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  • oil leak?

    I'm after a bit of guidance before i go tearing stuff down.

    Went out on my trusted 'G at the weekend and had good, if shortish ride. After i got back and the bike had been standing a while i noticed a little oil under the bike which i traced back to the air filter box.

    There was a bit of oil in the bottom of the box but as it was a clear bluish colour i guess it originates from the small dia breather back to the final drive trans box rather than the engine.

    It's not done this before and i've never checked the oil level in there so don't know if that's the cause.

    Should mention that my ride prior was a little "spirted"

    Anyone gotten any idea what may be at fault?

  • #2
    How much oil are you seeing? A thimble full or half a quart? I have no breather box so if the same thing happened to me I would not notice unless it made a mess on blow back or the oil level got low.

    Be sure and check your middle and rear oil. If you don't have a measuring tool do a quick search on here. I made my own from wire.
    1979 XS1100 Special with 81 carbs

    Richmond, Virginia, USA

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    • #3
      If I'm not sadly misshapen... The middle gear box has a small breather hose that goes nowhere. The engine crankcase has a breather hose that goes to the airbox.
      Airbox will only drip oil if you have a serious piston ring blow-by prob(too much crankcase pressure) or if the bike's been overfilled with oil and it's blowing back into the breather tube. Put the bike on the centerstand and check the oil. You should see oil halfway up the window.
      If there's too much oil... it's 'cause... you've just changed the oil and added too much... or... you have a petcock and carb issue and you've got fuel draining down into the engine diluting the oil.
      "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!' ('Bones' McCoy)

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      • #4
        With the four quarts at oil change WITH filter, the oil level WILL be at top of window. That's a good thing, and correct. With some blow-by, air filter will have some black discoloration. Your problem is more than overfull, unles you have 5 or more quarts in the thing.
        81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

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        • #5
          cheers guys, good info

          I'm pretty sure the small bore breather is to the middle drive so i'll start by checking the oil in there.

          Although i don't want the bike in bits too long as it's 28 degs here down under so i want to get out and ride!

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          • #6
            I haven't seen any middle case breathers that terminate at the airbox. It wouldn't be an impossible scenerio, but I question whether it would be an OEM configuration. I tend to agree with prometheus578's remarks.

            Originally posted by Paulio
            cheers guys, good info

            I'm pretty sure the small bore breather is to the middle drive so i'll start by checking the oil in there.

            Although i don't want the bike in bits too long as it's 28 degs here down under so i want to get out and ride!
            Skids (Sid Hansen)

            Down to one 1978 E. Stock air box with K&N filter, 81H pipes and carbs, 8500 feet elevation.

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            • #7
              The middle gear breather tube is a skinny thing about the diameter of skinny vacuum line. This just vents to atmosphere. the crankcase breather is a thick hose (thickest hose on the bike, diameter of you thumb), comes out of a round cover(oil vapor accumulator)and routes to the airbox. Can you be confusing the two?
              "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!' ('Bones' McCoy)

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              • #8
                Originally posted by prometheus578
                If I'm not sadly misshapen...
                Hey Prom,
                You "might" be MisShaped, but haven't seen any pictures of you to tell for sure!!

                Paulio said: Although i don't want the bike in bits too long as it's 28 degs here down under so i want to get out and ride!
                Hey Paulio,

                Some folks might get confused with that statement, since many/most of us, at least in the U.S. use Fahrenheit scale, and that temp would be quite "cold", vs. Celsius, where it's quite warm! We're in Winter Up here, whereas you're in Summer down Under.....just wanted to keep everyone informed!
                T.C.
                T. C. Gresham
                81SH "Godzilla" . . .1179cc super-rat.
                79SF "The Teacher" . . .basket case!
                History shows again and again,
                How nature points out the folly of men!

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                • #9
                  The middle gear vent hose actually is attached to a small metal bracket that is attached to the top mounting bolt for the airbox.

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                  • #10
                    mistaken/misshapen... all the same to me

                    But I was mistaken AND misshapen. Engine vent cover is not round, but rather oddly shaped. Was thinking old Kawa.
                    The middle gear vent hose actually is attached to a small metal bracket that is attached to the top mounting bolt for the airbox.
                    John, both the two I have here at work and my primary ride have the middle gearbox vent tube routed down past it to the underside of the bike. Not saying that I'm correct... just what I see. (one E, a special and an F)
                    "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!' ('Bones' McCoy)

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                    • #11
                      Huh

                      The middle gear vent hose actually is attached to a small metal bracket that is attached to the top mounting bolt for the airbox.
                      John, I think the line you are talking about is the fuel take vent line on a standard model. It doe's attach as you described.
                      There's always a way, figure it out.
                      78XS11E

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                      • #12
                        Here's a pic of the mount


                        This was taken on the 79sf project that I am working on. My 80 sg and 81 sh are both the same way.

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                        • #13
                          .. very strange, i have had 11 of these bikes and have never seen that either.. under the tank seems like a good place for it though

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                          • #14
                            Hose vent on my 81H is same as one in the pic....
                            81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Attached is a piccie of said breather to airbox base - i've checked a manual and am pretty sure it's the middle trans braether although am at a loss to understand why it should be expelling oil. Think i'll just keep an eye on the oil level for now.

                              Apolos to those who thought "wow this guy must be granite - he thinks 28F is warm" as pointed out this is the land of deg C, litres, kilometres and vegamite so 28 of our degrees equate to approx 70 of your earth degrees.

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