Oil Leak - the problems continue on the '84 XJ11

[jamatta]

Hey guys, I return for this weeks bike problem. There is still snow on the ground here in New Brunswick, but I decided that since today was sunny and I was off work, I would do an oil change. I cannot get the oil filter cover off at all. Tried some of the household tricks and some liquid wretch to try and loosen it, but gave up. That is not so much my most pressing issue at this time.

The oil had been drained out (or leaked out) for winter storage by the previous owner (I have had this bike for only about 3 weeks) I couldn't quite tell through the little window if there was any oil or not. I took out the drain plug and nothing ran out. So, I added about a bottle and started it up for a couple seconds just to see. While it was running, oil began spitting and spraying out of the exhaust, under the bike. I have attached a photo. Is there a gasket in this area that could be bad? It looks like a joint so there must be a way to seal it back up. Any advice? Should I just bring it to a mechanic?

Thanks for your time

[XSPastor]

Hmmmm...

Oil should never spit or spray out of the exhaust! Maybe it was just condensated water in the exhaust. It might have gotten in there and frozen. I very much doubt that oil is coming out the exhaust but, if it is, you have major engine damage. Evidently, the crossover pipe clamp is loose. You might try to tighten that. What did it sound like when it was running? No oil in it at all? Once you get it properly filled with oil, I would run it for a bit to see if the exhaust problem works itself out. If it's just water, it should evaporate after a few minutes. After you added oil, did it show in the window?

[jamatta]

just spent the rest of the afternoon looking it over....definately is my new oil that is coming out the cross over pipe. Checked and tightened the clamp, but regardless, like you say, can't be good to have oil going directly into the exhaust.

Can someone give me a step by step ...do this troubleshooting type guide to figure out a cause. Keep in mind I am a real newbie, can't stress that enough.

[Jerry]

I agre with Tim...the photo is of one of the exhaust crossover pipe clamps. No gasket there, and you should not be getting oil out of it.

However, there is a point on the SXS/XJ that a couple of us have had problems with. If you remove the alternator cover on the bike's right side, there is a snall plug below the crankshaft at the bottom of the engine. If oil begins leaking out of this plug (which has an O-ring on it) then the oil drips down on the exhaust pipe and blows backtoward the joint you photographed.

The fix is to remove the plug, replace the O-ring, and reassemble. I also put some gasket sealant on the replacment O-ring and put some more in on top of the plug, basically sealing the passage from the outside.

This would not explain oil leaking out when the bike is not running, though. Oil capacity is just under 4 US quarts, I think 3.8 liter is the figure. As far as removing the oil filter bolt that holds the filter cover in place, this is a common problem. Use the Search tab at the top of your screen and search for - oil filter bolt - and you will get several ideas on how to remove it. Bolt will probably get destroyed in the processs, so have a replacement on-hand before you try any of the techniques mentioned.

These machines generally do not leak a lot of oil, so to have lost a full crankcase to leakage would be highly unusuall. I suggest you remove the oil filler plug and shine a light down the filler hole, then look to see if you can see oil in the oil port window located below the filler plug. With the bike on the center stand, fill with oil until the level reaches the high mark that is located to the right of the oil window. Start the bike and check for leaks.

Another source of oil leakage when the bike is running is the cam chain adjuster, located at the front of the engine. It sticks out below the cylinder head and has a smal bolt coming out of the side. There is supposed to be a plug at the end of the adjuster; this plug has been known to fall out. Replacment plugs are available from Yamaha, but just about anything can be used to cover the end of the adjuster and prevent oil leakage. Again, do a search for - oil leak - and you will see how others have addressed this problem.

Finally, a word of caution: The crank case oil drain bolt and the middle gear drain bolt have sometimes been confused. When you say you pulled the plug and nothing came out, yet when you started the motor oil began to spray out, I wonder if you pulled the wrong bolt? The middle gear has been know to run dry with disaterous consequences. The oil filter plug is at the front of the oil sump and points forward, not down. The middle gear plug is behind the oil filter and points down. By all means, check the middle gear oil level! There is a gauge in the tool kit to do this, or search on - middle drive - to get instructions from this list. If you have an Owner's manual it will also tell you how to check the level.

[jamatta]

there is a snall plug below the crankshaft at the bottom of the engine. If oil begins leaking out of this plug (which has an O-ring on it) then the oil drips down on the exhaust pipe and blows backtoward the joint you photographed.

The fix is to remove the plug, replace the O-ring, and reassemble. I also put some gasket sealant on the replacment O-ring and put some more in on top of the plug, basically sealing the passage from the outside.

I will definately check this tomorrow

This would not explain oil leaking out when the bike is not running, though.

