Some background…a few rides ago all of the screws on the clutch side (the main clutch and access cover) loosened up and oil leaked out all over the place. I didn’t notice it until I was washing the bike because it was a pretty muddy ride. I snugged everything back up and changed the oil. I didn’t loose enough oil to be a problem.
I thought all was OK but when riding this past weekend I saw some oil pooling up on top of the clutch case. Once I got back to the truck I rechecked the screws and only the clutch access cover ones were loose. I thought maybe the cover O-ring was damaged so I pulled the cover off. It looked fine but to make sure I smeared some Locktite 518 gasket eliminator on it and a dab on each screw (quasi thread lock) and put it back together.
During the afternoon I saw more oil. :( I run 50cc’s extra oil and it wasn’t leaking too bad so I kept riding. On the way home I thought maybe I had too much oil in it…did I drain the tranny before I added oil the last time? :ohmy: I wouldn’t put it past my memory!! I removed the oil level check screw and only about ¼ cup of oil came out--that accounted for the extra 50cc’s. I’ve run extra oil for years and never had a problem.
The oil is only on the top. Nothing is leaking from the bottom of the case.
Some things I already thought of besides the above:
- Cracks, etc --found none. I use an enduro skid plate so it’s pretty well protected
- Kick starter seal leaking? --it was dry around the seal
- Main clutch cover gasket leaking? --maybe. I retightened the screws but maybe some dirt got lodged in the gap.
- Is the oil coming out of the tranny breather? --could be but to be honest I have no idea where it is…or if this motor even has one
My next step is to just bite the bullet and change the main cover gasket but if I’m missing something simple I’d be kicking myself. Anyone have any ideas?
Here’s a picture. I cleaned off the area that’s leaking so please ignore the filth everywhere else. :yikes:
I thought all was OK but when riding this past weekend I saw some oil pooling up on top of the clutch case. Once I got back to the truck I rechecked the screws and only the clutch access cover ones were loose. I thought maybe the cover O-ring was damaged so I pulled the cover off. It looked fine but to make sure I smeared some Locktite 518 gasket eliminator on it and a dab on each screw (quasi thread lock) and put it back together.
During the afternoon I saw more oil. :( I run 50cc’s extra oil and it wasn’t leaking too bad so I kept riding. On the way home I thought maybe I had too much oil in it…did I drain the tranny before I added oil the last time? :ohmy: I wouldn’t put it past my memory!! I removed the oil level check screw and only about ¼ cup of oil came out--that accounted for the extra 50cc’s. I’ve run extra oil for years and never had a problem.
The oil is only on the top. Nothing is leaking from the bottom of the case.
Some things I already thought of besides the above:
- Cracks, etc --found none. I use an enduro skid plate so it’s pretty well protected
- Kick starter seal leaking? --it was dry around the seal
- Main clutch cover gasket leaking? --maybe. I retightened the screws but maybe some dirt got lodged in the gap.
- Is the oil coming out of the tranny breather? --could be but to be honest I have no idea where it is…or if this motor even has one
My next step is to just bite the bullet and change the main cover gasket but if I’m missing something simple I’d be kicking myself. Anyone have any ideas?
Here’s a picture. I cleaned off the area that’s leaking so please ignore the filth everywhere else. :yikes: