Another Oll Leak Thread

[Desdinova]

Hello All,

Well the I noticed the other day that there were a couple of drops of OIL under the Lemans, so I got under, cleaned it up, and it "appeared" to be coming from the two oil pan bolts that hold the kick stand stopper, but maybe not... hard to tell. So I gave'em an "umph" and they tightened a little. I checked all the others, and none would budge, so I figured I nailed it. Well we went for a ride today, it's now seriously leaking from somewhere in that area.

 

I'm going to get under it tomorrow and have a look around, but there is oil all over the rear bottom, on the left side so I thought I would ask here if there were any "quirks" anyone could think of I should be looking for. My guess is the oil pan gasket, but that's just a guess and frankly seems a little odd to me, but it's all I got at the moment.

 

Any thoughts? Any place else on the lower left bottom or back of the engine for oil to come from? I don't ride hard, and this just appeared. It was definately worse today, but not sure if it was cause I tightened the bolts and made it worse, or those bolts weren't the problem at all. (I'm leaning on the latter).

 

-Miles

[pete roper]

Have a good squizz at the timing chest gasket. That seems to be the most common culprit.If it's leaking at the bottom LH corner it could look like a sump gasket I suppose.

 

Bloody hard to diagnose this sort of stuff over the 'net'.

 

pete

[Desdinova]

I'll be getting to it today to do some research. It's definately coming from the BACK of the engine, near the bottom somewhere as it was clean forward of the kickstand stopper.

 

I'm gonna see if I can get the bike elevated a little to get my fat head and some light under there.

[Desdinova]

Ok.. the good news... The part is probably going to cost less than a $1.00.

 

The bad news... or... the just "it's a Guzzi" news...

 

It's going to take most of the day to get at it...

 

The darn breather return on top of the case broke right at the clamp. Just got old I guess.... like me..

 

Sheesh!!!! This is a bear to get at. I can't even get a screwdriver on the clamp from any angle yet... Gas tank and covers off, looks like fairing off might make it easier too, and the left side coil... move some hoses around... piece of cake... really big piece of cake...

 

FYI.. Definition "Piece of Cake" = "PAIN IN the exASSperation's."

 

good grief... it good have been worse...

[Guest ratchethack]

Des, the breather hose you refer to isn't a return, it's the breather itself. It's wot vents the crankcase from the rear top of the motor to the underside of the spine frame aft of the steering head, wherin lies the condensor. The return is much smaller diameter, runs from the banjo union on the LHS of the spine around the back of the motor, and fits via a compression fitting to the back of the sump. You're right about tough access for replacement alright. Many have replaced it with a Guzzi part. You might reasonably expect the same mileage from that. If you use bulk hose, make sure you get chemical and heat resistant. I've found a high temp/petrochem grade bulk hose and cobbled it up with "ell" fittings, expecting not to replace it as often. Who knows? There's also a Ford (if memory serves?) heater hose that's surprisingly enough molded to about the exact shape needed, once you cut one end off. Search for details well documented years back.

[Desdinova]

Well I replaced it with a bulk hose, but they didn't have the metric sizes so I had really force it on. I'm sure it will last until I get a replacement hose. Now that I know how to get into the area, shouldn't take but an hour to replace with the correct hose.

 

The bulk hose would be fine, but the turns it has to make causes it to fold a little. It's not blocked, but just not right either.

 

Was so happy it wasn't anything major I just wanted to get patched up and put back together.

[Guest ratchethack]

Hm. I don't want to rain on your parade here, Des. . . HOWEVER. . .

 

Having spent condiderable time shade-tree-engineering me own replacement breather, I'd be much concerned about the "fold a little" you mentioned. If it resembles anything like the "kink" I'd imagine you might really mean here, Des -- (??) you will have a major problem running it this way. The risk is blown crank seals from over-pressurizing the crankcase, and this ain't a trivial thing.

[Desdinova]

LOL... yeah after I had a chance for my head to clear (allergies), and it sank in that it was the return line, I'm not going to run the bike.

 

I started it to make sure I got it back together right, but I'm going to track down a proper replacement. no worries.. thanks..

 

I had disassembled in the middle of the garage, and just wanted to button it up and get the bike out of the way. After taking that hose out once, getting at it again, will be a piece of cake. In fact now that I have the clamps facing the right directions, I should be able to swap the right hose in less than an hour.

 

It must be the original hose that came from the factory because there was no way those original clamps went on after the bike was assembled.

 

 

Are there any other hoses that are prone to this kind of wear? There's just under 19,000 miles on the engine. Seems a little soon to be eating up an oil return line, and it was shot.. broke above the clamp, but the whole hose was shot. It looked like a dry-rotted tire when you bend it at all.

[Guest ratchethack]

. . .after I had a chance for my head to clear (allergies), and it sank in that it was the return line, I'm not going to run the bike.

 

. . .Are there any other hoses that are prone to this kind of wear? There's just under 19,000 miles on the engine. Seems a little soon to be eating up an oil return line, and it was shot.. broke above the clamp, but the whole hose was shot. It looked like a dry-rotted tire when you bend it at all.

Des, good call on not running it. Once again:

Des, the breather hose you refer to isn't a return, it's the breather itself.

As has been pointed out to me when mine let go, the expected life of this kind of hose is about wot you (and I) got. I'd still go with as tough a chemical/temp tolerant replacement as I could find, just because you pay only pennies more per foot -- or even dollars, it's not significant -- and the higher grade you go, the less soon you'll be looking at the next replacement.

[Desdinova]

Well I did a little research and it looks like some good choices are...

 

dayco # 80404

 

Goodyear Ford hose #63318

 

Napa Item#: NBH10912

 

Based on all the comments I could find since 2006, all have a little better life expectancy than the Guzzi part, and are less expencive.

 

 

Off to the NAPA store. (Lisa said I could NOT swipe the one out of her truck.... no sense of humor that woman.)