Need Help

[turbo loco]

I opened up the the box holding it. is there supposed to be oil inside there to lubricate or something? if not there was a hell of a lot of oil in the box. I started it to see if it was leaking when it started and sure enough it spurted oil out. again im not sure if this is a normal thing or if its a problem. i opened the panel that the shifter is connected to, am i in the right area? this appears to be the only place oil is leaking

[DGXSER]

First, I hope I read that wrong and you did not start the engine with the shift cover removed. Perhaps you meant you rmeoved the shift lever and started the bike.

If oil was leaking out of the panel where the shifter attaches, at the shaft that shifter mounts to, that is a seal that can be replaced. Either way, you will need to remove the cover. There is oil behind that cover unless you either drain the oil, or lean the bike over to the right side. If you look at the level of the site glass in the clutch cover on the left side, and think oil is at that level all the way around the engine, you can see it could be at the level of the shift lever or close.

If oil was leaking from the edges of that cover, then remove it, clean the surfaces and use a new gasket of some sort. Honestly, I have cut a few gaskets from good material for that cover and never got them to stop leaking. I finally decided to use RTV gasket on it, and it sealed great ever since.

[turbo loco]

no i mean i removed the cover that has the actual shifter on the bottom right. i know im sure this was completely stupid but i have no idea what im doing im just looking for the source of the problem. so when i started the bike it ran and just spurted oil. normal? not normal for oil to be in that compartment? if so im not sure if that is the source of the leak. should i just drain the remaining oil, wash the bike, add more oil, and give it a whirl?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Turbo,

Check out this link on this site:
http://www.xs11.com/xs11-info/tech-t...pictorial.html

Yes, that chamber is an oil chamber. If you haven't , find Catatonic Bug's posts, his signature, and download the manuals from the link in his sig.

See the photos in the above link, the shifter/lever and the shift pawl mesh with a set of gear/teeth, and there is an alignment dot that needs to match up on both parts when you put it back together. That shifter rod/lever slides easily in and out, and so you have to be careful putting the cover back on, so that you only push inward/towards the engine as you slide it into position. IF you have to wiggle it in and out, it can pull on the shift lever, and pull the gear/teeth apart causing them to fall out of alignment!!

I,too, have cut my own gaskets and they have worked just fine, but I've also applied a layer of sealant on them as well.....like that nice grey colored Yamabond or equivalent stuff.

T.C.

[turbo loco]

Thanks for the in depth help Cat. Now my question is what do I do about the leak could the draining help the leak that was causing it to smoke? or did i just bleed that shifter box for no reason?

[Toolmaker Tim]

Oil Leak

Well, ssince you have that cover off,you should replace the shifter shaft seal. Before you reassemble things, drain the oil out of the motor. Just wondering, how much oil came out when you took the cover off? Odds are there isn't enough in the motor now to safely start it.

[DGXSER]

If you pulled the cover, then t has drained all its going to. So unless you plan to change the oil anyway, no need to drain it.

If you replace the seal that Tim mentioned, and the gasket that seals the cover to the engine case, you you should resolve the leak if this was the issue.

Another source right there is the neutral switch that is underneath and just inside from that cover toward the front of the engine.

[turbo loco]

so i let it drain, got some sealer and gasket maker gonna let it dry then put some 15w50 in and see how it goes. Im pretty hopeful before i drained it all the way i started it, probably shouldnt have, but no smoking. maybe the pipe wasnt hot enough but when i touched it it felt like it was hot enough to burn the excess oil. only time will tell now. thanks again for everyones help.

[DGXSER]

Yeah...you REALLY DO NOT Want to run the engine without oil in it!!! You migh tbe better off taking handfulls of sand and dumping it into the engine. (and No...Do Not Do That either!!!)

Ok, not really, but the engine really does rely heavily on the oil to keep wear and heat down. Every now and then someone may start it empty just to see if it will start and then shut if right off. But letting it idle for more than a few seconds really can destroy an engine. Revving it with no oil...well...that aint to smart.

Years ago, back when you still needed to have a credit card to cash a check (yes you young folks, it REALLY did happen that way for a year or three.) I had no such cards, and then your ATM only worked at your bank...as in branch only. So I was cruising my Honda Civic Wagon with the CVCC engine in it that burned more oil than the gulf coast teams have yet, going about 75 or so down the highway. The oil light goes on, I have no money on me, and 30 miles to get home. Well, I decided to try my luck. I made it five miles before I heard a clunk that would make our trannies sound like a pin dropping on a cushion.

When I pulled off the highway (coasted off with the clutch in) and opened the hood, you could look into the engine through the hole where the rod had come through and see flames licking out!! And that is with water jackets helping to cool things off. So....an air cooled engine with no oil...not such a good idea!!!