New Owner '81 GS450L Shift Seal Replacement

[Guest]

Just bought my first bike, an unfortunately hacked-up 450L, but it rides well. As far as I know, it is typical for these bikes to leak oil from the shift pedal seal. I plan on fixing this right away. Looking at it it seems I can unbolt the pedal/bar from the shaft and get to the seal on the outside of the case, is this correct?

I have searched on many websites for this seal with no luck, does anyone know where I can find one?

Thank you

[yank]

Have you tried Ichiban Moto! He is a member here he can help you. Welcome

[cowboyup3371]

First, are you positive it's leaking from that spot? I would clean up the area real well and spray some athlete's foot powder around the area. This will create a substance that will allow leaks to show easily. You can then verify it's coming from there instead of possibly the clutch pushrod or the gear indicator.

If it is from there, it should be item number 27 in the parts fiche picture below. Here's the part number and cost from PartsOutlaw.com: 27 OIL SEAL 09285-12006 $3.90

[geol]

You have some good advice so far. Let me add that if you do this job, it might be easiest to pull the seal out with the shaft pulled back some. To do this, I suspect you can take off your clutch cover. Note how the shift pawls and spring engage the shift drum coming out of the case. When you push the shift shaft towards the clutch side of the bike a bit so the seal is exposed, it should be easier to pry it out and replace with the new seal. Then put the shift pawls / spring back in place by pushing the whole thing to the shifter side of the bike. Leave the clutch cover off while you install the counter shaft cover and then the shifter itself. At this point, you can make sure the paws/spring are properly positioned and installl the clutch cover again. It would be a good time to change the oil anyway. Have a new clutch cover gasket and don't try and re-use the old.

[SilentRaven]

interesting looking bike. personally i never liked bobbers.

i would clean the area like suggested and use the baby powder method to find the leak.

[John Park]

You have some good advice so far. Let me add that if you do this job, it might be easiest to pull the seal out with the shaft pulled back some. To do this, I suspect you can take off your clutch cover. Note how the shift pawls and spring engage the shift drum coming out of the case. When you push the shift shaft towards the clutch side of the bike a bit so the seal is exposed, it should be easier to pry it out and replace with the new seal. Then put the shift pawls / spring back in place by pushing the whole thing to the shifter side of the bike. Leave the clutch cover off while you install the counter shaft cover and then the shifter itself. At this point, you can make sure the paws/spring are properly positioned and installl the clutch cover again. It would be a good time to change the oil anyway. Have a new clutch cover gasket and don't try and re-use the old.

No need to take off the clutch side cover. The shifter side cover comes off easily and no gasket. The shifter shaft seal comes out by screwing a small screw into it - careful not to nick the shaft - and a pull with vicegrips. The '80 - 81 seals seemed prone to leaking, but later models must have had some upgrade to the seal. The clutch push rod seal is a possibility, and if the pushrod is the two piece type you can remove the outer section and clean things up; sometimes it's just dirt propping the seal open.

It's a good idea to clean the chain muck out of this cavity from time to time. Also check that the countershaft sprocket is on properly; mine was on finger tight with the bend over lock washer not bent. Why it didn't fall off is a mystery. You really don't want the chain having an 'adventure' in there.

[geol]

I am sure you don't have to remove the clutch cover if you are very careful not to push the shaft to the clutch side of the bike when removing the seal. It is pretty easy to push the shaft pawls and spring off when putting the shifter back on and that is why I suggested taking off the clutch cover.

[John Park]

I am sure you don't have to remove the clutch cover if you are very careful not to push the shaft to the clutch side of the bike when removing the seal. It is pretty easy to push the shaft pawls and spring off when putting the shifter back on and that is why I suggested taking off the clutch cover.

As I recall - and it's been about four months since I was in there - the end of the shifter shaft fits into a boss in the clutch side cover. There's maybe a mm of end play, and I recall hearing of the shaft binding if you don't use a cover gasket and take up the end play. So I rather doubt that you could disengage anything from the shifter side.

Maybe it's a problem on Fours. I don't have a motor apart to check, so maybe somebody with a Twin apart can say definitively.

[450cc_GS_espresso]

Thank you all very much for the info, greatly appreciated!

I will double check to confirm it is the source of my leak. So from what I've gathered, if I just pull the seal out off of the shaft and try and tap a new seal in, there's a chance I mayyy push in the shaft and disengage a spring of sorts on the other end?

And I work on cars but am less familiar with bikes; the countershaft sprocket is the gear driving the chain, at the engine?

A little about the bike: I'm looking to get at least some sort of cafe-hump seat for it. I'm inexperienced with bikes but from the bobbers I've seen, this bike doesn't make me think of them. Definitely don't like bobbers either, I'm more into Cafe racers. The previous owner unfortunately sprayed the entire engine with "high-temp engine paint," I'm not looking forward to breaking/replacing crusty painted parts in the future.

Are there threads here about chain upgrades for these? I'm sure I'll find them if there are. Also I'd be interested in seeing what others have done as far as custom taillights, this has a cheapo LED light that I absolutely despise.

Thank you all for your time and patience, I can already tell this will be a valuable forum

[geol]

As I recall - and it's been about four months since I was in there - the end of the shifter shaft fits into a boss in the clutch side cover. There's maybe a mm of end play, and I recall hearing of the shaft binding if you don't use a cover gasket and take up the end play. So I rather doubt that you could disengage anything from the shifter side.

Maybe it's a problem on Fours. I don't have a motor apart to check, so maybe somebody with a Twin apart can say definitively.

I don't know much about the 450 but when I removed the shifter from my 80 GS1000GL and then put it back on, I pushed the shift shaft far enough to move the pawls off the shift drum mechanism as well as the spring. I did this when cleaning up the side covers. That is why I mentioned it. Since I have actual first hand experience with this issue, I mentioned it. When you put the shifter on the splines on the shaft, it might be possible to put a screwdriver in the slot to open it a bit and not move the shift shaft and there might be some sort of stop mechanism that would keep you from moving the shift shaft laterally.

I did the same job on my 1980 GS1000G and the shift shaft almost touches the case. I doubt you could move it laterally. Just looking at parts fiche won't tell you which type shaft is in the bike. The shift shaft on the GL was INCHES away from the case where the G is next to it although I really doubt a gasket thickness issue would make a difference (can't wear to it). The shift shaft seal would be much easier to remove without the shaft in the way and more, would be a lot easier to drive in using a socket (normal way I do it) if the shaft were not there.

I sometimes get the impression that opinions and advice are often from reading threads and not actual hands on. When I give an opinion or advice it is usually based on my first hand doing. Not a criticism but just an observation as I wouldn't give advice based on what someone else wrote as the person looking for advice can usually find that write-up on their own.