Left side oil leak

[frankd]

I've got a small oil leak on the left side of the motor. Last year I had all of this apart to change the stator and the starter drive. The leak "appears" to be at the bottom of the left case (stator cover), not the middle gear cover. The oil looks fresh at the bottom of the stator cover, but I thought I cleaned engine and the cover carefully before I put it back together. I used no sealant on this gasket. When I look up at the stator/ignition sensor coil leads from the bottom, it looks dry. Wouldn't it be wet back there if it was leaking from the clutch slave cylinder and gear indicator switch? Any other ideas?? It's due for an oil change, so I'm planning on pulling it apart soon.

 

Frank

[Marcarl]

If it's clutch fluid then it will taste sweet, wash off with water and your clutch reservoir will be loosing fluid.

If it's oil, then that's a different story. You'll need to clean real well all around and under both covers, then let it run on the center stand for about 1\2 hour, after that, lay down under the bike and do a slow systematic check, starting on the lowest part and slowly working up. Let the bike cool and use your finger, a dab at a time to find the source.

[Keemez]

If it's clutch fluid then it will taste sweet

 

 

Well, THAT explains a few things!

[bongobobny]

The rubber feed thru grommet for the stator wires can many times be a problem! Both the grommet and the contact surfaces need to be meticulously clean and even then they can seep a little. I now use some gasket sealer around the grommet to avoid problems...

[Snaggletooth]

 

That is a weak spot for an oil leak. I installed a new stator on mine and the rubber grommet didn't fit as tight as I would have liked. Plus the three wires from the stator could be slid in and out of the grommet. Good place for oil to wick out along the wires.

 

I sealed the daylight out of grommet and packed sealant around the wires inside and out.

 

So far, so good. Not leaks since.

 

Something to check anyway.

 

Mike

[frankd]

I also sealed my stator and ignition trigger coil leads carefully. I cleaned them well with brake clean and then some Naptha. Then I used a sealant that was suggested here---and then I used the same sealant to seal the grommet into the notch. When I look up from the bottom, the wires and the area around them look dry.

 

I will run it on the center stand though. I'll clean the engine of oil first so I can detect any fresh oil. The oil on the bottom of the stator cover looks fresh---every where else it's dirty.

 

Frank

[MasterGuns]

Frank, I had the same oil leak you are describing. Got bad real quick. I had no choice but to pull the thing apart fully expecting the leak to be the stator grommet. But that was dry as a bone. My problem was the gear indicator switch was loose as a goose; all three screws. I removed the entire switch and cleaned out the screw holes with some really long q-tips and reassembled with locktite. Even though the oil was leaking from that switch, the oil was dripping down to the top of the exhaust collector and running down the top to the left side, then finding its way down onto the concrete making it appear as though the grommet(s) was the problem. Oh yeah, I replaced the o-ring on the switch as well. Easy fix.

[frankd]

Herb,

 

Thanks for your input, and I'll bet you're right. Earlier I was reading about the rider with the 2nd gear indication not working, and there was a picture of the switch next to the clutch slave. I was thinking....last fall when I had the left side all apart for the stator and starter drive, I saw that the screws for the gear selector switch were loose. I tightened them up. They probably came loose again. Then I got to your message and you suggest the same thing. I think I've got a new gasket for the middle gear cover, so when I get a chance I'll pull it off and take a look.

 

Frank

[frankd]

I pulled the middle gear cover tonight expecting to see the stator or ignition trigger coil leads leaking, or maybe the gear switch falling off. Nope. Everything the middle gear cover hides is dry. The more I look at it, the more it looks like it's just the stator cover seeping a bit. I also changed the oil tonight, so before I put the covers back on, I'll start it and let it run for a while and see if I can narrow it down better better.

 

Frank D.

[frankd]

We got home yesterday from a great 2500 mile trip. Barb and I went down to Tn. to see our daughter and grandsons for a couple of days, then we came back up to southern IL (near Cairo), met our friends, and took off for the beautiful roads of Arkansas. After this we went to Beal St. in Memphis for Bike night (very few bikes there because of threatening weather), and then home. The 89 ran great, but came home with a re-occuring problem.

