Oil leak from gear lever

[Kaizer]

Okay, the verdict is out from my previous oil leak problem. The oil leak is coming from the gear lever. Took apart the crank shaft casing, found oil and debris there. Cleaned it out. The oil wasn't fresh, but we found the leak was coming from a possible busted seal in the gear shift lever. The question is, how much would it cost to replace and how long would it take? Should I take it to a service shop? The leak isn't bad. Losing maybe a tablespoon of oil a week out of it. My mechanic buddy told me to add Lucas motoroil additive to the oil so it will seal it or repair it. What do you think? He also broke the nut and bolt on the gear shift lever. Can I get a replacement at an automotive store or do I have to order it from a suzuki dealer? Let me know. Thanks.

[dggraphics]

What I think is quit letting your mechanic buddy work on your bike  Just kidding. I think you can order a new set of seals on e-bay for around $30??

[Turd Ferguson]

First, the nut/bolt.  Are we talking about a nut/bolt that clamps the shifter lever to the splined shaft?  If so, yeah I think nearly anything will work if it has *about* the right size diameter.

Next, your friend seems to be mistaken on the oil thing.  No oil can fix a torn or broken seal.  Some oil additives claim to seal leaks or stop engines from burning oil.  All they really do is raise the effective viscosity of the oil so that it doesn't sneak past the leak as often.  Not good.

Part #29 on this diagram.  $3.XX.  I have no idea how much work is involved though.

http://houseofmotorcycles.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/oem_schematic_view~schem_dept_id~709843~section_dept_id~1~section_dept_name~OEM+%28Stock%29+Parts~dept_type_id~2~model_dept_year~1996~model_dept_mfr~Suzuki~model_dept_id~703270~model_dept_name~GS500ET.asp

-Turd.

[Kaizer]

What kind of seals are we talking about? what are they called exactly? So, you think adding Lucas to my oil is a bad idea. I thought that it actually does wonders for the engine and seals. Hmmm. Yeah, no more letting strangers work on my bike. Has anyone replaced this type of seal before? It is definitely coming out of where the gear shifter enters the engine. Very slow leak, but persistent. I didn't see the measurements for bolt #29. It is inexpensive to replace, but the one that is in there now, is just makeshift. I will try to get it from the autoparts store. Thanks for your help.