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1980 GS1100 Oil Leak From Behind Starter!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JungleJustice
  • Start date Start date
J

JungleJustice

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Is it typical for the oil-seal / o-ring that seals the starter from the gear-case / magneto and engine oil on the left of the motor to fail and start to weep oil from a little hole right behind the starter - on the left of the bike - and right outside of (and slightly above) the front sprocket!?

This is all behind the front sprocket case cover...
 
It isn't uncommon for starter o-ring or stator wires D-grommet to be the cause of oil leaking from the "mystery hole" as you described. A relatively easy and cheap problem to remedy.
 
JungleJustice said:
Is it typical for the oil-seal / o-ring that seals the starter from the gear-case / magneto and engine oil on the left of the motor to fail and start to weep oil from a little hole right behind the starter - on the left of the bike - and right outside of (and slightly above) the front sprocket!?

This is all behind the front sprocket case cover...
Click to expand...



Yes, it's very typical.

Mystery Hole oil leaks are usually the starter o-ring.
 
Thanks Guys!

Crap! I just changed that stator cover gasket, the oil and the filter. Do I have to take that cover off again to get the starter out. From memory it looked like the starter will come out of the top chrome cover without removing the stator cover again...

Thoughts?
 
JungleJustice said:
Thanks Guys!

Crap! I just changed that stator cover gasket, the oil and the filter. Do I have to take that cover off again to get the starter out. From memory it looked like the starter will come out of the top chrome cover without removing the stator cover again...

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly right. Remove the chrome cover (two small bolts), remove the starter wire, remove the two retaining bolts, and gently lever the starter to the right side of the bike a bit to pop it out.

You should be able to do this without removing the carbs. I'm pretty sure you can on all the larger (700cc and up) engines.
 
You probably want to double check the source of the leak first, cam chain tensionors also leak down into the mystery hole, as does the oil pressure switch
 
Thanks guys.

What is the seal called / part number please? I did a bit of search with various vendors and on eBay, but I can't locate it. Must not be naming it correctly.
 
Surely that large, thin, o-ring that looks like the o-ring on an oil filter or something is not it...!?

When I had the stator cover off, there appeared to be a wide shoulder seal (almost looks like a cam seal on an overhead cam car engine or something) that sat right around the neck of the starter where it passes through the cases! That seal looked to be no more than 1.5 inch in diameter with about a 1/4 inch wall!!! :confused:
 
JungleJustice said:
Surely that large, thin, o-ring that looks like the o-ring on an oil filter or something is not it...!?
Click to expand...

Look again -- it's #17 on the diagram, over at the top right of the diagram.

It's a 24mm ID o-ring, not the large o-ring on the starter case.



JungleJustice said:
When I had the stator cover off, there appeared to be a wide shoulder seal (almost looks like a cam seal on an overhead cam car engine or something) that sat right around the neck of the starter where it passes through the cases! That seal looked to be no more than 1.5 inch in diameter with about a 1/4 inch wall!!! :confused:
Click to expand...

NO idea what you are talking about. There's no seal there. Just an o-ring.

We may have a breakdown of communication or terminology here...
 
Last edited:
JungleJustice said:
Surely that large, thin, o-ring that looks like the o-ring on an oil filter or something is not it...!?

When I had the stator cover off, there appeared to be a wide shoulder seal (almost looks like a cam seal on an overhead cam car engine or something) that sat right around the neck of the starter where it passes through the cases! That seal looked to be no more than 1.5 inch in diameter with about a 1/4 inch wall!!! :confused:
Click to expand...

It appears that you are confusing the starter clutch (big gear under the stator cover) with the starter, which is on top of the crankcase and pokes thru at the top right of the stator cover
 
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