Slight oil leak

[Scudder]

Took the 1980 gs850 to work today. My daily commute is about a 30 minute ride, so expressway and some city streets. Everything went well, but as I put it on side stand at work and when I got home there was some leaking of oil. I looked under the bike and it looked to be coming from the shifter. I guess it could be coming from the oil gasket. Seems like a standard thing to do, as I've had to do it on an old cb honda I owned. Am I thinking along the right track?

When I got the bike, the carbs on the left side were completely trashed. I expect the PO left the bike on it's side kickstand for years. I'm thinkin' this could have contributed to the weakening of the gasket as well.

Scudder

[cowboyup3371]

Take the sprocket cover off, clean everything up real good, and then watch the pushrod and countershaft sprocket seals for leaks. I'll be willing to bet (from my own experience last year) that will be where your leak is coming from.

[850 Combat]

RD400's blow shift shaft seals a lot, at least my first one did.

[bwringer]

Take the sprocket cover off, clean everything up real good, and then watch the pushrod and countershaft sprocket seals for leaks. I'll be willing to bet (from my own experience last year) that will be where your leak is coming from.

Ummmm... it's a shaftie, so it doesn't have any of the parts you mention...


But yeah, take the cover off in that general vicinity, clean it up and take a look. There is a shifter shaft seal under there that could be leaking.

There's also an o-ring around the gear position switch way under there. Quite easy to change at the next oil change. You can see the switch in the first photo below.

You can also end up with oil in that area via the Mystery Hole -- this is usually the o-ring around the nose of the starter leaking (or oil from the cam chain tensioner or valve cover gasket), then the oil flows through the drain hole for the starter cavity and out the Mystery Hole.

I dubbed this the Mystery Hole because about twice a year someone sees oil coming from this area and tries to plug it with epoxy. This is an ungood thing to do -- your starter will drown the next time it rains.

The blue tubing is just there to show the holes are connected.

[cowboyup3371]

Ummmm... it's a shaftie, so it doesn't have any of the parts you mention...

One of these years I'll remember that.

Should we have another chain versus shaft discussion?

[Scudder]

Thanks. It hasn't leaked in past two days, so I'll clean it up and bank on it being the gasket. Thanks.

scudder

[msy3]

Ummmm... it's a shaftie, so it doesn't have any of the parts you mention...


But yeah, take the cover off in that general vicinity, clean it up and take a look. There is a shifter shaft seal under there that could be leaking.

There's also an o-ring around the gear position switch way under there. Quite easy to change at the next oil change. You can see the switch in the first photo below.

You can also end up with oil in that area via the Mystery Hole -- this is usually the o-ring around the nose of the starter leaking (or oil from the cam chain tensioner or valve cover gasket), then the oil flows through the drain hole for the starter cavity and out the Mystery Hole.

I dubbed this the Mystery Hole because about twice a year someone sees oil coming from this area and tries to plug it with epoxy. This is an ungood thing to do -- your starter will drown the next time it rains.

The blue tubing is just there to show the holes are connected.

I'm new here with my GS850 ('82). Just got her running after a carb rebuild, new oil, plugs, air filter (old one disintegrated...very bad) new intake boots etc.... Anyway took it for a ride yesterday for about 20 minutes around the neighborhood. Ran well and pulled pretty good. Brakes badly in need of rebuild (parts on order now). Ran into an oil leak after my ride yesterday. There was a small puddle that I traced to the mystery hole. There is a tube going into that hole under the starter that goes to some sort of breather behind the starter housing. Any idea what this breather is for? Trying to figure out if this is normal after an oil change or if there is something bigger going on. I'm new to the GS but know my way around a bit on older gear. Have an 86 gsx-r750 and an old nighthawk.

Any help would be appreciated. If there is a thread that answers this question please send me that way. I didn't find anything else through my search. Thanks
Mike