nagging small oil leak advice please!!!!

[jimfj]

1982 850G

I have a very small oil leak coming from around a bolt below the stator cover. (bottom side of engine). The bolt is towards the front of the motor where the number one header pipe comes down. The bolt has a #12 stamped in the engine case right next to it. The bolt is situated in a straight up and down fashion. It is seeping enough that when I ride for 1/2 hour or more enough oil gets on the exhaust pipe and then my left boot. More annoying than anything and I like to keep my bike clean as well as my driveway and garage floor. Anyone know what this bolt is or how I might go about sealing it. (I though I might ask before I just went in there with a wrench)

Jim

 

[Dave8338]

Any pics? :-s

 

[bwringer]

I know which bolt you mean, but I'll have to go stare at my GS850 and ponder for a few moments in order to offer advice...

Are you SURRRRRRRRE the oil is coming from this bolt? There are a lot of places the oil could be coming from to end up here.

 

[jimfj]

99.9% positive, I have used simple green and pressure washed the area to clean it very well to help identify the leak. Did I mention I like a clean bike. Some might say I'm a bit obsesive but it makes diagnosing things like this little leak much easier.

Jim

 

[bwringer]

I can't really imagine why just this particular bolt would leak -- I can't be completely positive without some major disassembly, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't pass through any oil passages or internal reservoirs of oil.

Is the bolt tight?

 

[Suzuki_Don]

That is one of the bolts that hold the crankcase halves together. That's what the "12" means (bolt tightening order). There are two size bolts coming up from the bottom cramkcase half to the upper half. What size bolt is it, 6mm or 8mm.
Are you sure it is not snapped off and just held by a few threads. As Brian has said these bolts do not pass through any oil passages. They go from one case half to the other and I think from memory into blind holes in the upper case half. Oil is unlikely to be leaking from that bolt. Check oil is not running down from somewhere else.

 

[bwringer]

The 8mm bolts (12mm hex head) are the only ones that are numbered for tightening order.

I don't recall offhand which bolt is #12 in the order, but here's a photo of an upper case half, flipped upside-down:

None of the case bolt holes connect to an oil passage.

The oil is either coming from someplace else (blowing back from the oil filter cover maybe?) or perhaps the case is damaged around that bolt.

 

[jimfj]

I appreciate the replies.

I will check again tonight as to exactly where it is coming from. I did the check a while (month) ago after cleaning that are very well. I hope the case isn't damaged .

Yes the bolt is tight. I snugged it up but didn't go overboard. It wasn't very loose either. I will warm it up and get underneath it while its on the centerstand with a good light and watch what's happening.

Update on this later and I'll try and get a picture.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Plasterdog]

I had a similar situation but on the other side of the motor. I noticed that my right boot was getting some oil spray after... after... going a little quicker than might be absolutely legal. But there was never any drip when idle/sitting the garage. So I losened the bolt a tad and then re-torqued, then over torqued by a pound or so. No more leak.
I though that maybe the gasket had a small hole that closed when I over torqued the bolt. ?????

 

[bwringer]

There's no gasket between the case halves, only sealer.

And this bolt's function is more to hold the crankshaft in place, not sealing.

Very odd. Let us know what you find!

 

[Plasterdog]

There's no gasket between the case halves, only sealer.

And this bolt's function is more to hold the crankshaft in place, not sealing.

Very odd. Let us know what you find!

That is odd.
I figured it was holding the crank, hence I only slackened rather than removed the bolt. So is it possible that the bolt had lost a enough tension to allow oil (under pressure/thinned due to heat) to be pushed through the resulting gap?