Small oil leak from GS

[KRISTI'SGS550]

I am getting about a tablespoon of oil leaking from the wife's GS. It appears to be coming from the bottom screw on the magneto cover. It has oil between the screw head and cover. I cleaned everything up and this is the only place the oil is coming from. What do you guys suggest I do?

Cory

[Suzuki_Don]

Cory there is a hole in the casting below the starter motor, oil can collect in the cavity under the starter motor and run through this drain hole and end up near the generator cover. Is this the cover you mean when you say magneto cover.
Cheers. don.

[DimitriT]

Sounds like a new gasket is needed.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

Sounds like a new gasket is needed.

gasket is brand new. I thin it is coming from the screw hole itself. Do I need a bigger screw? Tighten the screw in there?

Cory

[KRISTI'SGS550]

Cory there is a hole in the casting below the starter motor, oil can collect in the cavity under the starter motor and run through this drain hole and end up near the generator cover. Is this the cover you mean when you say magneto cover.
Cheers. don.

Yes sorry the generator cover sorry. I am not sure what you are describing though. With mine it appears the oil is seeping straight from the screw hole closest to the bottom (nearest to the road). There isn't any other oil trace than the drips between the screw head and the case cover.

Cory

[DimitriT]

gasket is brand new. I thin it is coming from the screw hole itself. Do I need a bigger screw? Tighten the screw in there?

Cory

Which bolt hole is it coming from? The holes which pass through the gasket should
seal up when the cover goes on. There are a few holes which aren't near oil and don't
have gasket around them.

Did the leaking start when you replaced the gasket? It's possible the gasket didn't go
on right and the bolt tore it up when its was inserted. That particular gasket is very
thin and hard to position.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

It's been leaking off and on since the day I got it, about this time last year. I replaced the gasket because I thought that was it, but it appears to not have changed anything. The bolt that is leaking is the one nearest the ground on the generator cover.

Cory

[Nicholaschase29]

maybe when you put the bolt in you missed the hole in the gasket. I did that with my brothers bike, leaked like a harley.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

That could be what happened but would that happen with the old gasket and the new gasket. Because the old gasket was leaking as well. I can see the gasket between the two pieves it seems to be seated well. I would hate to pull it apart, what a pain.

Can the oil not leak from the screw hole?

Cory

[chef1366]

The hole is from the starter cavity. Oil is leaking either from the cam chain tensioner or somewhere in that area and flowing through the starter cavity and out the hole under the stator cover. Maybe the hole is partially clogged and oil is built up in there. Give it a poke and see if it flows. :-D

[KRISTI'SGS550]

the oil is flowing already why would I poke it and make it flow more? I want the oil to stop flowing, what can I do to achieve that? Also I don't think it's coming from that high up. I think there would be a trail of oil from wherever it is leaking and the only place that has oil is that bottom screw. When I replaced the gasket on the tensioner I cleaned that area up really well and I don't see any oily mess on there like I do on the lower screw. Also when I had the starter cover off, there wasn't any old oil in there. If the bike was losing oil from this spot before wouldn't there be some build up in there somewhere? Just my observations. I am sure the oil is coming from the screw and I just want to know if I can tighten it or if I need to tap a new hole or something to prevent the thing from leaking anymore.

If you can tell me some things to check around the tensioner or in the starter bay I will check them, but as of right now I don't see anything. Also if it is this what can I do to stop the leak? Maybe if I do all the things suggested to stop the leak one of them will work. Though I think it is coming from the screw, but I could be wrong I have been before.

Cory

[chef1366]

I was saying that so the starter cavity would drain and the leak would slower.
If your are SURE it's from the stator cover then never mind.
Whenever I revove the stator cover there is hardly any oil in there. Not a good source for a leak.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

One reason I think it's not dammed up in the starter is because when I replaced the oil and had the oil out of the bike for a couple hours there wasn't a leak, but as soon as I filled the oil the leak began again. But I will look in the starter cavity for a clogged hole. Will I need to pull the starter motor for this? Thanks chef for the patience and help.

Cory

[mighty13d]

a little bit of form-a-gasket in the hole should take care of that if it's coming out of the bolt hole. take the bolt out, put it back in after a little dab, let it sit overnight before running it after

[psyguy]

the old gasket was leaking as well. I can see the gasket between the two pieves it seems to be seated well. I would hate to pull it apart, what a pain.

cory,
why are you finding it that difficult to undo those few bolts and check whats going on inside?
it would shed more light on your prob and remove the need for all the guess work
indeed you may only need to tighten that one screw but unless you're carefull or use the torque-wrench you may snap the bolt
are the bolts allen-head? if so, use a short handle key and get it as tight as you can using your hand only - you should be safe from snapping the bolt
if the head is philips you can pretty much go as hard as you want with a screwdriver
tighten the bolt a little at a time and see if the leak stops