Topic: got an oil leak, can anyone tell me the part i need? picture included!

[linktothepast23]

it's a 78 750k and its leaking a little bit of oil onto the bottom part of the exhaust on the right side when sitting on the bike. heres a pic

[flybox1]

is that the head of an oil pan bolt? cant tell.  too close and blurry.
they'll weep oil if not treated with a sealant upon re-installation.

[linktothepast23]

yeah it must be, it's on the bottom part of the engine over by the clutch cable. would you suggest changing the washer and sealing with gasket sealer?

[flybox1]

yeah it must be, it's on the bottom part of the engine over by the clutch cable. would you suggest changing the washer and sealing with gasket sealer?

yes.  order an oil pan gasket. change the gasket and do ALL pan bolts on your next oil change.
it'll also be a good opportunity to see whats hiding at the bottom of your oil pan. 
wet your gasket with oil and let it swell, first. wipe off the excess. 
these are all 6mm bolts.  low torque or you'll crack your pan. 

[linktothepast23]

When you say do the pan bolts do you mean replace? Thanks for the help

[flybox1]

sorry.  reuse the pan bolts, unless the heads are stripped.
just get a new gasket on, and treat the bolts with a sealant before you reinstall them.

[linktothepast23]

Alright awesome, I'm on it!

[Stev-o]

is that the head of an oil pan bolt? cant tell.  too close and blurry.

+1...can't tell. You sure that is oil pan bolt?

[Stoli]

That isn't an oil pan bolt. It is one of the lower crankcase bolts. Just behind the second crankshaft bearing from the right. It is unlikely that oil from the pan would collect there as the pan gasket is actually behind and below that bolt. Assuming the oil is coming from that bolt, I'm not sure if you could stop the leak by reinstalling it with a nylon washer or if you would need to do something a bit more drastic like splitting the cases and resealing with hondabond or 1184. The fact that there is oil there could be indicative of a more serious problem inside the case, or maybe you just need to tighten the bolt a bit. Be careful not to strip it, although the oil might be leaking because it already is stripped.

Hopefully someone else who has experienced a similar problem will chime in.

Before you accuse that bolt, make sure the oil isn't coming out somewhere forward and or above and just streaming down and collecting there.

[linktothepast23]

Thanks for the reply! I will take a closer look. Hopefully it is just the washer it looks a little beat up. Thanks for confirming.

[Stoli]

For what it's worth, the arrow in this picture of the lower case points to the hole that your oil is leaking through. The bolt comes up and threads into the top case. Technically, the hole should be sealed by some liquid gasket applied on the surface the arrow tip is on. Obviously it is getting past that seal and wicking down the hole. Hopefully you can stop the leak with a new washer and maybe some sealant.

[Magpie]

if you can find some copper washers in the correct size they will help stop a leak around a bolt too. It becomes like a sealing or crush washer. Cliff.

[linktothepast23]

If I take the bolt out to replace, will alot of oil start pouring out? Should I do this next oil change

[Stoli]

Assuming that the problem is just the liquid gasket seal that I mentioned above, then you shouldn't get much oil when you remove the bolt since that seal is well above the level of the oil in the case.

If a lot of oil does come out when you remove that bolt, then you've got a more serious issue (like a cracked case) and you probably want to address that before your next oil change anyways.