There's a hole in the engine, dear Liza, dear Liza.

[errorcauser]

I see you've got your link working now. What you're seeing im pretty sure is a drain hole.

[burp reynolds]

I see you've got your link working now. What you're seeing im pretty sure is a drain hole.

Thank you. I am aware of that now, thanks to asetech and rustybronco.

So, I pulled out the starter, cleaned all of the gravel, oil and dead hornets out of the chamber, cut a small slice out of a 25mm bicycle inner tube to slip between the groove in the starter and the oring, replaced the starter, and took the bike around the block. Pretty soon the rear tire was sliding around again whenever I turned left, so I headed back to the garage and revved the engine while I watched inside the starter chamber. Pretty soon I saw a geyser of oil spashing out of the hole that the wires were coming out of the stator compartment through.

So. Is there supposed to be oil in the stator compartment? If so, should it be gushing out of the hole the wires are routed through?

[renobruce]

Yes, there should be oil in there. There should also be a rubber grommet that the wires pass through where they come out to keep it from leaking.

[Macmatic]

So. Is there supposed to be oil in the stator compartment? If so, should it be gushing out of the hole the wires are routed through?

Yes.
No.

Have you had the stator out? The wires (On an OE stator) pass thought a moulded on rubber plug that may have hardened or not been put back in place properly at some point...

Use some locktite on that nut as well or get a nyloc nut. Not nylon, a metal nut with a nylon inset. I think that is the OE type. And bend the carp out of that washer.

I think I'd still be trying to pick my pants out of my crack if I found my sprocket nut missing!

/\/\ac

[burp reynolds]

Yes.
No.

Have you had the stator out? The wires (On an OE stator) pass thought a moulded on rubber plug that may have hardened or not been put back in place properly at some point...

Use some locktite on that nut as well or get a nyloc nut. Not nylon, a metal nut with a nylon inset. I think that is the OE type. And bend the carp out of that washer.

I think I'd still be trying to pick my pants out of my crack if I found my sprocket nut missing!

/\/\ac

Thank you, RenoBruce, and thank you Macmatic. I can't imagine how this happened, but that grommet is just plain not there. I guess I'm going to look for it down inside. I haven't had the stator case open in a year. I was fooling with the starter quite a bit back then, but that is the only time that the plug could have gone missing. So if it had no trouble holding oil until recently, there must be more to the story.

Does anyone think that the flow of the oil has been obstructed somewhere, and that the oil pump doesn't know what to do with the oil except to blow it out this hole (and possible one other spot at the back of the engine. I have to look into that as soon as this gusher is fixed and I can clean the engine again)? Perhaps I should have changed the oil filter last oil change or something?

[chef1366]

Who the hell is Liza?

[burp reynolds]

Who the hell is Liza?

Somebody finally weighs in on my lame joke.

I'll let these two explain.

[chef1366]

Somebody finally weighs in on my lame joke.

I'll let these two explain.

You must have small children or

[burp reynolds]

You must have small children or

Nope, just a strange assortment of recollections from my own childhood.

[Charlie G]

Kingston trio or Smothers brothers? I can't remember which. Not small children but of an "AGE". "With straw, dear Henry!"

cg

[chef1366]

Ricky Nelson.

[salty_monk]

I knew it... the answer had to be straw with a title like that.

[burp reynolds]

The wires (On an OE stator) pass thought a moulded on rubber plug that may have hardened or not been put back in place properly at some point...
/\/\ac

Hey, let me ask you guys something. Not to get back on topic or anything, but that moulded rubber plug that the stator wires pass through was definitely intact, felt pliable, and had a good firm seal against the cutout in the stator compartment. The gasket was fussed to the edge of the stator cover the whole way around, but not to the rubber grommet.

Is there a chance that the fact that oil was pushing its way past this grommet could have something to do with the fact that I had about an extra quart or two of oil in the engine? It's so damn hard to see through that browned glass window on the clutch cover, you know?

[Update] I just cleaned 30 years worth of crud off of the oil window, so, like, don't...uh, shun me or anything. Guys? Guys?

[Macmatic]

Hey, let me ask you guys something. Not to get back on topic or anything, but that moulded rubber plug that the stator wires pass through was definitely intact, felt pliable, and had a good firm seal against the cutout in the stator compartment. The gasket was fussed to the edge of the stator cover the whole way around, but not to the rubber grommet.

Is there a chance that the fact that oil was pushing its way past this grommet could have something to do with the fact that I had about an extra quart or two of oil in the engine? It's so damn hard to see through that browned glass window on the clutch cover, you know?

[Update] I just cleaned 30 years worth of crud off of the oil window, so, like, don't...uh, shun me or anything. Guys? Guys?

Well I'm sure your account will be deleted and your IP blocked soon but maybe you'll have time to read this first. ( )

Yeah, I'd guess all that extra oil is probably the root of the problem... Excess oil = excess crankcase pressure = the weak link going. Could have been something more fun I'm sure but you were lucky it sounds like.

Maybe a little Yamabond on that moulded grommet would keep it from leaking if the fit isn't good but someone else may have a better idea.

/\/\ac - Of the Useless Sightglass Gang