For a few weeks I've been tracking down an oil leak. First I thought it was an oil filter not tight enough as there was oil all around the area and I did not look any further. Installed a new oil filter. Good, done. Came back from last weeks ride to Republic, WA. and oil around again. I went to check oil level on the other side of the bike and noticed to the upper right there was oil mist deposit on a lot of territory. Well that is a little high for the oil filter to get to. I pulled the gas tank and there was oil mess everywhere, wind blown around. I used a can of brake cleaner to clean it out and some electromotive electric motor cleaner to clean out any splatter of brake cleaner in the alternator. Too much mess to find a leak. Took it out for a 10 minute ride to get a new sigh of oil started. Been mentally putting it off as this area is hard to work in. Today I pulled the gas tank again, could not see any oil sign. Resigned myself to changing the starter and alternator orings which I have on order. Okay, lets get started removing them both. Pulled the starter first as it is in the way of the alternator work. Checked its oring, chewed to heck on the down side. OKAY, success. Now wondering how this might have happened. One theory is I did have it out last year for a ground search problem. But also thinking the starter is supported by two legs making a pedestal on the outboard end and the front nose piece inserted with said oring into the engine case. There is very little metal to metal contact with that large oring in there. Wondering about chaffing. Anyway, parts on the way and the bike will be on the road in a few days. Consolation will be a nice ride today on the Motorsport back up.
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Beech
Oil leak
1 reading
For a few weeks I've been tracking down an oil leak. First I thought it was an oil filter not tight enough as there was oil all around the area and I did not look any further. Installed a new oil filter. Good, done. Came back from last weeks ride to Republic, WA. and oil around again. I went to check oil level on the other side of the bike and noticed to the upper right there was oil mist deposit on a lot of territory. Well that is a little high for the oil filter to get to. I pulled the gas tank and there was oil mess everywhere, wind blown around. I used a can of brake cleaner to clean it out and some electromotive electric motor cleaner to clean out any splatter of brake cleaner in the alternator. Too much mess to find a leak. Took it out for a 10 minute ride to get a new sigh of oil started. Been mentally putting it off as this area is hard to work in. Today I pulled the gas tank again, could not see any oil sign. Resigned myself to changing the starter and alternator orings which I have on order. Okay, lets get started removing them both. Pulled the starter first as it is in the way of the alternator work. Checked its oring, chewed to heck on the down side. OKAY, success. Now wondering how this might have happened. One theory is I did have it out last year for a ground search problem. But also thinking the starter is supported by two legs making a pedestal on the outboard end and the front nose piece inserted with said oring into the engine case. There is very little metal to metal contact with that large oring in there. Wondering about chaffing. Anyway, parts on the way and the bike will be on the road in a few days. Consolation will be a nice ride today on the Motorsport back up.
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That looks just like the seals in my pressure washer pump. It would seem that an O ring under pressure deforms and appears to split as though it was pinched upon insertion. I wonder what force vectors they endure in life.
Could crankcase pressure have done this in addition to time and heat aging?
Could crankcase pressure have done this in addition to time and heat aging?
I must have abused it while cleaning the starter a year ago. I'll be using more grease and be careful with the replacement. Not much crankcase pressure.
Here is where the starter lives. The drip covered much of this hidden area. The hole to the right of the alternator is where the starter lives. Still waiting for the oring which turns out to be viton.
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Here is where the starter lives. The drip covered much of this hidden area. The hole to the right of the alternator is where the starter lives. Still waiting for the oring which turns out to be viton.
Glad you caught it and yes, that's a pain of a place to get to more than once a year. I had mine out a few months ago and the oring looked fine, fortunately.
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