Oil Leak after Stator replacement '82 GS 550 L

[Mr.stuff]

As the title suggests I have an oil leak coming from the bottom bolt of the stator cover. This started with a stator replacement from caltric that came with a non-OEM gasket. Took the bolts out of their respective holes, replaced stator, reassembled. After this was done took the bike on a ride and parked it. Came back outside the following morning and an ungodly amount of oil was underneath the the bike. After some reading on the forums decided to purchase OEM gasket and redo the procedure. Now the oil leak is less severe but still very present. Is there anything else I missed? Also, the rubber grommet around the wires came new with the new stator and was installed correctly. The bolts were also put back into the holes they came out of

Summary of Process:

1.) Removed Stator Housing
2.) Gently removed old gasket pieces with a razor to clean mating surfaces
3.) Replaced stator, routed wires through proper hole in gasket.
4.) Put Stator cover back on using the bolts to hold the gasket in place
5.) While placing stator cover on held the rubber wire grommet in place
6.) Torqued the stator cover bolts to 5 ft-lb each in a star pattern.

After all this I can watch oil run out of the back of the bottom bolt hole and drip off the bolt head.
If needed can post pictures and point to the issues.

 

[Brendan W]

Could screws be in the wrong holes?
There is a mixture of 35, 40 and 45mm on that case.
A 45 could look ok in a 40 hole but actually be bottoming out in the hole before squeezing the gasket.
https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs550l-1982-z-usa-e03_model34268/partslist/BLCK0010.html

 

[Mr.stuff]

I went through the diagram you listed and the bolts are in the correct holes however the leak is still present.

 

[Brendan W]

Maybe the case has twisted a bit and is not flat enough for the gasket.
A thicker gasket could help or coating the gasket with blue Hylomar or similar.
Are you sure it's the case?
Could it be the o-ring on the starter motor is letting oil into the starter cavity?

 

[Mr.stuff]

I will be trying the blue Hylomar later today and I will check the O-ring when I get home. I will keep you posted. Thank you for your help Brendan.

 

[tom203]

Before you goop this gasket, make a cardboard copy of bolt layout on cover ..as you remove bolts,stick them in current position on cardboard. When cover is off check that your leaking bolt spot has a bolt that doesn't bottom out before it clamps the cover. It's easy to mix them up

 

[Guest]

Mine kind of does the same thing, just a weep after it gets warm. Not huge amount usually a spot or two. I haven't been able to stop it.

As the title suggests I have an oil leak coming from the bottom bolt of the stator cover. This started with a stator replacement from caltric that came with a non-OEM gasket. Took the bolts out of their respective holes, replaced stator, reassembled. After this was done took the bike on a ride and parked it. Came back outside the following morning and an ungodly amount of oil was underneath the the bike. After some reading on the forums decided to purchase OEM gasket and redo the procedure. Now the oil leak is less severe but still very present. Is there anything else I missed? Also, the rubber grommet around the wires came new with the new stator and was installed correctly. The bolts were also put back into the holes they came out of

Summary of Process:

1.) Removed Stator Housing
2.) Gently removed old gasket pieces with a razor to clean mating surfaces
3.) Replaced stator, routed wires through proper hole in gasket.
4.) Put Stator cover back on using the bolts to hold the gasket in place
5.) While placing stator cover on held the rubber wire grommet in place
6.) Torqued the stator cover bolts to 5 ft-lb each in a star pattern.

After all this I can watch oil run out of the back of the bottom bolt hole and drip off the bolt head.
If needed can post pictures and point to the issues.

 

[Mr.stuff]

I have double and triple checked the bolts. The O-ring on the starter was alright. Gasket was ok too. Maybe I will try a thicker gasket, the one that came off the bike wasn't OEM and someone had already been inside the stator cover and stripped a few of the heads holding in the stator wires as they route out of the case. All of those have been replaced.

Has anyone messed with gasket sealer? Not maker but sealer? If so would it be something good to use when installing the now third gasket to go into this project?

 

[cowboyup3371]

Buy OEM!!!

 

[Gorminrider]

If needed can post pictures and point to the issues.

You'd best do this....something else is wrong . These are simple paper gaskets in a place with very little pressure there's not much oil in there anyways ..merely what comes off lubricating the mainshaft and is returned through holes to the sump- a cereal-box cut up could work in a pinch. you say 5 ft/lbs...you can try 6 ft/lbs...that is, 72 inch/lbs ....If you have a LOT of oil under the cover, something else is wrong.the return hole is blocked perhaps.
just to be sure- What IS common in the general area albeit further back, is a leak from the clutch-pushrod or the sprocket or just chain oil inside the sprocket cover...I'm not sure about 550s - maybe oil from these places (or somewhere else!) is running forward to appear as a drip from the stator cover?

You can try gasket sealer from Permatex. It's stuff you can paint on both surfaces gasket and metal...I have a bottle but I find I don't use it very much except as a way to hold a difficult gasket in place while I screw things together.

 

[Mr.stuff]

Well I found the cause of the leak. It had nothing to do with the gasket. The bolt hole on the bottom of the bike's crankcase is cracked and oil is pouring out of it.

 

[Gorminrider]

That'd do it! JBweld might do to fix it...a big dab on very clean casing.

 

[Mr.stuff]

JB weld and a couple of hours dry time did it she no longer pukes oil all over the drive. Thanks all for your help