Oil leak - don't know how serious - pics

After finding and reading the How-To on oil change and coolant flushing posted here I decided to go ahead and get started learning my bike. First issue to come to light is that the fairing screws are in need of replacement. Second discovery, I didn't have any clips to remove so I need to find those too.

Now, to the meat of my problem. After getting the fairings off, I was just looking at every nook and cranny. You know, the thing you should do before you buy a bike? I notice it is really greasy/oily, but discount it as maybe chain oil being flung around. So I look under the bike and I see that there is fresh oil seeping. Immediately anger level jumps to the point of irrational thought. I wanted this bike so bad I wasn't my usual thorough self and I may has seriously screwed the pooch.

Anyway, here is the first sight when the fairing is removed:

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Move in a little closer:

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And a different angle:

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Needless to say, I stopped the oil change before it started. No use putting new in if the damn thing is going to be taken apart. I just stopped, took some pictures and came inside. I didn't even try to see if they were just needing tightened. I cannot move forward until I get some direction. I am a computer nerd for godssake!

Any help would be appreciated.

Paul

I forgot to mention, the oil level is fine in the circular glass piece on the right side. Don't know why though.

I just got a reply from an email I sent to the PO. He said that he used gear oil on the chain and that is most likely what I am seeing. WTF? Why would you use gear oil on a chain?

Honda recommends gear oil For the chain on the owners manual.

It's probably off the chain. Clean the area, change the oil, and watch and see if the "leak" reoccurs.

I've not heard any rampant tales of leaking countershaft sprocket seals on Vfrs.

What I would do is degrease the area thoroughly, take it for a ride and see if more oil appears or put it on the side stand and let it sit and see if more appears. How wet is the chain? Gear oil isn't unusual at all for rear chain lubrication, that's what I use, but that amount looks excessive. It almost looks like it might be leaking around the shift lever oil seal.

I guess my first move would be to wipe it all down with an old rag and make sure I got everything nice and shiney. Keep riding it for another few days and then have another look. You still might see some residual gunk dripping slightly but I wouldn't expect to see the mess he apparently created there. With a little luck, an old rag or two might be the only cost in "repairing" this problem.

Shift lever oil seal is a good bet for what's really leaking there.

Beck

95 VFR

Almost guaranteed to be from the chain being a little over oiled. Gear selector shaft leaks are very rare. Simple test, smell the oil, gear oil smell is very distinctive. Engine oil will have almost no smell.

I'd go a step further, take the front sprocket cover off and clean all the crap out(and everyhing else), if you don't it's going to run out and make you think it's something else. It doesn't look like anything more than too much chain lube.

OK, I have stepped away from the bike and walked the dog to calm down.

First thing to do is clean the hell out of the area. Got it, I can do that. I can be so retentive about cleanliness its not funny.

Clean the chain and re-lube it properly. Got it.

Go ahead and do the oil change. OK, I'll do that too.

I will report back after doing that stuff.

Are there oil spots on your driveway/parking spot? If you engine is leaking, there is a good chance there will be evidence of it on your driveway.

Gear oil stinks. Give that stuff and whiff. That area gets real dirty and oily. Mine looks waaaaaaay worse, but then again, I stopped washin my bike a long time ago :). And no, no oil in my parking spot.

marriedmanOK, I have stepped away from the bike and walked the dog to calm down.

Dude, seriously? You want something to get mad at, choose things like bent valves or fried stators.

Even if you *had* a mid oil leak - and I don't think you do - they can be fixed easily enough. Don't stress!

marriedman

I just got a reply from an email I sent to the PO. He said that he used gear oil on the chain and that is most likely what I am seeing.

If it was oil leaking from the crank case then it would be pitch black. This looks like fresh oil to me, and gear oil works very well for lubing chains.

dirtbag

Are there oil spots on your driveway/parking spot? If you engine is leaking, there is a good chance there will be evidence of it on your driveway.

Gear oil stinks. Give that stuff and whiff. That area gets real dirty and oily. Mine looks waaaaaaay worse, but then again, I stopped washin my bike a long time ago :). And no, no oil in my parking spot.

+1.

My 98 is my daily driver so I don't stress too much about how she looks and wash it whenever I get around to it. Even been thinkin about doing the Timmy paint job eventually. However, I do make sure that she is 100% mechanically sound. I tried many different waxes and stuff on the chain and I just settled on 90 weight. That area becomes a big mess in between the times that I actually wash and clean the bike. The 90 weight will drip down from the chain and side cover exactly in that area. Like others have said, smell the fluid and you should be able to figure out what kind of oil it is. Also, in the 30 + years I have been riding bikes I ave yet to see one leak around the shifter shaft. Clean it up and see what happens from there.

Also, in the 30 + years I have been riding bikes I ave yet to see one leak around the shifter shaft.

