Side Cover Oil Leaks

[Peder_y2k]

'88 VR 1st gen/Mk2 - Oil leaking at 2 bolts on chrome left side cover. No washers shown in repair parts diagram. What is the fix? Is it the o-ring ref. #12 in the diagram that needs replacement?

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

[mbrood]

14 is a gasket and 12 IS an O-ring.

[Venturous Randy]

To me, this is odd. With all the screwing around with these engines that I have done, I have never seen a leak from these screws and they do not have any seals.

RandyA

[Peder_y2k]

In an effort to stop the oil leak at the chrome side cover screws, I replaced the o-ring on the cover (#12), and used some tiny o-rings on the screws. We'll see how this works..

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

Edited August 4, 2014 by Peder_y2k
spelling

[MasterGuns]

I put my money that it is not an issue with the o rings. Bet your issue is either with the gear indicator switch, clutch rod seal or the stator wires case grommet. When any of these leak, and since the bike is normally leaning to the left on the side stand, the oil drips off the bottom area exactly where you indicate yours is leaking from. Good luck.

[Neil86]

Did you notice whether the oil deflection washer was sitting the correct direction?

 

The lip should face towards rotor bolt.

[Peder_y2k]

The telltale 'oil trail' led right to both screws. When I removed the chrome side cover, several teaspoons of oil dribbled out. On examination, the o-ring seals the hole used for accessing the crankshaft bolt used for rotating the engine during valve adjustment. When oil leaks past the o-ring, it slowly fills the cavity behind the cover and then leaks past the screws.

It obviously takes some miles/time for this to occur, so my next all day outing will be in 2 weeks, then we will know more about my pseudo repair using hardware store o-rings from the toilet repair section. I know the cover went back on with more pressure to fit the parts with the new o-ring in place.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA