another but new oil question

[zacheriaj]

On my gs550 katana, i have a small oil leak from the valve cover. Because one of the cover bolts is stripped out. I put something called "NAPA Oil Stop Leak" in the crank case. It doesnt have friction modifiers and its not energy conserving. BUT, it has parafin in it. (wax) which is supposed to seal any and all leaks. Is that going to be safe for my clutch do you think?

[Griffin]

Why are you asking if you've already done it?

Everybody here will pretty much tell you not to do it, but since it's already been done, just leave it in and see if it seals your leak.

Or ruins your clutch. Or locks your engine up.

I can pretty much guarantee that nobody here has done that, so your bike will be the guinea pig I suppose....

[TheCafeKid]

wow...some people SHOULDNT work on their own bike..

[zacheriaj]

well FYI, the clerk at NAPA autoparts told me it would work and probably wouldnt hurt the bike. thats why i tried it.

[Griffin]

well FYI, the clerk at NAPA autoparts told me it would work and probably wouldnt hurt the bike. thats why i tried it.

Why didn't you just get a new gasket and fix the leak?

[zacheriaj]

Why didn't you just get a new gasket and fix the leak?

I put a new gasket on. The reason it leaks, is because the one bolt on the corner is stripped so its not as tight as its supposed to be. I got a new bolt that is longer so it will reach the good threads, and i will be changing the oil after a day or two so it should be fine. No need to be mean, im 18 and just finally got my bike running. Anyone on here will tell you that you are desperate to do whatever it takes to ride your bike for the first time. Especially if it is your first street legal road bike!

[TheCafeKid]

well FYI, the clerk at NAPA autoparts told me it would work and probably wouldnt hurt the bike. thats why i tried it.

Look bro, I know you meant well, but the dude at NAPA was just tryin to sell you some chit. He probably hasnt even ever RIDDEN a motorcycle, much less worked on them. Ive found that most "car guys" will look like deer in headlights when you crack open a bike motor. Unless they're actuall mechanics, and even then, they may balk a little at the thought. Dont listen to those f-ing guys anymore, and get that crap out of your motor ASAP, and then PRAY it doesnt do any residual damage.

[zacheriaj]

Look bro, I know you meant well, but the dude at NAPA was just tryin to sell you some chit. He probably hasnt even ever RIDDEN a motorcycle, much less worked on them. Ive found that most "car guys" will look like deer in headlights when you crack open a bike motor. Unless they're actuall mechanics, and even then, they may balk a little at the thought. Dont listen to those f-ing guys anymore, and get that crap out of your motor ASAP, and then PRAY it doesnt do any residual damage.

The owner of napa that sold me the product is actually a good friend of mine. So i dont think he was just tryin to get the $2 out of me. But i will definately get the oil change tomorrow.

[Calvin Blackmore]

I put a new gasket on. The reason it leaks, is because the one bolt on the corner is stripped so its not as tight as its supposed to be. I got a new bolt that is longer so it will reach the good threads, and i will be changing the oil after a day or two so it should be fine. No need to be mean, im 18 and just finally got my bike running. Anyone on here will tell you that you are desperate to do whatever it takes to ride your bike for the first time. Especially if it is your first street legal road bike!

so you mean the hole is stripped out?
maybe get the hole retaped to a larger diameter or use a
threaded insert or helicoil

pricy perhaps but for sealing cases you really should have the hole fixed so clamping force can be applied evenly

i dont think any sealer will fix the condition you mention as changes in temperature across the normal operating range would change the width of the gap. cycling through the ranges would weaken any material and the oil pressure would likely force it out anyway.
gosh parafin would melt out anyway i think so anyway.

oh yes and change your oil after going for a nice hot run
can yah post a picture ?

[p_s]

Has anyone here actually witnessed a clutch that got screwed up because of some snake oil?

[bwringer]

No one is being mean. We're gently applying the 2X4 of knowledge to your forehead. Stop taking it personally.

Mouse milk potions have no business inside a GS engine. Or any engine, for that matter. For starters, they don't work.

That's nice you know the counter guy personally and you believe he means well. It still doesn't mean he has the slightest clue about the fundamental differences between your bike and the wheezing Chevy engines he's used to.

For example, your bike has a wet clutch (the clutch runs in engine oil) and there's a real chance the potion will cause your clutch to start slipping.

Many of these magic elixirs contain solvents that cause the rubber in worn seals and rubber gaskets to swell. This might help fix a leak for a little while, but the swollen seals are also very soft, and will quickly start leaking worse than before. The seals on your GS were not leaking, but the potion might damage them.

If you haven't dumped in the bear grease already, don't. If you have, drain the oil ASAP before you run the engine and get all that garbage out of there. You might need to do a couple of oil changes with cheap oil to flush it out if you ran the engine with the snake oil inside.

[chef1366]

Your clutch will slip with that stuff in there.
If the longer bolt does not bite into some good threads try a smaller diameter bolt with a nut. This trick works on the center two rear and front 24 bolt 1100 valve covers. If it goes into the head try a heli-coil.

[Calvin Blackmore]

MSDS on the product you used

MSDS is often helpful for seeing the actual chemistry of a given product
sometimes trade secrets mean proportions are not reveled but the actual componetns must be.

A search using the product name string you used gives one hit only:

http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=471&lc=MAC&pn=9912&desc=Motor+Oil+Additive

from the boiling point of the product (made by valvoline for NAPA no less) I would say that itll boil off and if absorbed by seals it will eventually be expurgated.

I one cleaned some sealer off a rubber valve train cover gasket with Isopropyl alcohol and to my chagrin it nearly doubled in its dimensions but returned to its proper original shape after a period of time. Im still using it no leaks and no spontaneous combustion.

so dont fear the fearful and overwrought things that were said.
drain the oil and get the machine properly fixed.

One wonders how bad the leak is....is it just a seeping or does the accumulating oil blow off the engiine and onto your leg fromt he slipstream? I had an issue like that onces and it was god awful painful.

I too had a stripped out bolt hole and got by with a Permatex product called Aviation Gasket Sealer. This must be used sparingly but it does not mix with oil and remains pliable and would be appplied directly to the area affected not passively delivers like a stop leak additive.


Now for my time in making lovely half-formed sentences I demand a pic of the bike and of the leak.

[slip]

Yeah, I would dump the oil, and maybe try the nut fix. If it still leaks, then just tap it out to a bigger size screw.

All's that went through my head hearing this talk of snake oil salesman, was that scene in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" where the snake oil salesman solicits Josey Wales, and he then proceeds to hock a nice big chewing tobacco luggy on the mans clean white shirt, and says to him, "hows it for tobacco stains?".

[zacheriaj]

Drove the bike 120 miles for the first time in years today. got her up to 75 and ran it good. She ran like a brand new bike. Ill put a video up soon. clutch is fine also btw.