I think I might have been unclear, there is no leaking oil when the bike is off. Only when the bike is running

Another source of oil leakage when the bike is running is the cam chain adjuster, located at the front of the engine. Replacment plugs are available from Yamaha

I was missing mine, and have a replacement waiting for me at Yamaha. I'm quite certain that the current leak is not from here, but at some point there was, so I purchased a plug to rule that out.

Finally, a word of caution: The crank case oil drain bolt and the middle gear drain bolt have sometimes been confused. When you say you pulled the plug and nothing came out, yet when you started the motor oil began to spray out, I wonder if you pulled the wrong bolt?

I did double check the manual and the bolt was the one that points forward. I haven't checked the middle gear yet, so with definately also be checking that tomorrow.

I appreciate the time you guys take to reply. Hopefully I'll learn enough throughout the process of getting my bike running and working to pay it forward and help someone else out.

[Ivan]

On getting the oil filter bolt loose:

That is a steel bolt that threads int an aluminum block. Normally, you can use the heat of the engine to work for you since aluminum expands more than steel at a given temperature. I would run the engine and get it all nice and warm then try the bolt again.

However...

If you are spraying oil out the exhaust, you may not be able to do this. How long has the bike been stagnant since you tried to start it? If it has been several years, there is a chance that the oil rings have coked up (gotten carbon deposits on them) and are not sealing well any more. Usually some food fuel system treatment will free this type of thing up after a few miles of driving. I have even used Automatic Transmission Fluid in the fuel to take care of the problem, since ATF is really high detergent stuff. Seafoam or Techron should work as well. GM made some "Combustion Chamber Cleaner" that worked really well, but man did it make a bunch of nasty smelling smoke. Basically you poured this snot looking stuff down the carb while the engine was running, and then used the last half of the can to flood the engine. Crank it over a couple times to distribute, and let it sit over night. Next morning, start it up and let it run until warm. You could pull a plug and look into the cylinders with a bore scope and they looked like new metal. If you go this route, using vacuum lines to the synch nipples would be the way to go, since it is hard to pour liquids sideways. Just let the engine vacuum pull the ATF or "Engine Snot" into the engine. Not too fast, and definitely not in the garage.

Whew... Ok. If it isn't stuck oil rings, then you have cylinder troubles. There can be a small amount of oil from valve seals, but that usually is a small puff of oil smoke on start up that clears away. Spitting oil out the exhaust is not valve seals. I would pop each tube of the exhaust off the head and look for a wet stack. That would tell you which cylinder to look into. Chances are the plug would be carbon fouled and not wet with oil, so that isn't that good of a test. If you find a wet stack, get someone with a bore scope to look through the plug hole to see if there are scored cylinder walls or foriegn object damage in the cylinder.

Hope all that mumbo jumbo helps you some how

[jamatta]

However, there is a point on the SXS/XJ that a couple of us have had problems with. If you remove the alternator cover on the bike's right side, there is a snall plug below the crankshaft at the bottom of the engine. If oil begins leaking out of this plug (which has an O-ring on it) then the oil drips down on the exhaust pipe and blows backtoward the joint you photographed.

I'm not sure were this is...I was out today and is it the cover just next to the foot peg with like 10 or so hex screws and the cable attached (right side while sitting on the bike) The one with the oil window?

I took them all out, but the cover wasn't coming off on its own so I didn't mess with it just in case. If I need to pry it a bit, i will, but I wanted to check first.

Also, I took off the mufflers let the oil/water drain out....definately the stuff that drained out was not pure oil. I ran the bike without them on and did not notice any of the oil coming out of the pipe from the ?manifold or header? anyway put them back on and it started again at the joints. So I am lost.

[DiverRay]

I'm not sure were this is...I was out today and is it the cover just next to the foot peg with like 10 or so hex screws and the cable attached (right side while sitting on the bike) The one with the oil window?

The cover is in FRONT of that one. It is the right side CRANK cover, held in place with 4 bolts, IIRC.
I would also check your oil filter housing, as you may have the "O" ring pinched, and that WILL leak! if it's at the rear of the filter housing, it may be "spraying" on the cross over pipe. Just fire it up on the center stand, and look to see if you have oil dripping while it idles. Just do NOT idle for more that five to ten minutes without a fan to cool the engine.

[jamatta]

glad i didnt proceed with prying that cover off...

I wish I could get the oil filter cover off but I am one of the ones with the stripped bolt. I will try to use the tips tricks on this site to get that off and check, if I can.

[bikerphil]

If you remove the right side alternator cover, DO NOT remove the 3 center bolts, just the outer ones. Your stator might be hard to get centered. No need to remove those center three.

[bikerphil]

Sorry, XJ is different than XS.

[DGXSER]

Have you considered your middle drive vent as the source and that it may be gear oil and not engine oil? Will look very much the same on the floor.