Oil seal on starter motor leaking

[Anonymous]

I noticed smoke coming from under the starter motor cover a few days ago. When I lifted the cover I could see oil being blown out of where the motor goes into the back of the stator cover. I called the Suzuki dealer to order the seal and he said he could only see an O-ring over the motor spindle on the microfiche.

I'll take the stator cover off tomorrow and see if there is a seal in there, something is allowing the blowby to happen. But I wonder if anyone else has had this problem and how you dealt with the crankcase pressure that seems to be behind it.

Many thanks
Kim

[Hap Call]

Re: Oil seal on starter motor leaking

I noticed smoke coming from under the starter motor cover a few days ago. When I lifted the cover I could see oil being blown out of where the motor goes into the back of the stator cover. I called the Suzuki dealer to order the seal and he said he could only see an O-ring over the motor spindle on the microfiche.

I'll take the stator cover off tomorrow and see if there is a seal in there, something is allowing the blowby to happen. But I wonder if anyone else has had this problem and how you dealt with the crankcase pressure that seems to be behind it.

Many thanks
Kim

Kim there is a seal but it is on the starter motor around the output shaft. You can get it (and the o-ring) for A LOT less at an industrial bearing outlet like Motion Industries or Applied Industrial Technologies or any local bearing shop. It will be less expensive and they will have it in stock. I had this same problem and had to change both the seal and the o-ring.

Hap

[argonsagas]

I have forgotten which bike you drive, but there will always be a seal inside the stator cover. On my 1100 there is a seal inside, and then a stator cover gasket as well

If you have not removed the cover before, you do it with bare hands on a cool engine. Be sure to wash your hands and dry them well before opening it, and be sure the cover is also clean and dry. Makes it a lot easier, as the magnets are strong.

Small note....the bolts are of several different lengths ....

To avoid confusion with sizes, get a piece of cardboard or a small box and punch a single line of holes in it. Mark the first bolt hole for reference, on the cardboard and on the engine. When you remove the cover bolts do them in sequence and put each bolt in a hole consecutively. Install them in reverse order.

[Anonymous]

Thanks folks, I'm now off to lift the cover and get things smokeless again.

Kim
Saturday morning and I would rather be riding than fixing.

[argonsagas]

Good luck, Kim. Anytime is a good time to quit smoking.

Saturday is undecided for me....have not yet been informed if I am going to a Highland Games or a pig roast, but while you are lifting a cover, I assure you I will NOT be lifting a kilt!

[Anonymous]

One problem solved

Well, I pulled the starter motor out and found it has a non-removable oil seal on the spindle (without doing a full motor pull-down), and an O-ring on the spindle housing where it goes through the cover to the starter clutch idler gear. The O-ring was flattened off inside and out from twenty years of sitting there waiting to go riding.

I also found one starter motor mounting bolt loose, so the motor might have been moving a little and wearing the O-ring even more.

It cost a whole .50c for the new bit (last of the big spenders) and the thing is now sealing properly.

I also found that the slot in the housing where the starter cable and crankcase vent tube run into that area allows heaps of stuff, like sand and lost washers to collect. It was half an inch deep in grot so a minute or two with the vacuum cleaner was added into an easy morning fixit. The vent tube runs down a hole under the starter motor, directly through to ground, you can see the hole under the sump with a bit of lying in the dirt.

Then the weather clouded over, it started to rain (very cold) and then hail. The bike can wait for the sun again before a road check.

Fair Weather Kim