Come look at my xr and I'll show you a leaking shifter shaft. Not common but it can happen

kaldek

marriedmanOK, I have stepped away from the bike and walked the dog to calm down.

Dude, seriously? You want something to get mad at, choose things like bent valves or fried stators.

Even if you *had* a mid oil leak - and I don't think you do - they can be fixed easily enough. Don't stress!

I am a computer nerd, plain and simple. The fact that I am even attempting to do any work on my bike is hilarious to my friends and wife. I wanted a VFR so bad I wasn't as thorough as I should of been in my inspection and my haggling. I saw this gunky mess and fresh oil and feared the worse. Complete engine tear down or something along those lines.

Dammit, now I sound like a drama queen. This bike is just so much more complicated than mu Nighthawk!

gpd211

Also, in the 30 + years I have been riding bikes I ave yet to see one leak around the shifter shaft.

Come look at my xr and I'll show you a leaking shifter shaft. Not common but it can happen

Kind of what I was trying to explain. Not a very common thing to happen.

marriedman

kaldek

marriedmanOK, I have stepped away from the bike and walked the dog to calm down.

Dude, seriously? You want something to get mad at, choose things like bent valves or fried stators.

Even if you *had* a mid oil leak - and I don't think you do - they can be fixed easily enough. Don't stress!

I am a computer nerd, plain and simple. The fact that I am even attempting to do any work on my bike is hilarious to my friends and wife. I wanted a VFR so bad I wasn't as thorough as I should of been in my inspection and my haggling. I saw this gunky mess and fresh oil and feared the worse. Complete engine tear down or something along those lines.

Dammit, now I sound like a drama queen. This bike is just so much more complicated than mu Nighthawk!

They really are not that complex. Just get a factory service manual and it will walk you through most of the things you need to do to the bike. For things that you are not sure of this forum and web site will get you all the answers you need. Anyway, clean up that mess really good with some degreaser and ride it for a couple of weeks while keeping an eye on your oil level. I would bet that you will not see any oil accumulation.

marriedman

I am a computer nerd, plain and simple. The fact that I am even attempting to do any work on my bike is hilarious to my friends and wife.

LOL I'm a huge computer nerd too. But unlike a lot of nerds I guess I also love mechanical things.

Nerds are good for working on wiring harnesses and fuel injection too; most guys here focus on machining and construction (hi Seb!) but I focus my energies on what makes the bike decide to squirt fuel and when to make it go bang. Mind you I can strip a bike down to the frame and rebuild it so I guess I have some mechanical ability. It's all self-taught too, starting in about 2001 when I first pulled the carbs off my VT250.

Speaking of service manuals, you can download a PDF version here at VFRD.

tbzep

Speaking of service manuals, you can download a PDF version here at VFRD.

http://www.vfrdiscus...l-part-a-and-b/

Yep, I got the owners manual and service manual. I combined the two part service manual and also did an OCR scan to it so that I am able to do searches on it. Enlightenment is only a CTRL+F away!

If you pull the sprocket cover off pay attention to where the bolts go. One of them is ever so slightly shorter than the others and will strip threads if used in the wrong hole. DAMHIK!

And watch for the clutch slave cylinder sneaking out of its bore when removed. Put a zip tie around the whole thing to keep the piston in place while it's removed and hanging there.

Ok, thanks to this Guide: http://www.vfrdiscus...ush-oil-change/ I got both the oil change and radiator flushed this evening after doing some considerable cleaning on the areas I showed above.

First step was the cleaning.

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I cannot believe how much gunk I scraped off. Then the degreaser made more fall off. I had to degrease the toothbrush I was using several times. Next step was cleaning with dish soap & washrag followed by a gentle rinse from the garden hose. Just to be safe, I used compressed air to dry much of it.

The guide was wonderful, the pictures were incredibly helpful for me. I am not going to lie though. It was like watching Chaplin working on a motorcycle. Shit was splashing, getting knocked over, I was filthy, the driveway is even more filthy. I must have gone through 7 or 8 shop rags. In the end though, I think I did a good job. When I put it back in the garage after running it a while, it looks like I need to add some more oil, but I will wait until sunlight. I will also need to try burping it as I read that somewhere else.

The only bad thing is that by the time I was putting antifreeze mix in the reservoir. The sun was setting and the line I was looking at was a shadow and not coolant level. Will this hurt anything if it is above the top line? Do I need to siphon some out somehow?

Remember that the oil level on the bike is checked when the bike is vertical (stand it up straight or put it on the center stand). If the bike is leaned on the side stand you will not get a true level.

Thank you for the reminder. But now that I have a bike with a centerstand, I use it everytime. The oil level was while it was in the garage on the centerstand.

