Jump to content

Thoughts About This Leak?


AcedIt

Recommended Posts

Hey all, wondering if you can provide some insight until I can clear out my work shed and get her on the lift. 6th Gen VFR: I've noticed a slight drip of seemingly oil since I got the bike a couple weeks ago. As she sits for a couple days, there will only be a drip on the ground, not much. However, I decided to take a few pictures from under the bike as well as a video which shows a bit more detail. The "drip" comes from the right side of the bike just about where the top of the center stand is and it spreads onto the exhaust pipe and cat. As I look under the bike I see a mess of shininess all along the pan and my guesses are maybe the oil pan gasket or one of the valve cover gaskets. I won't really know until I can get her out into my work shed and put her in the air. It's dry around the oil filter (see video), it seems like clean oil. Wondering if there's a common issue with the VFR that I should be aware of? What are your thoughts? I appreciate any chiming in.

 

Vid: 

 

20190903_175845.JPG

20190903_175905.JPG

20190903_175939.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a lot of oil. Both my 1986 vfr750 which has sat for over 10 years has no oil leaks.  My vfr800 02 no leaks.  I would check and tighten the valve cover especially the rear, oil pan, oil filter, oil drain plug, side covers.  Tighten gently you do not want to break any bolts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
55 minutes ago, VFR750F3 said:

That is a lot of oil. Both my 1986 vfr750 which has sat for over 10 years has no oil leaks.  My vfr800 02 no leaks.  I would check and tighten the valve cover especially the rear, oil pan, oil filter, oil drain plug, side covers.  Tighten gently you do not want to break any bolts.

 

Valve covers use shouldered bolts.  Tightening them will only break them or something worse.  I suppose you could "check" them, but you don't want to try and get just a little more.

I've extracted a bunch of customers bolts with dental picks in the past for this very reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I'd give it a bath so you aren't chasing your tail, then I'd try hunting for it while idling. The only oil leak I ever had was where I was sloppy and hurried on my stator replacement, but that was on the left side. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
1 hour ago, Captain 80s said:

 

Valve covers use shouldered bolts.  Tightening them will only break them or something worse.  I suppose you could "check" them, but you don't want to try and get just a little more.

I've extracted a bunch of customers bolts with dental picks in the past for this very reason.

Amen to all that. The cam covers need very little tension from the bolts to seal and in fact the bolts in normal use are bottomed out on their shoulders so applying more tension won't compress the gasket any more if it is leaking. A much better idea (if you need to) is to replace the rubber washers under the hold-down bolts as these get squished over time and provide less compression to the gasket. I speak from experience, where I replaced the first the bolts, then the gasket, and finally the rubber washers to fix a leak. Only the last thing helped. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
5 hours ago, Terry said:

Amen to all that. The cam covers need very little tension from the bolts to seal and in fact the bolts in normal use are bottomed out on their shoulders so applying more tension won't compress the gasket any more if it is leaking. A much better idea (if you need to) is to replace the rubber washers under the hold-down bolts as these get squished over time and provide less compression to the gasket. I speak from experience, where I replaced the first the bolts, then the gasket, and finally the rubber washers to fix a leak. Only the last thing helped. 

Amen to that.  MANY customers would balk at replacing the rubber washers because they were so expensive for what they were.  Then come back when they still had a leak after trying to tell them over and over they need to spend the dough. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.