Mystery oil leak

[MrZig]

It's on my 1982 GS400 engine.

Basically what's happening is this: after a ride, and only after a ride, I get oil all over the left side exhaust, oil pan, and all inside the sprocket cover. Everything in there is covered in oil. I also get a little puddle underneath the bike. There is also oil sitting on the left side of the starter cover.

I took the sprocket cover off, took the sprocket off, and that metal plate holding the two seals in. Cleaned everything up nice, and started her up and ran it for awhile with no signs of leakage from anywhere. The only hint of any leakage was if I pulled and pushed on the grommet around the 3 stator wires - there was a bit of oil around the edges of that.

It seems to only happen after I'm riding. What confuses me is the oil on top of the starter motor cover - could that be from the oil hitting the chain and flinging off it? Or something more sinister..

[MrZig]

Took the cover off again today and looked around and I can see oil accumulating around and below the stator wire grommet. I think that is my issue.

Is this grommet replacable, or should I take the stator cover off, clean the area good, and throw some RTV around it?

[onchiman]

Check the cam chain tensioner on the back of the cylinder block. Sometimes the seals go bad and oil will drip directly onto the starter motor cover and migrate from there.

[bwringer]

Took the cover off again today and looked around and I can see oil accumulating around and below the stator wire grommet. I think that is my issue.

Is this grommet replacable, or should I take the stator cover off, clean the area good, and throw some RTV around it?

Yes, the grommet shrinks with time, heat and age. It's not separately available or replaceable.

A little RTV will work as long as you're careful not to get any of that evil crap inside the engine.


Also, replace the o-ring on the nose of the starter. This is a very common leak, and very easy to fix.

[MrZig]

No oil is leaking from the tensioner that I know of.

Yes, the grommet shrinks with time, heat and age. It's not separately available or replaceable.

A little RTV will work as long as you're careful not to get any of that evil crap inside the engine.


Also, replace the o-ring on the nose of the starter. This is a very common leak, and very easy to fix.

I'll try the RTV next opportunity I get. Is the O-ring a special order size, or can I find one at a hardware store? Also how do you replace it, just unscrew the starter, pull it out, replace o ring, replace starter?