I have two 2 inch spots of fresh oil on the floor.

I didn't put any sealant on the gasket, just torqued it to specs. The bottom of the engine is covered with old oil. I guess the first thing to do is try to clean that all off. I guess I'll have to pull the cover again and see if it's warped. Who knows how the last guy tightened it but I do know there was some kind of sealant in places on the cover and block. It took awhile to get it all off but it was perfectly clean when it went back together.

I'm ready to give up and sell this thing but can't do that with this leak.

If the cover is warped, can it be trued up?

 

[alorio1]

My method for truing up a warped stator cover is : You can use a 6 or 8 inch mill file to check for warp-age, by laying the file on the machined surface of the stator cover. Lay the file across each bolt hole and if you can make the file tilt on either end it's warped. Hold the file flat on top of the bolt hole and run file parallel with machined edge of stator until file sits flat and move on to the next warped bolt hole. If a lot of filing has to be done to cover two gaskets may have to be used to keep starter gear from binding in stator cover, but then if you over torque you will be back to square one. Yamabond or some other good type sealant is good to use on gaskets. I don't think silicone is oil resistant, but not sure.

 

[j2dawson]

My method for truing up a warped stator cover is : You can use a 6 or 8 inch mill file to check for warp-age, by laying the file on the machined surface of the stator cover. Lay the file across each bolt hole and if you can make the file tilt on either end it's warped. Hold the file flat on top of the bolt hole and run file perpendicular with machined edge of stator until file sits flat and move on to the next warped bolt hole. If a lot of filing has to be done to cover two gaskets may have to be used to keep starter gear from binding in stator cover, but then if you over torque you will be back to square one. Yamabond or some other good type sealant is good to use on gaskets. I don't think silicone is oil resistant, but not sure.

Thanks, I'll definately try your method when I pull the cover. I have managed to make a minor leak into a major one. I'm now not sure how many leaks I relly have.

 

[alorio1]

To clarify on finding which bolt hole has been over torqued with the file, lay a toothpick on a flat surface then lay the file on top of the tooth pick and tip each end of the file. You won't find a bolt hole this bad and this is just and over exaggeration on using the file method to find warpage on cover.

 

[Thevmaxrider]

Something else I have seen people do which causes a leak like this is putting the wrong bolt in the wrong hole. You will note that there are a few of the case bolts that are just a bit longer than the others. If you put them in the wrong hole it will look like it is tight and will even torque up correctly, but you are not putting any pressure on the cover and it will leak there. Had a friend do this a couple of weeks ago when putting a chrome stator cover on. Called me all upset that his new cover was leaking at the bottom. Had him check the bolts and he found that he had put two of the longer bolts in the wrong holes and they caused the leak. Just one more thing to check.

 

[j2dawson]

Something else I have seen people do which causes a leak like this is putting the wrong bolt in the wrong hole. You will note that there are a few of the case bolts that are just a bit longer than the others. If you put them in the wrong hole it will look like it is tight and will even torque up correctly, but you are not putting any pressure on the cover and it will leak there. Had a friend do this a couple of weeks ago when putting a chrome stator cover on. Called me all upset that his new cover was leaking at the bottom. Had him check the bolts and he found that he had put two of the longer bolts in the wrong holes and they caused the leak. Just one more thing to check.

That is something to check but the micofiche at Ron Ayers shows all 11 bolts the same part number. I also looked at them and they all appeared to be the same length.

 

[alorio1]

Good point Thevmaxrider, most members get a piece of card board and stick their bolts thur it as they remove them making the card board match the hole pattern of the cover they are removing......

Something else I have seen people do which causes a leak like this is putting the wrong bolt in the wrong hole. You will note that there are a few of the case bolts that are just a bit longer than the others. If you put them in the wrong hole it will look like it is tight and will even torque up correctly, but you are not putting any pressure on the cover and it will leak there. Had a friend do this a couple of weeks ago when putting a chrome stator cover on. Called me all upset that his new cover was leaking at the bottom. Had him check the bolts and he found that he had put two of the longer bolts in the wrong holes and they caused the leak. Just one more thing to check.

 

[j2dawson]

Good point Thevmaxrider, most members get a piece of card board and stick their bolts thur it as they remove them making the card board match the hole pattern of the cover they are removing......

I did that but I sure don't trust that the previous owner put them in correctly. I'm confident that they are all the same length. The Cover 2 bolts are two different lengths, but not MY alternator cover.

 

[latheboy]

This is what I do when I dont know which exact bolt goes in which hole......

