Member Contributer Texfoto Posted August 30, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 My 5th gen only has 9000 miles on it. I had the fairings off and noticed excessive oil on the clutch cover. Anyone experience this? Based on the pics and inspecting the area I'm guessing this means I'll need to replace the gasket. Just curious about this as it is such a low mileage 5th gen but I guess time is a factor as well. Any confirmation and/or advice is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted August 30, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 Looks like oil, but get some degreaser and go over that area and get it good and clean, and dry. Get a little flour and sprinkle it in the area and then go for a short ride and see if you can spot where the oil is actually coming from. It may not be coming from where you think it is. It could be the gasket, but it could be something else too. It's awful young to start leaking around a gasket, unless you've had it off in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted August 30, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 Thanks. I have not had it off. I bought it with 5300 miles last year and now it's due for an oil and spark plug change. I was working on it and noticed all the oil build up. I don't know when it started but I do know I had all of the fairings off and looked it over at 5800 miles and didn't see anything. It's not a terrible failure on the bike but I just hate to put oil back in it knowing I'll have to remove it again for the gasket change if that is what it needs. I'll think about it a bit while I change the spark plugs tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted August 30, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 The casting meet in that area. I always put a little black permtex to help seal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted August 30, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 Will removing the cover require any ignition timing adjustments? Anything else I should be doing in that area if I do take the cover off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted August 31, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 Will removing the cover require any ignition timing adjustments? Anything else I should be doing in that area if I do take the cover off? No . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted August 31, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 Thanks for the assistance. I'll be putting oil in and running to make sure this is where it is coming from and then go from there. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted August 31, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted August 31, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 That is NOT a gasket leak, its oil mist from the ignition pickup. On the top of the cover you will find a rubbber grommet with the ignition pickup wires coming up through it. EVERY 5tth gen & pos 6th gen leaks a little oil there. I'ts almost impossible to seal properly. If you take the cover off you can try degreasing it & then sealing with an oil compatible sealant, don't use silicone as oil will eat it. Alternately, just clean that area when you have the fairings off for other maintenance & then ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted August 31, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 Interesting. I'll take a look in the morning. Thanks for the info. Sent via iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted August 31, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2014 When pin pointing the source of an oil leak start by following the highest point where the oil is where it is dry... You can repalce the clutch gasket without draining the oil by laying the bike over on its side and resting the handle bar on a stool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted September 1, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 That is NOT a gasket leak, its oil mist from the ignition pickup. On the top of the cover you will find a rubbber grommet with the ignition pickup wires coming up through it. EVERY 5tth gen & pos 6th gen leaks a little oil there. I'ts almost impossible to seal properly. If you take the cover off you can try degreasing it & then sealing with an oil compatible sealant, don't use silicone as oil will eat it. Alternately, just clean that area when you have the fairings off for other maintenance & then ignore it. I think this is what you are referring to. I could believe that after thinking about it some more as it was mostly accumulated in that area with the wind gradually smudging the excess oil around. Thanks for pointing this out. You just saved me a bunch of work. I'll keep an eye on it for now. I already ordered the gasket but I'll just save it for later. Many thanks. Now I can proceed with my spark plug changes. When pin pointing the source of an oil leak start by following the highest point where the oil is where it is dry... You can repalce the clutch gasket without draining the oil by laying the bike over on its side and resting the handle bar on a stool... Thanks for the tip. Pun intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted September 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 I simply put my (4th Gen) on its sidestand and pulled the clutch cover. Maybe max 5cc oil dripped out (had a pile of tissues underneath) YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JeffInFranklinTN Posted September 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 You could also use a 2x6 or 3/4 inch piece of plywood(might have to use two)under both tires and under the clutch side of the engine, keeping the side stand from resting on the plywood. Having the plywood under the clutch side will catch dripping oil. Odd that you're 5th gen would have an oil leak with such low miles. Congrats on the low miles btw. My 5th has 50k plus and does not leak oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted September 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 My 5th gen only has 9000 miles on it. I had the fairings off and noticed excessive oil on the clutch cover. Anyone experience this? Based on the pics and inspecting the area I'm guessing this means I'll need to replace the gasket. Just curious about this as it is such a low mileage 5th gen but I guess time is a factor as well. Any confirmation and/or advice is appreciated. image_1.jpeg image.jpeg ... Odd that you're 5th gen would have an oil leak with such low miles. Congrats on the low miles btw. My 5th has 50k plus and does not leak oil. Not really odd at all when you look at the source of the oil leak. A rubber bushing that has dried out due to lack of use. Many people value a well maintained 15-18 year old bike with proper mileage for this reason over a bike that was purchased and not ridden. This bike was purchased one year ago with 5,300 miles on it...even if it was ridden at regular intervals (and not ignored for a few years then ridden more frequently as is usually the case) before the current owner, that is still only about 350 miles per year. That might just be enough to keep seals and gaskets lubricated. It is great to find a low mileage bike and spin the odometer yourself but sometimes little nagging issues these are the result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer trjerm Posted September 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 ya it looks like it's coming from the rubber grommet to me, but can you fix it w/out pulling the cover??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted September 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 Pretty unlikely since the plug probably slides into the cutout in the cover. I guess if you're not too concerned with neatness, you could clean and dry the area very well and use some gasket creation material on the old one around the top. I doubt there is any pressure to speak of and once it's sealed you should be okay. Just may not look as pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted September 1, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 1, 2014 In regards to the oil leaking out, the amount of it and fixing what may or may not be a problem, the oil is obviously darker since buying it a year ago now that I've drained it. The oil level never went down while putting 4000 miles on it. I'd put it on the center stand after riding and check it here and there due to having a Suzuki Bandit that did burn some oil so I was aware of it. In thinking about the amount of oil that is actually on the outside of the bike now and it's sort of like someone bleeding blood all over the floor. It may look messy and more than you care to lose while bleeding but if you actually mopped it up you would get very little to accumulate. That's the way I think about the oil on the outside of the engine. I always check my tires after riding, out of curiosity, to see how they are wearing down as I have never owned Maxxis tires. I never see oil on the tire or rim and after looking down low at the catalytic converter there is none to be seen. Besides, if it did touch the CAT I would have certainly smelled it at each stop. All I smell is a little fuel. I am now of the opinion this is a minor issue now. If things get worse I can always remove the cover and apply a new gasket and to be honest the most pain in the ass part is removing the fairing bolts. I think I feared something worse initially or a loss of oil pressure but I don't think that's the case. I have cleaned the entire area with degreaser and some warm water. It's clean now as you can see in the last pic. I will pinpoint this after getting it all back together and report back in the next few weeks or however long it takes for oil to get down there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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