seepage from left spark plug.

[boathead]

hello all. getting a late start on my second season ever with a bike, so please excuse my lack of knowledge.

am having some seepage from the left-most spark plug...looks like dirty oil. the spark plug itself was a bit loose, so i tightened it, and figured that was the end of it.

but no, the seepage continues...also, the spark plug worked itself loose again after a very short ride. i just changed the oil out, but am a bit nervous.

is this cause for concern? and suggestions?

1982 gs650G, 25k miles, for what it's worth.

thanks in advance.

[zathros]

Get a new Spark Plug and carefully check the threads with a flashlight. You may have to helicoil the hole in the threads are stripped. You can get really hot gasses seeping by the plug and do some damage to the head.

[boathead]

first things first, i will get a new plug and check it out. thanks.

but is there some sort of seal in there that would permit oil to be seeping in the first place? i've never been in there, and the on-line schematic i looked at doesn't show me much.

[Nessism]

A loose spark plug will cause combustion gases to escape but you shouldn't see a bunch of oil around the plug. Maybe oil is leaking from your valve cover gasket or from the outer head studs (there are copper washers under the outer nuts on the studs). I suggest you check closely to see what the problem is and report back.

[boathead]

i took a closer look....the seepage is not coming from the bolt...it's coming from the base of the plug.

what would the triage be? tank off, then top end off? i'm a newbie...i had the tank off once. hahaha. i left my clymer book at work. i'll take a look in it, but wouldn't mind some off the top of your head procedures.

btw, the seepage, while real, is nominal. unless i am going to be causing damage, i could still ride it i suppose??

[Nessism]

How tight is the plug? How are the plug threads? If the threads are toast, they can be repaired with the engine still in the bike with special tools. Most auto parts stores will sell you a spark plug hole repair kit, or find a good repair shop. Your bike has 12mm plugs. Just make sure its the plug threads before doing any further.

[boathead]

thanks. i will. i know you guys will help. please know that i know how to do nothing, but you guys talked me through: clutch cable replacement; brake light switch replacement; battery not recharging issue; tach hook up; and assorted maintenance things...oil, air filter, brake pads, grip replacement etc.

you guys are the best....

[zathros]

If you have oil blowing by a spark plug, loose or not, you have either bad rings or bad valve seals. If there is no smoke coming out of the exhaust, then there is no oil in the combustion chamber. There should never be oil in the combustion chamber and never oil coming out of the spark plug hole. Your bike could be on it's way to catastrophic engine failure. It is really hard to trace oil leaks. I suggest you take off the gas tank. clean off the top of the engine, and run the bike ( not ride, run it standing still) to see where the oil is really coming from. I think it is ending up in the spark plug hole because that is the lowest point. Without out doing this you will not be able to find out where the oil is coming from. Loose or faulty spark plugs seep hot, very hot gases and if there was oil in there it would burn and smoke, due to the hot gasses burning it.

[boathead]

ok, you've got me even more scared. hahaha.

i don't think i have oil in the combustion chamber....i didn't notice any smoke, and it is combusting.

i am not seeing any oil anywhere but at the base of the spark plug (there is some light splatter in the surrounding area.

hopefully i'll have time this week to get the tank off as you suggest and run it at idle to see.

[renobruce]

You bike could be on it's way to catastrophic engine failure.

Don't scare him too much!! Oil in the piston isn't going to cause a catastrophe, it just needs to be addressed.

[zathros]

Didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to point you in the right direction. If the motor isn't smoking I think you probably have a top cover leak and it is wicking it's way to that spark plug recess. If you had a lot of oil building up in the combustion chamber, well, since oil does not compress that is where you could have some problems. If the rings are leaking you'll have to do a head job. I don't think it is any of this though. I really think you have an oil leak blowing oil into the said area.

I have a friend who's motorcycle fell over. The next morning, upon discovering it, he kicked started it and blew a hole into the piston. It was a Harley though and I don't know if that counts.

Make sure you run it on the center stand in Neutral! Don't run it for a long time, just rev it a little to see if you see oil coming out of anywhere. If you have a large fan, put it in front of the bike, These are air cooled engine and you need air running over the bike. Even with a fan still don't run it too long or you will make it overheat.