oil leak again... bummed

[XJfan1]

so i had a leaking crank seal behind the stator and i did the automotive seal fix and it worked great untill last week and it is covering my left boot in oil again roughly 1500 miles on the new seal. i noticed when i was removing the old seal the i could move the crank side to side about a 1/8". im now guessing that is a bad thing. i didnt really think too much about it at the time. but now im wondering if the slop is what killed my new seal. i have never had a motorcycle engine apart down to the crank but i have rebuilt quite a few car engines and thats a death sentence for a v8. i havent took the stator apart yet to look but im guessing its not leaking around the the seal i did pull the outer cover and it definatly the crank seal leaking. has anyone ever seen this happen before? can main bearings be changed without completely disassembeling the engine? im wondering if it would be easier or cheaper to find a used xj motor to replace it with? the motor has always had a lower end rattle when it is warmed up. i guess i have been trying to ignore it. i love this bike and dont want to sell or part it out. any ideas fellas?

[DGXSER]

Well, movement of the crank that you can see is never a good thing. That is some seriously worn bearings. And no, I do not believe they can be changed without completely disassembling the engine. You will need to split the cases for sure. You might be able to leave the top end together, but I would suspect your going to want to freshen the top end up as well.

Easier, obviously would be replacing the engine. Cheaper is all a matter of what you can find, and how particular you are it be from an XJ versus an XS.

[trbig]

One thing is bearings, which is obviously a problem, but if you go the rebuild route, make sure you mic the crank as well. It'd be a shame to spend the money on bearings only to have it go bad again shortly after.

I really don't know what you're saying here?

i havent took the stator apart yet to look but im guessing its not leaking around the the seal i did pull the outer cover and it definatly the crank seal leaking.

BUT... replacing crank bearings is fairly easy and do-able. I can lead you through it step by step if needed, but basically you'll have to pull the motor and split the cases, which sounds bad to someone doing it the first time, but it's really pretty simple. They even number the bolts for you! Yes, you can do this job without completely disassembling the top end, though you'll need the cam chain adjuster out as well as the cams so you can pull the crank out.... unless you want to check your connecting rod bearings. I've never heard of one single case where those were bad and though I've replaced a few sets, they've all looked new still and only did it because I was right there and had them. Pulling the head and cylinders off can get to be quite a chore and much more involved than what you're talking of doing.

But yeah.. A used motor if you can find one cheap would definately be the easier option.

[3Phase]

Splitting the cases is easy, don't let it scare you!

Someone had gone into my '80G at some time in it's previous life and managed to gank the piston journals for #1 and #4, probably as they were putting the rods back on the crank. It made small divots on the rod journals at the TDC position of the crankshaft. Apparently that wasn't enough so they scored the machined surface of the cylinder head too just for grins.

The head was a simple fix with a glass plate and some sandpaper but the divots ate grooves in the rod bearing shells and pretty much wiped out the bearing material right down to the steel backing. The crankshaft was beyond anything short of welding it up oversize and grinding it back down so I just bought a previously owned crankshaft and fitted new main and rod bearing shells to the crank and case.

On the bright side I was able to put in two thrust bearing half-shells while the case was open so Columbo has a real thrust bearing instead of half of a thrust bearing.


Or you could just buy a used engine and skip all the fun!

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[XJfan1]

One thing is bearings, which is obviously a problem, but if you go the rebuild route, make sure you mic the crank as well. It'd be a shame to spend the money on bearings only to have it go bad again shortly after.

I really don't know what you're saying here?




BUT... replacing crank bearings is fairly easy and do-able. I can lead you through it step by step if needed, but basically you'll have to pull the motor and split the cases, which sounds bad to someone doing it the first time, but it's really pretty simple. They even number the bolts for you! Yes, you can do this job without completely disassembling the top end, though you'll need the cam chain adjuster out as well as the cams so you can pull the crank out.... unless you want to check your connecting rod bearings. I've never heard of one single case where those were bad and though I've replaced a few sets, they've all looked new still and only did it because I was right there and had them. Pulling the head and cylinders off can get to be quite a chore and much more involved than what you're talking of doing.

But yeah.. A used motor if you can find one cheap would definately be the easier option.

i was saying that i dont think the seal is leaking around the outer edge of the seal but rather the crank to seal mating surface

[XJfan1]

On the crank main bearings. What type are they a roller bearing or a automotive style flat bearing? after talking to you guys i may go ahead and pull the motor and split the case and see what exactly the issue is and go ahead and fix mine. with buying a used engine you really dont know what you are getting i know what i have with this motor and dont really want anymore headaches. thanks for the info guys

[3Phase]

The main and rod bearings are both plane bearings.

If you do decide to dive into the engine then take your time and try not to get distracted by other stuff while you work. Just walk away and do something else for a while if you start to get frustrated or tired and pick it up again later.

Don't be afraid to ask for help!

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