Oil Leak Pictures...... Any Ideas??
 

Just got back from a couple of days in Scotland with the missus. I checked and topped up the oil before we went. Ran smooth as you like and covered almost 600 miles. Got home and when I came to put the bike away I noticed a pool of oil underneath the bash plate. :eek1

I didn't start her up as I checked the dipstick and there was barely any oil on it so I wheeled her down to the garage and whipped off the tanks to have a better look.

I'd like like your views on a number of things; :ear

If the oil was low why didn't the warning light come on?

I know the TSB regarding the nuts on the top of the cylinders haven't been done could this be the cause of the leak? If so could I get a dealer to do the work?

If the oil pressure sensor is Kaputt could this also have caused the leak?

And finally any ideas on the cure?

I'm no whizz on the spanners, but I do my own servicing including the valve clearances and I'd like to tackle the job myself, I just need a bit of guidance. And what parts if any would I need?

Many Thanks in Advance :D

Left side

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3776.jpg

Front

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3775.jpg


Rear

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3777.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3778.jpg

Right side

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3779.jpg

Front

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3780.jpg

Rear

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...v/DSCF3782.jpg

We're going away into Europe in 5 weeks time and I could do with my confidence restoring :D

Hi Dee Gee
Check your Breather pipe at the air box end, if you have an early Adventure it may not have the non return valve fitted if not Fit one.
Second check the oil pressure switch, its just above the starter on the cylinder head, both of these are common oil leak areas.

Rick Nottingham.

Mine had the check valve in the breather pipe and had the same leaks as yours. Took the valve out and no more leaks. The valve will clog. So if you have a valve think about replacing it. I have been running without one for a month and the leaks are gone.

Steve

Cheers for the replies, so what's the course of action? Do I have to strip the heads down or just clean up the oil and check the breather pipes and fit a new oil pressure switch?

It's an 04 Adventure by the way.

I thought I had a bad base gasket and head gasket and had resigned myself to taking it apart.

After removing the valve, I cleaned up the motor with a good engine cleaner and have not had to do anything else since then.

I may need to look at reinstalling the valve if I find oil on the filter at the carb when I do my next valve adjust this weekend.

Oh mine is an 04 Adv also.

I'll bet those Scots tried to deep fry something in there while you weren't looking.... they'll eat deep fried anything! :lol3


Best way to tell is to taste it and see if you catch a hint of Mars bar or the like.



oh wait... this is a serious thread. Sorry.

Start with oil pressure(£6.78 i think) switch as Ricardo says,i swapped mine out at 25k miles. I had oil dripping fast!!This is a bitch to get to.
Clean up the engine area and go ride a few hundred miles.I did and mine looked like your engine only less oil so i changed my base gasket and found the studs that hold the cylinder on was corroded so the gasket was gone on mine. Another tell tale sign was that there was oil/crap in my coolant yet no coolant in my oil(my oil filter didn't have weavy pleats).

Any specs of oil/crap in ya expansion bottle?

Dunno about that, I'll have a look tomorrow.

I just took the tanks off to get a better look, took some snaps and posted and asked you guys on here.

Cheers so far fellas :D

I never got any pics of my expansion bottle but what it did look like was mould forming spores in there.When it(the coolant system) was emptied it was like sludge.

Cheers for the info, I'll order a pressure switch tomorrow and I'll have a look at the expansion bottle too.

I'll keep you informed.

As for the oil all over the casings? What's state of play? Just to clean them up best I can and do the checks you're suggesting or will I need to order some gaskets?

Sorry for all the dumb arsed questions, but I'm in a bit of a pickle and I need to get it sorted before we head off to Bulgaria.

I'd clean it off when i have done the oil pressure sensor.
When i did mine i used 'gunk' engine degreaser and finished off with TFR(traffic film remover) and the jetwash.
You dont need any gaskets to just change the oil pressure sensor.

Also,i'd get breakdown recovery for your Europe trip just in case the base gasket does let go big time.I was just about to board the ferry home when my oil pressure sensor went and it was about 3-500miles that i noticed the weeping from the base gasket so i changed it.

I aint no mechanic so if others say otherwise,use their advice.

Mine (05.5) had an improperly tightened oil pressure switch from new. It was difficult to tell where the oil was coming from though, as it wasn't really leaking much at idle (I thought it was a head gasket initially). After coating a few of the suspect areas in a little talcum powder, it was finally possible to diagnose the guilty party. Bike still smells great too!

Douf

For £7,i'd simply just change it since you'll have stripped the bike.

Exactly. I dropped my SE in the garage and when I picked it up I thought everything was cool. After riding it, I saw oil at the rear base gasket. Apparently, the drop made oil come into the airbox and it drained out the tube making it look like a leak. Just my experience.

Have you checked that the drain hose (the transparent one) hasnt become disconnected from the bottom of the air filter box?

I had similar symptoms to you last year and was convinced the head gasket had gone but it was oil blown through the crankcase breather hose that had run into the bottom of the filter box and run out onto the cylinder head because the drain hose had become detached.

Looked for all the world like a blown cylinder head gasket - I even stopped at a KTM dealer in Germany for a second opinion, and their mechanic - a beautiful little blonde girl with her arm in a plaster cast - agreed.

Pete