crankcase oil leak stop additive

[Anonymous]

'79 GS850G, 56K miles. I've been using Golden Spectro 4 for about the last 20K miles, but in the last few thousand recent miles enough oil has started seeping from the cam tensioner bolts to make things a little messy. I bought the new gaskets for the tensioner bolts but haven't gotten around to replacing the gaskets. The mess hasn't been serious. In the meantime, I've got another slight leak from the head gasket area on #4. It works its way down over the fins and gets on the lower engine body, just on the lift side, and builds up a greasy film over time.

It has also started to dripping some noticable drops below the bike after a hot ride. It's not enough oil to make it a problem as far as oil level is concerned, but it makes little messes in the driveway.

The right way to fix these little leaks is to take things apart and replace the seals. I know this.

I am, however, a person with faith in modern miracle technology.

Has anyone ever tried this product? Here is the URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

I'd include an image of the bottle but the image button above this editor doesn't do anything except put img in the text of the message. Same with the URL button. Cut and paste doesn't work. I'm missing something about how to work it I guess . . .

This stuff is called SealLube and says below the name that it "positively stops existing leaks in any fluid system."

I emaild the seller and was told it works on the rubber. He wouldn't say anything specific about its use in motorcycle engines, so he's just being careful about what he says. His customers seem to feel the product has worked for them.

If it works on the rubber, that would be fine for my tensioner seals but not for the head gasket, I suppose, since it is fibre. Maybe it is a "rubberized" fibre? This gool ole' engine has the original gasket. It's has never been apart. I'm on the bike for short trips and long almost every day.

While it's possible it may not work, can it do any harm?

Thanks,

Mike

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[Anonymous]

Yes, it can do harm. It works by loading up the oil with seal softening chemicals. The hope is that this will allow a hardened seal to soften up and seal again however it softens all the seals in the engine that contain rubber whether they seal or not and can over do it. Any given seal could now become too soft over time. I read somewhere that if a person is to use one of these products, they should use it until it works and then change the oil to terminate the process. This chemical is present in all good oils in a lower concentration. That name brand oil which I forget that you see advertised for higher mileage engines has a little more and may be a better way to go. You could get a used tensioner from a wrecker, check it out and if necessary, fix it and swap them out. Very little down time

[Anonymous]

I'll look around for the oil you are talking about, although I think you are talking about automotive oil?

That sounds safer than perhaps ruining my other seals with a concentration of whatever the active ingredient is.

How about the head gasket . . . think it will help there too?

Thanks,

Mike

[SqDancerLynn1]

Since it is leaking I would try to retorqe it you have nothing to loose

[Anonymous]

I too would suggest retorquing the head and no, additives will not help the head gasket. Yes, that oil was an automotive oil. somewhere on this site there is a good article on oils which discusses additives among other things. Even if it doesnt specifically discuss this additive, it gives a good insight into oils and chemicals that go into them.

[Mr. Jiggles]

Are you sure you mean head gasket and not valve cover gasket?

[redliner1973]

SSSSnake Oil.......

[Anonymous]

I have a 1908 GS850 and my father has a 1980 GS1000 and we both have head gaskets leaking in the exact same spot. As you are sitting on the bike on the front leftr corner of the engine a slight leak has developed on both of our bikes. Mine has 50k miles and my father has 34k on his.

Retorquing helped for a while, but it has started seeping again. I have noticed it does not leak as much in the warmer weather as it does when it is below 40 degrees f. I think we are stuck tearing the heads off of them, but you may get lucky retorquing. At least it's cheaper and much less time coonsuming!