GS550e Oil Leak(s) Left Side: Help me make a checklist.

[excellentlunch]

I recently got a mechanic to give my GS550e a little going over as at the moment I don't have the space nor tools to work on it but I'm pleased with his work - he gave it a little tune, checked a few things including valves, points, timing, airbox - and it's really singing now. Except, my bloke diagnosed the gear selector seal as the fundamental leak I have been having and popped in a replacement. He did mention that there are no doubt other leaks - the push rod seal looked moist too, he said - but this seemed to be a major player.

I took it for a run out to Broadford in country Victoria for a vintage bonanza and loved the way it rode, it has a nice growl to the engine and it gobbled up the kilometres, but I've noticed that I have an oil leak now with some vengeance. I'm thinking maybe his seal didn't seat properly so I will probably run it passed him for a double check / do it myself.

In the meantime, I seem to have oil coming from near the rear of the base gasket OVER the left side cover. This has me a little concerned. Oil seems to pool alongside what I think is the starter motor cover (it's chrome) under the carb stack. What is near here? I'm hoping it isn't the base gasket itself

Otherwise I'm checking:
? Countershaft seal
? Clutch push rod seal
? The afforementioned gear selector seal
? What else?

 

[roeme]

I'm having a bit of a hard time to understand on how the seals you mentioned could cause oil to collect alongside the starter motor. From my experience, leaks there would cause the underside of your engine to be oily?

Before overthinking it too much, I would clean up and degrease the outside of the engine - well dry - and let it sit for a bit. You should then be able to trace the oil back to the leak with a good set of eyes and enough light. If not, put some foot powder or similar on it, that should reveal it quite clearly. You might need to do it with a running engine as well (in case it's a pressure-sensitive leak).

 

[excellentlunch]

Sorry, I should have been clearer. There are at least two leaks going on here: one from left underside, probably behind the sprocket cover AND somehow up near the rear of the base of the cylinder block. I understand to clean and look for leaks but I'm just thinking of creating a list of known seals and gaskets so I can check them off as I go through.

 

[excellentlunch]

Question: is the left side (stator, I presume) cover retaining oil? I'm hoping a gasket replacement will sort that side and that it isn't a base gasket leak.

 

[tkent02]

Yes there's oil in there, but make sure that's the leak first as roeme said. Very common is for the cam chain tensioner to leak, the hot oil will blow all over the place when it does.

 

[excellentlunch]

Cheers tkent02. I took a better look in an under the cam chain tensioner and it did look wet above the base gasket and a sizeable fin - a place where oil probably wouldn't climb to from a base gasket leak.

 

[tkent02]

No, hot oil will go everywhere when you ride, it moves with the air like a mist and makes it really hard to figure out where it's coming from. Oil only flows straight down if it leaks while it's parked. Hence the clues to clean the engine and use something like foot powder to find the leak when the engine is clean. Under the carbs, cam chain tensioner is the common leaker. Under the sprocket cover, countershaft seal, clutch pushrod seal, gear selector switch seal. Under the engine can be the mystery hole is leaking oil from the starter shaft. Those are the common ones. The valve cover is the common one up by the cylinders. All easy to fix.

 

[excellentlunch]

Ah, makes sense tkent. Thanks for that. I had another look and the cam chain tensioner body does look oily. I'll be able to clean and suss properly over the weekend.

In the meantime I popped the sprocket cover off: what a mess. Leaking from both gear selector (despite new seal - there is some play in the shaft) and the clutch pushrod seal. I heard somewhere that the pushrod seal is put in there when the cases are sandwiched together and isn't a straight forward swap out, but you say it's easy? I hope so!

 

[excellentlunch]

Can anyone chime in on the simplicity or otherwise of the clutch pushrod seal job?

 

[fastbysuzuki]

Did it leak before your chap looked at it? Perhaps it's leaking down from the cam cover gasket or half moon caps (end of cams shafts in the cover) if he did the valve clearance.
best thing is to degrease the engine dry it off some people cover the suspect area with foot powder (makes it easier to locate the source of the leak) run it preferably with a fan blowing across the engine so not to overheat and look for the source on the leak.

 

[roeme]

OT: I heard an echo.

 

[tkent02]

Can anyone chime in on the simplicity or otherwise of the clutch pushrod seal job?

There is a seal retainer around both the clutch pushrod seal and the countershaft seal, so the sprocket will have to come off. The obvious is to replace the countershaft seal too.

 

[tkent02]

Apparently some of them are done from inside. This from an old thread about pushrod seals:

I had to remove the front sprocket to allow removal of the cover plate.

But once all that was done and I had everything cleaned up I did the
following.

I drilled a small hole (like 1/16) to the right of the pushrod into the seal.
Not too deep but just enough to allow me to insert a drywall screw.
I then pulled on the screw and the seal popped right out.

On my bike the seal was originally installed from inside the case so the
casting around the seal was sharp and if you try and press in the new
seal it will cut it apart. The solution is to bevel the edge a little around
the opening. Any piece of steel with a corner on it will work. I just use
the edge of a flat screw driver to scrape away to corner. Try to keep
the aluminum flakes from falling in.

Once the hole is beveled I applied some of the black gasket sealer around
the new seal and gently pressed it in. It doesn't need to go all the way
back - it should be flush with the case. Don't hammer it in with anything.

I like to let the permatex set overnight before I pump oil through it.

 

[excellentlunch]

Did it leak before your chap looked at it? Perhaps it's leaking down from the cam cover gasket or half moon caps (end of cams shafts in the cover) if he did the valve clearance.
best thing is to degrease the engine dry it off some people cover the suspect area with foot powder (makes it easier to locate the source of the leak) run it preferably with a fan blowing across the engine so not to overheat and look for the source on the leak.

I definitely didn't notice oil running over the left side cover but it sure was moist below the carbs. To be fair, I hadn't taken it on a long ride until I had the valve clearance and timing verified so it could have been happening prior.