Oil leaking out of header pipe

[Filley77]

1979 xs 1100 special I am leaking a little oil; out of what i think to be header pipe number 1. this is my first bike what i mean by header pipe number one is sitting on the bike left header pipe. I would appreciate any feedback that i could get on what is wrong.

[cajun31]

Hey Filey

Need more info and pictures if you can. Hard to diagnose without knowing more about the bike. How many miles are on the bike?
What all have you done to the bike in regards to normal maintenance? Has the bike always ran or has it sat up at all?

What you are describing as the header? Could be a number of reasons why you see oil and it would depend on exactly where you see the oil seeping? Like I said pictures would be a great help in this instance.

[skids]

Check the oil level in the crankcase. If you have a leaking carb it could be draining towards the cylinder and forced to the headpipe. Cruddy gas can look a lot like oil. You can check compression if there are doubts.

[Old Red]

Is it smoking out the exhaust?

The Other Earl

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Filley,

As has been stated, the more info the better, don't worry about being "long winded", we are trying to diagnose long distance, so as much info as you can provide will help us help you!

I'm going to assume that you since you say oil leaking from header pipe, that you actually have oil that is on the outside of the header where it is secured to the the head/engine. The header pipe should be sealed against the head with the use of exhaust gasket, and so EVEN IF you had oil leaking from around the exhaust valve seal, down past the valve guide, and onto the exhaust valve...it would /should only get blown down and out the exhaust pipe. IF the gasket were not sealing well, THEN you could possibly see the oil leak past the gasket and onto the OUTSIDE of the pipe...but this would be rare, and you should have noticed an EXHAUST leak pffft type sound while running moreso than a little oil leak.

SO....the more logical assumption is that oil is leaking from someplace else, and flowing/blowing/dripping down along the surface of the head and eventually onto the #1 exhaust header pipe. The most likely place is the valve cover gasket. Another source is the cam chain tensioner gasket and then wind blowing upward, as well as gravity to the #1 pipe since the bike leans that way when on the sidestand.

So...as suggested, ensure that you haven't overfilled the oil crankcase, or that it hasn't overfilled itself due to carbs float needles not sealing and allowing fuel to leak into the engine and down into the oil.

Next, you can use carb or brake cleaner to spray clean the area all around the pipe, and then run it a bit until you see the leak,then you can use corn starch or baby powder to sprinkle around to help mark the clean leaking oil and follow a leak path as the powder will stick to the fresh leaked oil.

T.C.

[donebysunday]

Just found the same thing on Horse with no name ? ? ? Oil getting into the exhaust and dripping from the header clamp lower bolt/nut.

[bikerphil]

Don, it may be leaking from either the cam cover or the chain tensioner and blowing/dripping onto the pipe.

[MPittma100]

Oil in Exhaust

Be sure that the engine oil level is correct in the (right side cover) sight glass - not over full. Sometimes gas will get into the oil and over fill the crankcase. The oil/gas mixture can then blow out through the crankcase vent into the air box and into the cylinders.

Gas gets in the oil from a leaking float valve/s which requires carburetor repair.

MP

[donebysunday]

Oil level is in between the lines closer to the lower line. The oil is dripping from the lower nut on the #1 header clamp, it appears to be good clean oil, high lubricity to the fingers and nearly clear. There is smoke out the Mac 4-1 when I rev. it after which it continues to smoke at idle and starts to drip out the header where it slips into the muffler joint. The bike has not been on the road for some time, carbs need sync, have not checked valves yet, compression is 160 on all.

[donebysunday]

Bike Pics

Showing the level that I use, where I first noticed the oil and the oil level in the sight glass.




This is baffling that it can even happen, a simple answer is just around the corner ? Thanks All ! Done

[Eastcoaster]

I am no expert. I had the same leak it was the valve seals. If my bike would sit more than a few days it would smoke like heck for about 10 minutes then clear up. As long as I used it every day it was fine if it sat a few days oil would drip from the same spot and smoke on start up. I changed the seals and all was good no more smoke or oil drip. The tell tale sign was all the smoke at start up the seals were really shot I think?

[donebysunday]

Thank You ,
I was thinking the same, valve seals but I have a little difference with this one, there is no oil or smoke until it's warm enough to rev., once I rev it a few times it starts smoking and then the dripping from the header clamp and eventually at the header/collector.
Just picked up some Amsoil MC oil and will change out what's in there and fill to just over bottom level line, new filter too.

[motoman]

Thank You ,
I was thinking the same, valve seals but I have a little difference with this one, there is no oil or smoke until it's warm enough to rev., once I rev it a few times it starts smoking and then the dripping from the header clamp and eventually at the header/collector.
Just picked up some Amsoil MC oil and will change out what's in there and fill to just over bottom level line, new filter too.

Just curious.......why are you using expensive oil on an air cooled loose toleranced engine that normally also has some crankcase blow-by from rings?.

[BA80]

I agree totally with TC. The oil is most likely traveling from somewhere else and manifesting itself around the exhaust ports. If there was oil leaking from the exhaust there you would HAVE to have an exhaust leak also and that much oil would cause the engine to smoke badly.

The most likely spot it's coming from is from the valve cover gasket inside around the spark plug wells. There is a drain hole for the inner (#2) plug well that drains right between those exhaust ports and it will look to all the world like oil leaking out the exhaust.

BTDT....

[donebysunday]

Just curious.......why are you using expensive oil on an air cooled loose toleranced engine that normally also has some crankcase blow-by from rings?.

First time with the Amsoil. Have used Torco in the past when that was not available Yamalube. For checking an engine wallyworld has oil I don't mind wasting. Years ago I was running Torco and switched to Kendal MC oil, could
not stand the noise, after a few miles went back home and put Torco in, nice. Maybe stop at WW and get some cheap oil for this test ???
Thanks for the ?

Is it possible to fry the valve seals and not wreck the engine/pistons ? This looks like the engine is real lean from how blued the headers are.