Bad Oil Leak Issue- 1982 GS850L

[Houndawg76]

I am in the process of getting my 1982 GS850L back on the road after sitting for a couple of years. While it was sitting I made sure I kept clean oil in the engine and fresh gas in the tank during the time it was sitting in the garage. I took it for a short ride today, and I found out it has started leaking oil really bad around the no. 3 exhaust port. It is bad enough that there was oil droplets on the side of the air filter cover. I'm thinking the head gasket has gone bad. Is there anything that could cause this?

[Guest]

Check the rev counter drive unit above No3 exhaust. These can leak from the seal.

[Houndawg76]

Hey Cyrano, thanks for the reply. I think what happened is the head gasket or the one of the o rings that goes around the studs blew out. I did have a leak where the tach cable plugged into the engine, but undoing it and plugging it back in seemed to help it out. The engine is literally spraying oil out just under the no. exhaust port. By the time I parked it after a five mile ride I had oil on the case guard and also on the chrome trim on the air box. It's a bummer- it's runs great after sitting for two years.

[Guest]

Blown head gasket

[eddard]

My 850 GSGL has begun leaking near the tach drive attachment (I did a valve adjustment last year). I don't remember, can that seal be replaced without removing the cam cover?

[eil]

My 850 GSGL has begun leaking near the tach drive attachment (I did a valve adjustment last year). I don't remember, can that seal be replaced without removing the cam cover?

In a word: yes.

There are two seals to replace: one inside the sleeve between the gear and the sleeve, and one around the sleeve. Pull it out and you'll find them pretty easily.

[eddard]

Thank you Charles.

[Grimly]

You'll be mildly surprised at the cost of that tiny little seal, for the size of it. It's not extortionate, but slightly eyebrow-raising. Still, once it's done, it's done. Only thing to look for is a bad wear ridge on the tacho drive shaft, where the lip of the seal has borne on it over the years. Mine was ridged but the new seal is still holding, months on.

[eil]

If you do have to get a new driven gear due to yours being too worn, they're very easy to find on ebay since Suzuki used the same one for oodles of bikes. Just have to be mindful to correctly cross-reference the part numbers since the gear teeth face different directions depending on whether the gear rides below the cam shaft (in the head, as in the 850) or above it (in the valve cover).