| Author |
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B1rdman
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 04:21 pm: | 
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Took it for a short cruise on the highway today before turning around due to incoming rain ahead. Probably rode for 45 mins total. It had leaked a decent amount of oil from either the rear rocker cover or starter gasket? I have a starter gasket handy but like an idiot I forgot to put it on before tightening everything back up after the crank seal swap. I do notice a residual drop of oil from the rear corner of the rocker cover though.
Does anyone know the p/n or link to the improved rocker cover gaskets? Might as well do the intake manifold gasket as well, so need those.
Oil on top of the starter and primary case by starter:
Oil in valley area: 
Trail of oil running down fromt he top, alongside the derby cover: 
Oil drop at the corner of the rear cylinder, where the head meets the rocker box..should I change all three gaskets there or just the bottom one? |
Harleyelf
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 04:57 pm: |
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This would be a good time to convert to XB rocker covers. Have you examined the stator wire where it comes out under the starter? Sometimes they leak. |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 06:17 pm: |
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I would suspect that with that much leakage, that it would be from a pressurized area, ie engine, right?
What all could cause high oil/crankcase pressure?
(Message edited by b1rdman on August 21, 2013) |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 06:22 pm: |
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Sure looks like a starter gasket leak to me. If it were the base gaskets, there would be oil all down your cylinders, and they appear to be dry. |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 06:59 pm: |
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Damnit, I wish I hadn't noobed my crank seal change by forgetting to do the starter gasket. |
Steveford
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 08:54 pm: |
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It won't take you long to change it out.
Hit that one and the stator plug with a light smear of Hylomar to spare yourself future agita.
I don't know the part numbers off of the top of my head but they'll supersede to the latest and greatest.
I always laughed about Harley having seemingly 50 different words for an oil leak, depending upon the severity. Sort of like Eskimos have for snow... |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 08:39 am: |
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Hey Steve, do you see the drop of oil at the base of the silver part of the rocker cover in the last pic? Could it just be that it just doesn't create enough pressure to leak until at load and speed? Why would so much oil come out of the unpressurized primary? Just bouncing ideas here, not trying to ignore anyone's input or advice btw. :-) |
Kalali
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 08:56 am: |
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It doesn't much of a "pressure" to leak that much if the starter gasket is bad. With that much oil leak you may be able to literally move the starter by hand. Another reason why these bikes seems to leak all the time is people don't pay enough attention to the torque values and tightening sequence when they put things back together with new gaskets. Using a cheap torque wrench exasperates the situation. My 2 cents. |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 09:59 am: |
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"If it were the base gaskets"
And of course, I meant rocker gaskets.  |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 10:02 am: |
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The starter bolts are sort of behind the clutch, but you can remove them with the clutch in place. They're just a little occluded by it, not completely blocked. It's a pretty easy job, and if you've used the new metal primary gasket, you should be able to reuse the old one. |
Steveford
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 12:01 pm: |
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The people here have given you good advice.
The one bit about putting on XB rocker covers is a good idea as it eliminates one more potential source of leaks, excuse me, wickage although you may have already crossed over to weepage which is the kiss of death, ha, ha.
Depending upon the bike, you might have to file down one corner of the front XB rocker cover to get it to fit right. I think I had to do that with my S3 many years ago.
Use a single drop of blue Loctite on the cleaned starter motor bolts and it wouldn't hurt to shoot some contact cleaner into the threaded portion of the starter motor to ensure that's clean - not that these things vibrate or anything...
(Message edited by SteveFord on August 22, 2013) |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 01:54 pm: |
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That's GREAT news that I might not have to take off the primary chain to get the starter bolts out. I had heard that I had to take it off. I have the metal gasket too so I'll reuse it. |
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