 

A couple months ago, I pulled the left case and found that the gasket had split on the bottom around a bolt. That is what was causing my oil leak. I cleaned every thing as perfect as possible, and installed a new gasket. I 'reasoned' that I may have over-tightened the attachment bolts when I replaced my stator and starter clutch. After changing the gasket, everything was fine (dry)....until I got stuck in Mufreesboro TN. traffic on a hot day. When I got back to my daughter's house, the bike left a drop of oil on her garage floor. I inspected the area and saw a little bit of oil around that same bolt again. There were no other instances of oil under the bike the entire rest of the trip, so I was happy....until I noticed oil collecting on the sidestand spring and the front of the left saddlebag. Now that we are home, there is a lot more oil around that same bolt. It's leaking in the same spot again. The stator and trigger coil leads coming out are still dry.

 

There is a chance I over tightened the bolts slightly again. I was converting inch pounds to foot pounds and used 16 instead of 12 as a multiplier. In the heat of battle I converted ounces to pounds, not inches to feet, and ended up overtightening them by 25%. I did install the new gasket dry no sealant. In an Email, Propps had suggested "The last thing I tried was an Anaerobic sealant from NAPA auto parts... I think it was by Loctite. It comes in two part spray with the sealant itself and an activator.... and it is EXPENSIVE! He fought with the same issue. But before I pulled it apart last fall, I don't think this cover had been off since the bike was built, and also I have had several different stator covers off with no problems with oil leaks. Propps also had installed a bad, new stator when his problem started. My new stator is fine (charges good at idle).

 

Has anybody else had problems with overtightening cover bolts?? I wonder if Yammie hasn't started making gaskets out of a different material?? I may have to just use the Anaerobic sealer and deal with it being 'glued' on the next time I take it apart. Any other ideas?? These covers go on dry at the factory.

 

Frank D.

[Shorty]

Just a thought..... maybe the Transmission Drain Plug gasket is leaking.

[frankd]

No, it's definetly the very bottom of the left side cover. I chased the leak a couple of months ago, and found the left side gasket had a rip in it right where it was leaking. I replaced the gasket, and the engine was dry. It was fine on the way down to Mufreesobor, TN, but it was cool that day. The next day, I got stuck in traffic on a mid 80 degree day. The fan cycled a couple of times, and when I parked it I saw an oil drop. The gasket appeared to be leaking slightly in the same spot. It stayed the same, until we were climbing the steep grades in the Ozarks with a temperature in the high 90's, and it started leaking worse. Now it's back to where it was before I changed the gasket. My real question is why does the gasket get destroyed when the motor gets hot??

[capn eddie]

No, it's definetly the very bottom of the left side cover. I chased the leak a couple of months ago, and found the left side gasket had a rip in it right where it was leaking. I replaced the gasket, and the engine was dry. It was fine on the way down to Mufreesobor, TN, but it was cool that day. The next day, I got stuck in traffic on a mid 80 degree day. The fan cycled a couple of times, and when I parked it I saw an oil drop. The gasket appeared to be leaking slightly in the same spot. It stayed the same, until we were climbing the steep grades in the Ozarks with a temperature in the high 90's, and it started leaking worse. Now it's back to where it was before I changed the gasket. My real question is why does the gasket get destroyed when the motor gets hot??

 

Maybe since the bolts are too tight and when the motor gets hot the metal expandes and that causes gasket to leak(?) or tear, ps i always use gasket sealer on everything and have never had any leaks.

[MiCarl]

I doubt over torquing is causing your problem. Those bolts are pretty soft and would likely snap before you could deform the gasket enough to cause the problem.

 

Assuming the gasket is torn again I'd inspect that area of the cases for any defect/damage that might cause the problem. Other possibility is that it's being damaged going on.

[Jayceesfolly]

I had an oil leak on my 83 VR and it turned out to be a warped cover. Pull the cover and lay it on a flat surface or use a flat steel piece to check and make sure the cover is flat. I replaced the cover and it corrected the problem.