Generally, if you have 2 longer bolts, they will go in the holes that have an alignment dowel. The bolts are longer because those holes are reamed for the alignment dowel, and are threaded deeper.
Then, I put all the bolts in the cover, just by a turn or so, leaving them stick out as much as possible. From there, you can see if the length of the bolts remaining outside the cover are equal. Usually, each bolt of the same diameter, has the same length of engagement in the hole, regardless of the overall length of the bolt.

 

[j2dawson]

This is what I do when I dont know which exact bolt goes in which hole......

Generally, if you have 2 longer bolts, they will go in the holes that have an alignment dowel. The bolts are longer because those holes are reamed for the alignment dowel, and are threaded deeper.
Then, I put all the bolts in the cover, just by a turn or so, leaving them stick out as much as possible. From there, you can see if the length of the bolts remaining outside the cover are equal. Usually, each bolt of the same diameter, has the same length of engagement in the hole, regardless of the overall length of the bolt.

Like I said before, my bolts are all the same length. There are 11 bolts in the alternator cover and all 11 have the same part number in the parts breakdown. I sure wish my problem was as simple as having the bolts in the wrong hole but it's not.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

My left side stator cover most assuredly had different bolt lengths in different places, regardless of what the fiche says, had hell getting it sorted out.

 

[RaWarrior]

All the stator bolts are the same. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference where they go. The two bolts that hold the shifter bracket on the gear cover are longer.


I struggled with the "nagging oil leak" (search that here if you care to) for months. I tried everything and had the cover off and on again about 10 times. I tried gasket only, gasket+sealant, sealant only, different kinds of sealant, double gasket, NOTHING worked. After the motor got hot and was parked, there'd be a spot under it.

What finally cured it.....the cover was warped. Note....the bike didn't leak a drop prior to me having to replace the stator, and I'm pretty sure I broke the "factory seal". The cover was not particularly difficult to remove nor was it excessively pried on. But when I finally put the cover on a known flat surface, it had a noticeable "rock" to it....it didn't sit flat. Same story for the middle gear cover.

I took both covers to the big 24" disc sander in the student shops and just pressed them up against it. Very quickly "low" spots appeared that weren't getting sanded. I kept going until the surface was uniform. Cleaned them up, used a new gasket for the stator(added a bit of threebond/yamabond on the bottom to be sure), and used only Yamabond for the gear cover. Bone dry since then.

So find a way to sand the covers flat again. I also took a little off the gears of the reduction axle, to ensure that because the cover sat slightly closer now the axle wouldn't bind up. A big disc sander worked well, and the little 4" wide bench sander at home worked fine also.

 

[j2dawson]

All the stator bolts are the same. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference where they go. The two bolts that hold the shifter bracket on the gear cover are longer.


I struggled with the "nagging oil leak" (search that here if you care to) for months. I tried everything and had the cover off and on again about 10 times. I tried gasket only, gasket+sealant, sealant only, different kinds of sealant, double gasket, NOTHING worked. After the motor got hot and was parked, there'd be a spot under it.

What finally cured it.....the cover was warped. Note....the bike didn't leak a drop prior to me having to replace the stator, and I'm pretty sure I broke the "factory seal". The cover was not particularly difficult to remove nor was it excessively pried on. But when I finally put the cover on a known flat surface, it had a noticeable "rock" to it....it didn't sit flat. Same story for the middle gear cover.

I took both covers to the big 24" disc sander in the student shops and just pressed them up against it. Very quickly "low" spots appeared that weren't getting sanded. I kept going until the surface was uniform. Cleaned them up, used a new gasket for the stator(added a bit of threebond/yamabond on the bottom to be sure), and used only Yamabond for the gear cover. Bone dry since then.

So find a way to sand the covers flat again. I also took a little off the gears of the reduction axle, to ensure that because the cover sat slightly closer now the axle wouldn't bind up. A big disc sander worked well, and the little 4" wide bench sander at home worked fine also.

I suspect that is my problem as well. I'm going to be out of town for the next few days but when I get back I'm going to pull it again and check it.

I think it's leaking worse now because it had some kind of sealant on it before and now it doesn't.

Naturally this happened the day after I placed an order with Sean. Oh well, what's one more shipping charge?

 

[MaxMidnight]

I don't think silicone is oil resistant, but not sure.

If it can fix the chain case on my old T120R Bonneville then I suspect it would fix anything!

Another way of truing would be to to lap the cover on some plate glass.
It will take longer than doing it on a sander but the potential for cock-up is minimal!