Oil leak diagnosis?

[datter]

Hi all. I got home from the office today and noticed a fair amount of oil on the engine of my bike. I first noticed it where the lower green arrow is pointing (though it doesn't show in the pic very well) then also in the recessed area where the upper green arrow is pointing. There's also a drip where the red arrow is, and I suspect that gasket is leaking for some reason or other.



The bike started running a bit rough yesterday, and just felt a bit different somehow so I think that's when it happened.

My question is, if I blew a gasket or something where that red arrow is pointing... how hard a thing to fix myself? Consider that it's getting colder out up here and I've got no garage to hole up in while I work.

I may end up topping it up with oil and running it over to the local shop, but I thought I'd see if there were any thoughts here first.

Thanks,
datter

[79XS11F]

check close up front at the cam chain tensioner and valve cover... oil there where your pointing to is likely being blown through the fin work from up front.
Rob

[datter]

Just back in after scanning it over with a flashlight. The oil doesn't appear to be coming from the front... still seems to be coming from the joint the red arrow is pointing to in the pic above.

[79XS11F]

Well that's your air in and there should be no oil there unless you have a badly blown valve stem seal and poor fitting valve stem on #4 intake. Also check the leading edge and back side edge of the valve cover in the spark plug area. To me it really looks like blown oil from somewhere else.
As to repair of the gasket at the boot to engine location.... remove the carbs and the boots and put in new gaskets. I usually apply gasket sealer to both sides of those gaskets for a GOOD seal. check your air box in case you drawing oil up from your crank case and .. DO you have an "oiled" air filter that was recently oiled?
If it was a blown head gasket you would hear squealing and sucking noises and the engine would run REAL poorly.
Rob

[trbig]

I had a leak like that on the other side over the #2 boot. It was the valve cover leaking on the forward side of the intake valves into the spark plug area as was stated. Wind would blow it back through to the back side. And I couldn't ever get it to leak at idle.. only under load. Go around the valve cover screws and give them all a little more "OOMPH"... especially in that area.. and see if something maybe vibrated loose.


Tod

[prometheus578]

Check and see what the plugs look like, especially #4... and do a compression check before tearing anything apart.
Interesting oil stain on the butterfly shaft end.

[DiverRay]

datter,
I had mine leak like that. It was a loose bolt on the valve cover, on the FRONT side. I would pull the tank, and give all the bolts a quick check. JMHO

[trbig]

Interesting oil stain on the butterfly shaft end.

I get the same stain on mine. It's the O-ring seeping just a bit and gas stains it after a while. A couple shots of carb cleaner cleans it right off. I need to replace the butterfly O-rings... but right now, I'd just like to keep the thing running for a while! I'll get it pretty later.


Tod