Possible Oil leak?

[newbie1993]

Took the cover off my bike after 4 months of sitting. I took my carbs off to clean them. Then I went around the bike to see if anything major needs fixing and I noticed that I had oil on the left header of my muffler. So I went and checked it out but there is no source. Any idea where it might have come from.  Thanks in advance!


NEWBIE

[kamikazepsi]

Could be your valve cover gasket.  Mine did the same thing around the corners.....its a thick rubber gasket....mine was still soft and supple so I cleaned it off and smeared a very light coating of silicone on the corners and it did the trick.  If your gasket is cracked and dried out, replace it.

[newbie1993]

I'm pretty sure it's not that. The oil is by the pipe that connects the left and right header. There didn't seem to be a source I checked everywhere

NEWBIE

[robfriedenberger]

Clean it really good and dry it l, use baby power on it and take it for a ride


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheOzTurkish]

Well it would've had to come from somewhere, baby powder is the best option, found my head gasket leak using it

[newbie1993]

Well it would've had to come from somewhere, baby powder is the best option, found my head gasket leak using it

how does checking with baby powder work as far as where to put it and what to look for


NEWBIE

[newbie1993]

Update:
I reassembled carbs,airbox etc. And started her up and the oil I found on the header just burned away and there was no more burning from another source or anything. Does that mean im good? For now anyway?

NEWBIE

[newbie1993]

Anyone know how the baby powder method works?

NEWBIE

[jacob92icu]

To use the baby powder method you just clean the motor really good with some degreaser or something and then rinse it off, and spray baby powder all over the area where you suspect a leak (in general, doesnt have to be exact). After that, run the bike for a few minutes, enough to warm it up and then some. After this is done, look back at your baby powdered area and keep your eyes peeled for little black streaks in the baby powder, and this will allow you to trace those little streaks back to the origin of the oil leak.

However, if that dab of oil burnt off and no new oil has dripped onto that spot, you are probably fine. No harm doing the baby powder trick still though.

[newbie1993]

I found a leak. It showed itself before I even used the baby powder method. This one isn't from the head gasket. It's coming from where the tachometer cable attaches to the engine. Its a slow leak but still a leak

NEWBIE

[The Buddha]

That worthless tach cable fitting always leaks. Not a big deal ... There is an O ring in there, if that is OK it can be ignored.
Cool.
Buddha.

[newbie1993]

The area around the cable it is really gritty and dirty. A replacement is in the near future. I'm pretty sure the factory tachometer cable is still on the bike

NEWBIE