I am more concerned about my over-filled reservoir.

marriedman

Thank you for the reminder. But now that I have a bike with a centerstand, I use it everytime. The oil level was while it was in the garage on the centerstand.

I am more concerned about my over-filled reservoir.

No worries, the reservoir has an overflow line that will drain excess fluid if it needs to.

btw- from the pics and descriptions, you have no oil leak...

marriedman

The only bad thing is that by the time I was putting antifreeze mix in the reservoir. The sun was setting and the line I was looking at was a shadow and not coolant level. Will this hurt anything if it is above the top line? Do I need to siphon some out somehow?

Nah, it has an overflow pipe. If it fills up it will just spash onto the ground. The pipe is just below the reservoir lid.

I've not heard of a VFR overflowing its coolant bottle - ever.

A clean bike is a safe bike............. you will be able to spot easier if something is leaking or cracked....

Now, drink a can of cold beer and give it a good, long BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRPP. You earned it. :smile:

Veefer800Canuck

And watch for the clutch slave cylinder sneaking out of its bore when removed. Put a zip tie around the whole thing to keep the piston in place while it's removed and hanging there.

+ 1. Good advice. The slave piston is spring loaded. Just to be safe.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/70576-almost-there/page__hl__slave#entry826777

I prefer to not remove the slave, I leave it in place and just remove the cover.

marriedman

kaldek

marriedmanOK, I have stepped away from the bike and walked the dog to calm down.

Dude, seriously? You want something to get mad at, choose things like bent valves or fried stators.

Even if you *had* a mid oil leak - and I don't think you do - they can be fixed easily enough. Don't stress!

I am a computer nerd, plain and simple. The fact that I am even attempting to do any work on my bike is hilarious to my friends and wife. I wanted a VFR so bad I wasn't as thorough as I should of been in my inspection and my haggling. I saw this gunky mess and fresh oil and feared the worse. Complete engine tear down or something along those lines.

Dammit, now I sound like a drama queen. This bike is just so much more complicated than mu Nighthawk!

Dude,

You can come over and clean my bike anytime! I don't think I've seen new motorcycles that clean and shiny on the dealers floor. I don't think you have an oil leak. The oil looked too clean to be coming from the crankcase.

Don't go overboard on the degreaser and water, there is a side stand switch and speed sensor in that area.

It's not hard to work on this motorcycle, even if you have had little experience with motorcycle mechanics. You may not realize it now but with a little practice you are probably as capable as most of the guys who work in bikes at my local dealership. You have attention to detail and high standards for quality work.

I will be presumptuous and share my lessons learned.

Take you time. Don't rush. That's when mistakes happen.

Don't be afraid to ask for help

Take notes, sketches or pictures of where things go if necessary. The above mentioned sprocket cover bolts are a good example. A magnetic parts bowl is a good idea for keeping small parts from getting lost. Also, plastic zip lock sandwich bags taped to parts that come off is another way to keep track of what goes where. For example, all the fairing fasteners bagged and taped to the faring, the sprocket bolts bagged and taped to the sprocket cover, etc. This is especially helpful if you get interrupted and have to put the project aside for a day or more.

Get a factory shop manual or download one here. (Check)

Use the maintenance guides on this site (Check)

Buy a torque wrench, know how to use it and use the torque values in the manual.

Don't cheap out on tools - good quality tools are an investment and will go alone way to preventing rounded fastens or stripped screw heads.

Keep your work area clean. If you're working on the garage floor minimizing oil stains and spills will go along way to promoting marital harmony. Especially if you share the space with the wife's new car. I use a small piece of plastic sheathing or blue plastic tarp under the bike if I am changing oil, cleaning and lubing changes etc. in a pinch, old news paper works,

Buy a box of disposable nitril gloves at the auto parts store. Keeps your hand clean and protects from used motor oil. Motor oil is now considered a cancerous material.

Good luck

Joneill - hmmm, MA is a little far to hang out cleaning bikes!

I used to have some nice tools, but my garage was broken into and everything was taken. I had to borrow my father-in-laws' tools just for the oil change!

I am seeing that there is a lot of torque specs referenced, so I am going to have to pick one of those up I guess.

I am totally going to get some dang gloves. My hands look awful today! Not to mention, De-greaser stings like crazy in little cuts.

And try decaf!!

Even if it was the shaft seal that's a 10 min job at the most. Just did one on the bmw, pop old one off with a small pick and drive the new one in with a socket. Lot's of other stuff to be worried about!!

marriedman

I am totally going to get some dang gloves. My hands look awful today! Not to mention, De-greaser stings like crazy in little cuts.

Nitrile! Purple usually is the best, thickest material. I can't seem to find the purple nitrile I really liked anymore. I tried some that said lavender nitrile, I think it was, and they didn't stand up to anything chemical wise. Even simple degreaser started breaking them down. Found some sorta in between that work fine.