Oil leak

[mr72]

My bike was obviously leaking oil at the crankshaft seal under the signal generator on the clutch side. Tore it down today and changed the seal. Still leaking, maybe even worse than before.

Is this just ordinary with this many miles (22k)? I noticed a pair of smooth lines worn on the crank where it goes through the seal, but there is no groove there. It's just polished smooth where it intersects the seal. Could it be that it just won't seal anymore?

Anyway I'd really like to hear what my options are since it is quite annoying to have my right shoe coated in oil after every ride.

[ajensen]

Not normal. Does it leak oil anywhere else? Crankcase breather hose not crimped? Overfilled?

[sledge]

The first question to ask and the most obvious one is have you fitted the new seal correctly and that it has not been damaged or distorted in the process. Also are you 100% certain the replacement is identically sized to the old one and that the circular spring that holds the lip in position on the shaft is present within it.

I have know individuals tackling jobs of this nature to knock the old worn  seal out, then become distracted/go for coffee etc, return to the job and inadvertently refit the OLD seal. I am not suggesting this is what you have done but you may want to consider it.

You may want to consider fitting a speedi-sleeve over the seal land but if you can't detect a wear groove with a finger nail its not something I would go to the trouble of.

Other things to consider, the land is not perfectly circular or the shaft end is bent and running out.

[mr72]

Not normal. Does it leak oil anywhere else? Crankcase breather hose not crimped? Overfilled?

It may have a very small leak at the half moon seal on the valve cover on the opposite side of the engine. I am confident that is not the source of the oil on my right shoe. It's obvious to see the oil is coming directly from the seal/shaft.

It is possible it is overfilled. Would that cause this? I drained nearly 3 quarts and out the same oil back without changing the filter (was only about 100 miles old). It's definitely at the full mark, maybe a hair above it. Man, I hope it is that easy.

[mr72]

The first question to ask and the most obvious one is have you fitted the new seal correctly and that it has not been damaged or distorted in the process. Also are you 100% certain the replacement is identically sized to the old one and that the circular spring that holds the lip in position on the shaft is present within it.

Yes of course. I am 100% sure of all of this. I didn't detail the whole job but the old seal didn't come out in one piece. I had to use acetone, sandpaper and a brass wire brush to clean up the hole of remnants of the original seal. New seal pressed in by hand using a 23mm socket and a block of wood, went in perfectly straight and looks perfect.

I have know individuals tackling jobs of this nature ...

I have been that individual  but not yesterday.

I couldn't feel a groove but I didn't put a micrometer on it. I also didn't measure run out but I can do that if it turns out I didn't just overfill it. Thanks for the suggestions.

There's a history of oil leaks on this bike and this was the last significant one to fix, but I definitely overfilled it after doing the bolt extraction a couple of weeks ago so I'd say it's most likely that it still has too much oil. Plus that's super easy to check and fix.

Thanks guys!

[mr72]

Quick update.

It was in fact overfilled. On the dipstick the oil was just touching the letter "F", which is maybe 2-3mm beyond the line at the edge of the cross-hatch area.

I used a food injector syringe with a length of fuel hose attached to extract about 10 oz of oil before the level was (barely) inside the cross-hatch area of the dipstick. That's a lot of extra oil! No wonder it was seeping.

No word on whether it still "leaks". Haven't ridden it since making the adjustment. It's been raining daily around here up until today. I might have a chance to take a spin later today.

Thanks for the input again.