Oozing Under Pressure

[XS-IVE1100]

Hey Guys,

Here's my issue .. is there an additve that can be used to stop a pressure leak (oil) ?

It has come to my attention that when I run at higher speeds I have a pressure leak at the base gasket. I have consulted my guy about it. His response was " it really would not be worth doing anything unless you do a rebuild ". If I do that I might as well go ahead and have an "XS1179", if you know what I mean. I can't do that right now becuase I am expecting my first child. I'm not worried about having to sell it, but modifications are not in the cards right now. Fortunately, she runs out real strong.

My 2 choices are:

1. Find a way to put a band aid on a bullet wound by using an additive of some sort
2. Don't hold it at 110 mph going out I-985 towards Gainesville, Ga (apprx. 20 miles)

(Personally, I enjoy my runs up I-985)

[Snow]

Perhaps you should check your oil pickup screen? maybe a retorquing of the of the head nuts might help?

[Ken Talbot]

I can almost guarantee that your base gasket is not leaking. I just went through this same scenario with Yukonman a while back. You oil is probably coming from the cam chain adjuster on the front side of the motor. The hot oil gets picked up by the air blowing through the cooling passeges between the cylinders, it gets to the back a couple of fins above the base gasket, then it seeps back down all over the back of the motor. I'll bet there is also a build up of sand and grit on the top of the crankcase. Poke around under your carbs with a q-tip and a flashlight and have a really close look where the oil is. I'm sure you will be able to trace it forward to the adjuster.

[Dragonrider]

Also double and triple check the pressure oil line on the back of the engine. No cracks, make sure it actually has the copper washer gaskets, make sure it is tight.

Check my experience at

SPI Bikefest

I would have bet money it was the base gasket, but it was not. Also note that there are no pressure oil passages that flow from the base up the cylinders to the head...the pressure oil comes up in the connecting line. All the oil passages actually in the head/jugs is return oil.

[mitch]

wow!!!!!!!

Hey that was one of the best rides i have been on !! lol Man can u ever write loved thebike fest. Keep the stories coming. regards Mitch

[harvdog42]

Good Question,

I logged on to ask the very same question and there it was at the top of the list.

My oil leak is small but irritating. I reused my old head gasket when I did a valve job and now there is a leak.

I believe the oil is coming from around the opening for the cam chain.

I wanted to know the same thing?...Is there some kind of oil additive that will plug a minute oil leak?

If not I'm hoping some crud will get in there and plug the leak.

Jim

[Geezer]

If you reuse gaskets this is a risk you have to accept. I'd say live with it until winter if it's not to bad then tear it down over the winter months and fix it right.

Geezer

Originally posted by harvdog42
Good Question,

I logged on to ask the very same question and there it was at the top of the list.

My oil leak is small but irritating. I reused my old head gasket when I did a valve job and now there is a leak.

I believe the oil is coming from around the opening for the cam chain.

I wanted to know the same thing?...Is there some kind of oil additive that will plug a minute oil leak?

If not I'm hoping some crud will get in there and plug the leak.

Jim

[XS-IVE1100]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replies, but there is not a second hand gasket involved. I'm sure the leak is coming from the back of the cylinders from the base gasket in the middle.

I'm going to check the torque on the cylinder bolts that run into the crankcase. By there being different kinds of metal being heating up and cooling down (expanding and contracting) maybe I can get out of this fairly cleanly. The bolts are exposed pretty good so there's not a lot of digging involved with that.

So, the quest for quickness continues, along with alittle better handling. I'll keep you guys posted

[Geezer]

Before tearing into an engine to fix an oil leak, make very sure where the leak is coming from. You may be right and the base gasket is leaking. It's not like I've never seen that before but every XS11 I've worked on has leaked from the cam chain tensioner.

Clean it up the best you can. Spray some degreaser on the front of the cylinders and head and then pressure wash the hell out of it. I’ve see cruddy cylinders that weren’t cleaned properly ooze oil for a long time even though all of the oil leaks were fixed. This wasn’t on Yamahas but the theory holds true.

Geezer

[Ken Talbot]

I'm not giving up yet on trying to convince you your base gasket is not leaking.

Think about it this way. There is a large mating surface at the base gasket and with the head and cylinders bolted down, there is no movement between the crankcase and the cylinders. As well, there is very little pressure inside the crankcase. OTOH, there is a great deal of pressure inside the cylinders. If the head bolts were loose enough to allow leakage at the large mating surface at the low pressure contact area between the crankcase and the bottom of the cylinders, you can bet there would be lots of leakage at the upper end at the head gasket where there is lots of pressure. Both surfaces are held tight together by the same set of bolts.

In addition to Geezer's observation that most XS11s leak oil from the cam chain adjuster (either from the rubber plug or from its gasket), leaks from the cam cover gssket are also very common. Here is a repost of a another note from a few years back dealing with that possibility:

From: Ken Talbot <kmtalbot@cablelan.net>
To: xs11@egroups.com
Subject: Oil leak from base gasket?
Date sent: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 18:54:34 -0700

Probably not, Michael, not when you see how far the cylinder
barrels go down into the crankcase...

http://www.rctvonline.net/xs11/oil_leak/dsc01189.jpg

Note the remnants of orange goop that a PO thought would cure
his oil leak.

More likely, the cam cover gasket is leaking somewhere in the
middle of the "H", either from a broken gasket or from a loose cover
bolt....

http://www.rctvonline.net/xs11/oil_leak/dsc01190.jpg

The oil dribbles out and seeps down onto the top of the cylinder
heads. It pools a bit there, then when you accelerate, it flows
gently to the rear and out one of the drain holes just inside of the
#2 or #3 intake port.

http://www.rctcvonline.net/xs11/oil_leak/dsc01191.jpg

From here, it collects on top of the crankcase, just where you think
it would be if it was coming from the base gasket.

Try sticking a q-tip into each of these drain holes and see if you
strike oil...

Ken Talbot

On 23 Aug 2000, at 15:49, Michael J wrote:
> I got a small leak at the base gasket on the back side in the middle.
> I've heard others comment about a leak there. Is it possible that the
> hyvo is slingin oil against the base of the cyl and eventually causing
> a leak here? If so, maybe when you do a teardown a little dab of
> silicon would help to fight that hot oil off?

If you go ahead and pull the cam cover off to check the head bolts, you can be pretty sure you are going to damage the cam cover gasket and possibly start a leak where there wasn't one before.

Like Geezer, I'm still betting on the cam chain adjuster....