OIL LEAK - GS850L

[Anonymous]

I have an oil leak that I can't seem to determine where it's coming from.
Brought the bike in last year to the dealer and mentioned the oil leak to them.

Was brought in for valve adjustment and carb sync. They couldn't see any oil leak. After about and hour ride you can see the oil around the fins in the front and running down the center of the motor. It looks like it's coming from one of the larger air holes near the left hand inside cylinder. Drips off the exhaust fins.

It's not a bad leak, in other words it dosen't pool under the bike, maybe a very small drip if I don't wipe the small amount of visible oil off the front of the motor.

I got the shop to retighten the valve cover and retorque the head. There is no sign of oil leakage around the head gasket or valve cover gasket. Oil breather tube is okay and no leakage anywhere else.

The bike has 26,000 kms and the engine has never been touched other than valve adjustment and carbs syncronized.

Could this be a small crack in the head between two cylinders? I hope not but I'd like to get an opinion on this.

If any of you owners out there have had a similar problem let me know.

I hate a dirty engine.

[Anonymous]

mine was leaking from the tach cable i would ck there if you had a cracked head it would probobly be loosing compression in one or mor cylenders,the tach cable will leak when you are driving down the road and not when you are sitting down idleing

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I checked for that - even put a new O ring in there just to be sure.

I'll check the compression to see if all are about the same. BTW - what should the compression be and how much varience on each cylinder is acceptable?

The leak must be in the front because I'll get a little seepage in the back too, right on the fins near the left inside carb. Oil being forced to the back by the air while driving.

If it's not a cracked head, then could the head gasket be leaking somewhere in the center and not showing on the outside edges?

I'm stumped, other than to pull the head off to see what's happening. Don't want to go there though. Not yet, love to get the summer out riding not in the shop.

[bwringer]

Did you get both the o-ring and the seal for the tach cable? That still seems like the most likely candidate for this leak. They all do this eventually, and if you don't replace both the o-ring and the seal it will continue to leak.

Is the leak above the head gasket? Seems that way from your description, but it's hard to tell without seeing it myself.

If the valve cover bolts are over-torqued, the valve cover will leak from the center front section -- this is a bit of a problem area.

[Anonymous]

Is the leak above the head gasket? Seems that way from your description, but it's hard to tell without seeing it myself.

If the valve cover bolts are over-torqued, the valve cover will leak from the center front section -- this is a bit of a problem area.

Both The O-ring and seal were replaced on the tach cable - no oil anywhere near that section of the engine.

Yes, the leak is above the head gasket and below the valve cover gasket in the center - actually between the middle cylinders.

I think you might be right that the leak is in the "center front section" of the valve cover. This would explain the oil in the back by the carbs as well.

I'm going take the tank off and check if I can see around the center section of the valve cover gasket. This just might be the case.

Now, if I find the leak is in this section, what's the remedy? Replace gasket and properly torque down bolts? Or lossen all bolts and then retorque?

[Anonymous]

I have the same bike (1982 GS850L) and the same leak. I just run with it since it doesn't drip, but I would still like to know what it is.

[lhanscom]

It may be the head gasket leaking a bit, wind can move oil up, and make it look like it's coming from somewhere it isn't.

[daveo]

If you remove the valve cover, you'll find the 2 front and center nuts that hold the head on, these have an O-ring on them, this is most likely the source of your leak, you can remove them and replace the o-rings without removing the head, retorque to 25.5-29 ft.-lbs.

[Nobby 'C ']

I have the same symptoms. I beleive my problem to be my fork seals blowing oil onto the engine block. I do know that they are leaking.

[Anonymous]

If you remove the valve cover, you'll find the 2 front and center nuts that hold the head on, these have an O-ring on them, this is most likely the source of your leak, you can remove them and replace the o-rings without removing the head, retorque to 25.5-29 ft.-lbs.

I believe these 2 front and center nuts just have a copper washer not an 'O ring"

There dosen't seem to be any oil leakage around these nuts but is there oil that comes up through these rods that hold the head on?

framemaker - yeah, the leak is not bad and there's no drip, but after a while a lot of dust and dirt accumulates on the oil and it looks like hell.

From the replies in this forum, this oil leak dosen't seem to serious and I'll wait for the end of summer and try and replace the head gasket, the "O rings on the head bolts and valve cover gasket. hopefully that will cure the leak.

Thanks guys, good info.

[daveo]

The nuts I'm talking about, are labeled 'B', the o-rings are '#2'

[Anonymous]

I agree. I like a clean engine too. I will probably wait until the end of the riding season before I dig in to it. This must be a common leak among these bikes. Air cooled, runs hot, gaskets and O-rings become brittle.

Ken

P.S. Where did you guys get the dancing bannana icons? Thats kinda amusing.

[Anonymous]

Daveo - Now that reply I can understand - a picture is worth a thousand words.

Now I can understand why the oil leak is so hard to dertermine where it is. I suspect new "O rings" should clear up the problem and it's nice knowing that the head doesn't need to be removed.

Framemaker - I'll be like you - wait until the end of season - not to big of a job to do - grab a 6 pack and away we go eh.

Thanks all !

[Anonymous]

I would consider leaking from the cam chain tensioner blowing forward.

[Anonymous]

I would consider leaking from the cam chain tensioner blowing forward.

I would have to disagree what that as the chain tensioner is lower in the back and the oil will flow back towards the rear of the engine at highway speeds.

I do have a bit of oil below the carbs on the fins in the back but it's above the tensioner and I feel that it's oil being pushed back from the front while riding.
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