Author Topic: unidentified oil leak (Read 2829 times)

roganjoshing · « **on:** April 02, 2019, 09:29:28 »

I discovered occasional spots of oil forming where the arrow points and occasionally enough to drip off onto the ground. I'm getting a large drop every thirty miles or so on average. Rarely, but occasionally, enough for two or three drops dripping off when parked. Not much, I know but I can't for the life of me work out where it can be coming from. I've cleaned the area and spent ages sitting under it with a torch but can't see where the leak is.

Any ideas welcome

Gassoon · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2019, 10:32:53 »

Weird place for an oil leak, RJ. What sort of oil, definitely engine oil? Not some trapped 3in1 oil somewhere from past maintenance, or something like that?
Nothing leaking elsewhere and travelling by gravity to that spot?

Dropped the bike onto its engine bars, as that main long bolt fastens the engine to the frame?

Maybe overtightened the bolt, or the thrust adjuster at some point?
After the aforementioned checks, I suspect that you are going to have to (a) ignore it or (b) get the main bolt and adjuster etc out, check where they enter the engine cases?

NB, HERE is a link to the torque values, and diagram of that area

kwackboy · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2019, 10:33:09 »

Just a guess , have you overfilled your oil maybe ? I think above that point is the airbox drain hole .

Gassoon · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2019, 10:37:01 »

Yes! Good call! (of course)Most likely culprit for that area I bet

MartinW · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2019, 10:38:53 »

Another long shot, but do you have a chain oiler and how is the tube routed from the reservoir to the chain? That looks to be a bit out of the way, but you never know.

I recently had a strange leak on mine which turned out to be a split in the oiler tube and a trickle that clung to various bits before hitting the floor right under the clutch case. That caused me to look in the wrong place to start with.

Banditbilbo · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2019, 11:05:31 »

A suggestion.
Those drops smells like petrol?

Once in my old Bandit 650 K7, With 80000 kms an oily drop began to fall on the clutch cover. Was like oily liquid.

It was an injector that did not close properly. When overflowing inside de injector, the drop appears.

Can the injection ramp be at the top of that area?

roganjoshing · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2019, 12:20:34 »

Thanks everyone. Definitely engine oil. My chain oil is blue (Scotoiler) and definitely not fuel. It has started since I last changed the oil and it is on the upper level. I'll keep an eye on that. Might drain some out and see it it stops.

Brockett · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2019, 13:02:13 »

Yes as per kwackboy I suspect the engine breather / airbox. I note you say the engine oil is topped up to the upper mark, I trust that is not a cold engine reading. If you do decide to remove some oil the problem may not stop until whatever oil is in the airbox has reached an acceptable level.

SuzukiSte · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2019, 13:37:09 »

If the oil is on the upper level you have over filed it.

infidel · « **Reply #9 on:** April 02, 2019, 15:50:14 »

I hate to be the bearer of concern - but reading OP's problem recalled a series if threads I read on stromtrooper about similar symptoms. Good luck

https://www.stromtrooper.com/DL650-dl650a-2004-2011/36863-oil-leak-around-crash-bars.html

https://www.stromtrooper.com/DL650-dl650a-2004-2011/53547-can-wee-strom-saved-engine-mount-oil-leak.html

kwackboy · « **Reply #10 on:** April 02, 2019, 16:05:25 »

well spotted ..

I've just read up on this problem .. blimey..

.

This isn't my info ... It's from the late great grey wolf ...

While the oil is coming out at the location specified, the origin is most likely where the case halves come together. The oil leaks into the space drilled to pass the large bolt and migrates to the end. A proper fix would be to separate the case halves and redo the bond. The area would be difficult to access from the outside. Putting sealant where the leak appears will only have the oil come out at the end of the bolt. A porous casting is possible but less likely.

SuzukiSte · « **Reply #11 on:** April 02, 2019, 16:18:30 »

infidel · « **Reply #12 on:** April 02, 2019, 16:40:00 »

Reading back - there's some suggestion that the case sealant adjacent to the bolt hole may not have been 100% on assembly as at least one chap had a warranty case re-seal. There's one or two cases on VSRI also - but its not a super common I'd say. I didn't find any evidence of later gen 650's suffering or 1000's for that matter.

Agree with OP - NOT the greatest design if a engine bar can transfer that force through to the cases on a spill. Maybe a bit of both is required - dodgy seal and a spill. ?

roganjoshing · « **Reply #13 on:** April 02, 2019, 20:15:09 »

Hmmmmm. I'll keep an eye on it. Hopefully won't get worse.

WeeStromer · « **Reply #14 on:** November 14, 2020, 23:08:04 »

Evening, did you ever find the cause RJ?
I've got a similar issue.

roganjoshing · « **Reply #15 on:** November 15, 2020, 12:04:31 »

I never stripped the bike to check but the best guess is a slight crack in the engine casing caused by the crash bar mounting bolt when the bike was dropped (I got knocked off by a car turning in front of me at very slow speed). Mine never loses enough oil between changes to warrant a top up. If I tilt it right over when warm it drips quicker but with normal usage is no problem.

Joe Rocket · « **Reply #16 on:** November 15, 2020, 12:12:25 »

Whose make is the crash bar RJ?

Heed bars (and others?) fix to those four hex bolts at the top of the engine suppost bracket, not the main bolt carrying the engine.

UK_Vstrom650 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 15, 2020, 21:10:21 »

Suzuki OEM bars mount through the main engine bolt. I'm not aware of any other bars that mount using that bolt.

Gert · « **Reply #18 on:** November 16, 2020, 06:40:24 »

Looking at the examples of crashbar, in thread https://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,1540.0.html, it would appear the SWMotech also make use of the engine mount.

Beemer6 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 16, 2020, 09:46:34 »

Just a thought.
I had a similar leak on my 2013 650.
The oil runs down the alternator cover.
At first I thought it was the cam covers as there was evidence of oil on the rear cylinder. Had the covers resealed. The leak persisted.
However, one day I was letting the bike run up to temperature on its centrestand, when I noticed oil coming from one of the screws securing the alternator cover.
Now, this bike like many, has had that cover removed for the stator replacement. Having removed the offending bolt, it appears that they are sealed with some kind of washer with a captive rubber seal.
I stopped the leak by wrapping a good amount of PTFE tape around the shaft of the bolt,sufficient for it to plug the hole when the bolt was pushed back in. Hasn't leaked since.
Now, this may be completely unrelated to the problem here, but from what I can see from the pics, the result looks the same. It would appear that the air flow was blowing oil into places far away from the source.
Just a thought.