Please Help With My Leak!

[XSWild34]

Hello I just recently bought a 79 xs1100 special and have noticed a few oil leaks and I'm not sure where to start. I don't have any motorcycle repair knowledge and would really appreciate some direction. The one I'm most worried about looks like it is coming from the cylinder but from what i've read they usually don't leak from there its usually from somewhere else. The other leak looks to be the cam chain tensioner leak so i'm gonna get some sealant and try to seal that one up but I really need help with the other one. Also when I start the engine up there is a little bit of smoke in the exhaus thats why a I am mostly worried. Like I said I have no experience in motorcycle repair so any and all help will be greatly appreciated. Also I may ask some very noob questions so don't be alarmed when I do. So if you can read through this huge paragraph and make any sense pleae help

[lee_dutcher]

looks like a bad gasket on your bottom jug.. doesn't look to bad. remember this bikes are old so u should be to worried about a small leak... if it wer me I would split the case and replace the gasket. but first I would clean that area up really good the ride her for a couple hundred miles an monitor that area... if there isn't a lot of oil then I wouldn't worry. as for the smoke coming from the exhaust if its blue ur burning oil....which mean some oil leaked past the valves ( valve guide ) and got burn durning operation. once again nothing uncommon for an older bike. just check the oil once in a while to make sure u don't run dry...then u would have a problem...hope that helps

[bikerphil]

If the front of the engine is leaking, sometimes the oil blows back thru the cooling fin passages and will appear to be leaking in the rear.

[XSWild34]

Alright I cleaned it up and I will monitor it and see how much it leaks I will post anything I find. Is the somke in the exhaust nothing I really need to get fixed? If I need to fix it how hard is it and what kind of costs are involved? The base gasket seems pretty straight forward, just pull everything off and replace the gasket but maybe I'm wrong.

[mack]

welcome

Couple things come to mind. First if you don't have a manual, go on catatonicbugs site and download one. How many miles on your big dude. Is it your first ride? Go to the maintenance section on this site and look up what to look for when your first get a used bike. How to do everything listed is in the manual but all your questions will be answered by very knowledgable members here. But for the most part these bikes are very easy to work on. You will need some tools. Probably a few members close to you who will help you over a tuff spot or two if you have access to a couple cold ones. As for your your original concerns, clean it, ride it, and watch it. AFTER you address the brakes, tires and check for loose nuts and such.

[XSWild34]

Hey thanks for the advice. I do have a manual the guy I bought it from had one and gave it to me. It has close to 48k miles on it. It might as well be my first bike I did have a 250cc bike for a bit but just to learn. Thanks for the info about the maintenance on used bikes I will definitely ckeck it out and go through everything. I can't do anything that will take more than a weekend right now because my car is not working so I will be driving this everyday. So from what I'm getting the leaks don't seem to be too much of a concern right now is that right? Thanks again for all the response.

[mack]

Misc tips

Had to look for it but it's listed in misc tips, " what to look for on a neglected XS/XJ". Top Cat has a great fuse box for cheap.

[DGXSER]

Other possibility is the oil pressure switch there. That round looking muchroom kind of thing. That is the oil pressure switch. It might be leaking.

As to the smoke in the exhaust, well, what color is the exhaust smoke? Does it go away after you run it for a bit? Have you run a compression check?

Color of smoke and if it continues after warm up helps alot in figuring out what it is. Also, does it only come back after sitting a while or a few days?

[natemoen]

By where the oil is there I would be willing to bet that it is all from the cam chain tensioner. Just be VERY careful when pulling that out and follow the procedure in the manual and do some reading here about it before you do it.

As to the smoke. How long had it sat before you bought it? How many moles have you pit on it? If it sat for quite some time then the smoke will quite possibly clear up over a few hunderade mile.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Wild,

Do NOT remove the Cam Chain Tensioner before reading this entire 7 page thread!

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22488&highlight=defeated

It explains the pitfalls that can occur when removing the CCT housing without ensuring that the cam chain tension/slack is taken up at the top end so it doesn't skip a tooth or more on the crankshaft sprocket!

Not trying to scare you, but this is one of the more critical type of repairs that can ruin your day quickly if you aren't careful and meticulous/methodical.

T.C.

[James England]

Even if that leak is from the cylinder base gasket, I wouldn't take it apart to fix it. It looks like an oil weep, rather than what I'd call a leak. Also, if you are inexperienced at taking engines apart, you may find that 'fixing' the problem makes things worse. Yes, I know we all have to start somewhere but, to a novice, stripping the engine as far as removing the cylinders is a big job IMO.

I've stripped three of these engines recently and, on all three, getting the cylinders off the crankcases was extremely hard. There are numerous threads on here about how to get them off. On one engine, which had been trashed beyond all help by the PO trying to get the barrels off, I actually used a crowbar and still didn't succeed.

Looking at the oil pix, I'd agree with other responses... it's a 30 year old bike, it's only a weep and there's a possibility that it's coming through from the camchain tensioner by blowing through the fins.

Agreed, re the possibility of it being the 'mushroom'! Also, check the banjo union of the oil feed pipe

I definitely would not strip the engine and attempt to remove the barrels just in order to rectify the oil leak/weep

[XSWild34]

Thanks for all the replies. So to fix the cam chain tensioner leak do I actually need to remove anything or should I just get some sealant and try and plug the leak that way? The smoke is white for only about a second when I first start it up, when I first got it it didn't do it but after leaving the petcocks in the on position one night and waking to a pool of gasoline on my garage floor it started to do it so I don't know if it could be from that or not.

[natemoen]

Well it really depends on where on the tensionet it leaks. It can come from the gasket surface, the tension bolt on the side, or the end plug. Only if it leaks from the gasket surface would it need to be removed. The bolt has a little o-ring and the end plug can just be cleaned and coated with rtv.

If you do need to remove it look into getting an auto tensioner.

[TopCatGr58]

Warning will robinson!!!!!!

Hey Bill,

STOP...do NOT RUN THE ENGINE ANYMORE until you check the OIL for presence of fuel contamination!!

Aside from the fuel leaking out the back side of the carbs into the airbox, it also flows forward into the intake throat, into one of the cylinders that could have had an intake valve open, and down past the rings and into the engine!

It will damage your bearings very quickly!!

Stick a stick into the oil thru the crankcase filler opening, pull it out, step away from the bike, and then try to light the oil with a lighter/match! IF it lights/burns...then it's contaminated and you'll need to change the oil/filter before running it again!

This points to another problem...your carbs float needles/seats are not sealing properly, and you'll need to fix them. If they were working properly, leaving the petcocks on would NOT have caused a leak! And leaking carbs can contribute to poor performance due to flooding carbs while running.

T.C.

[skids]

Hey Wild,
Do NOT remove the Cam Chain Tensioner before reading this entire 7 page thread!

I think somewhere I read (Clymers?) that you can stick your finger in the tensioner hole while someone turns the crank with a wrench. Don't believe that! The valve springs are too strong...unless you are superman.