| Author | Message | ||
     Cataract2 |
I think I might have a leak in the rear jug's base of the engine. I ran a q-tip over it and it came back out slightly black. Mind you my bike needs to be washed but the area has signs of it. Groan. Least the bikes still under factory warranty. | ||
| Xring |
A little seepage may be normal, especially considering you have quite a few miles on your bike. Maybe a re-torque is all that's needed. Mines out of warranty, it would have to be a definite leak before I'd tear it down. How's the weather down there? Bill | ||
| Cataract2 |
Weather's so-so. Been raining the last 3 days. | ||
| Phantom5oh |
I found a bad base gasket on my DR650 the night before a weekend long woods ride in Maine September 2003. I cleaned it up with some brake cleaner and put a bead of silicon on it. As of May 2005 (when I sold it), it still hadn't leaked. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I'll keep that in mind phantom. Thanks for the idea. Just out of curiosity, how did you apply it? (Message edited by Cataract2 on December 19, 2005) | ||
| Rageonthedl |
Maybe a re-torque is all that's needed. you can not just "retorque" the head bolts. and if the bikes still under warranty, the shop will fix it for free even if it has 100,000 miles. but if they do have to go as far as puttin on base gaskets see if they will do both, hone and rering the pistons. even if you have to pay for the hone and rings you will have a fresh top end. | ||
| Xring |
Is that because you can't re-use the head bolts, Rage? Bill | ||
| Cataract2 |
Well, went for a ride and rechecked it after cleaning it yesterday. No sign of a leak now. Odd.... | ||
| Patrickh |
all kinds of stuff is going on inside your motor. heat works to bind up the parts. pulling the rocker box and putting a torque wrench on the studs would not do anything. If fact, I can assure you that if you were to do so, the studs would not even budge at the factory re-assembly spec. torquing those studs requires a specific tightening sequence necessary for proper assembly...if you don't follow the procedure you run the risk of really breaking something. warped parts=no fun  | ||
| Diablobrian |
How long did the oil take to accumulate the first time? Remember expansion and contraction are heat related in a motor. In colder temps the metal can move around more than most people think. Being a machinist I deal with interference fits on a routine basis. By freezing a shaft (-5 deg F), and warming a bearing to (200 deg F) you can easily slide a bearing on that, with temps equal, is 2-2.5 thousandths of an inch "too small". As long as you are quick. However, if you hesitate, you have a problem. (and pressing that bearing off sucks) | ||
| Xring |
I was thinking more along the lines of loosening the bolts and then setting them to spec, in the proper sequence of course. If the head bolts are the torque-to-yield type, you can't reuse them, though. And, yeah, I know, most of the time head gaskets are not supposed to be used again either. And if there is a chunk of base gasket missing, it wouldn't help anyway. Good luck, Cat. Bill | ||
| Patrickh |
unless the XB heads are dramatically different from the M2 then the bolts are reuseable. i would be nervous about breaking the tension on the head and base gaskets. i think the only gasket I feel comfortable resuing in the new style primary cover gasket. | ||
| Xring |
Not to change topic, but is that "new style" gasket on XB's? I need to do the front primary sprocket retorque this winter and was wondering what gaskets are needed... Thanks, Bill | ||
| Phantom5oh |
"I'll keep that in mind phantom. Thanks for the idea. Just out of curiosity, how did you apply it?" I had some long foam tipped applicators. Basically long "Q-Tips" with a plastic stick and foam instead of cotton. Just swabbed it on. Just for reference, the leak was pretty bad before I sealed it. I could see it spitting with the bike running at idle. A half hour street ride made a quarter sized spot below the leak. The RTV worked great, I used grey and it matched well enough that it wasn't noticeable. Never saw another drop of oil. | ||
| Cataract2 |
If it keeps going I'll do that. Thanks Phantom. Right now it appears to not be there. Might have just been some grease from the road being I was riding in the rain last weekend. | ||
| Patrickh |
Xring XB's have the new gasket. they are easy to tell apart as the old style is paper and will stick to the cover or the case. when removing the cover put a little piece of electrical tape over the splines of the shifter shaft to keep from damaging the shifter shaft seal as you pull back the cover, you should be able to reuse it also. BTW, I haven't found a need to "re-torque" any parts in my primary unless I disassembled them. | ||
| Xring |
Thanks, Patrick. This is the new torque call I'm talking about: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/148030.html?1134529492 |
