Topic: oil stop leak

[maxheadflow]

As usual, after cleaning the bike and getting it running, I've got a slight oil leak at the headgasket in the cam chain area.  Anyone try any of the oil stop leak concoctions? 

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/bar-s-leaks-2901/oil-16865/oil-treatment-17727/460b8e8a4835/bar-s-leaks-engine-repair-16-ounce/1000/2542003?q=oil+stop+leak&pos=3

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Don't think your clutch would like these

[awrawr]

Doubt a oil leak additive would withstand head gasket pressures. Clean it all off, add some oil soluble ultra violet dye to the sump (amazon) and run it in the dark with a UV torch to confirm the source of the leak.

[maxheadflow]

Absolutely stay away from those products with a motorcycle. Instead, try re-torquing the head. Remove the valve cover, release the bolts in reverse pattern, then torque them back. You'd be surprised that after decades and potentially thousands of heat cycles how much warpage occurs and some of the bolts may be not at torque now.

So you had that method work for you?

[maxheadflow]

Thanks for the additional info.

[1976cb750f836]

Most oil stop products work by swelling the seals. (Put a rubber O-ring in some brake fluid and watch). The clutch material would swell and cause the clutch not to disengauge. If it was a seal leak, you could treat it then change the clutch?

[maxheadflow]

One of the old tricks we used to use was to add about 4 ounces of fork oil into engine oil.  The CB500/550s used to leak at the oil passage at the head gasket.  Actually had some customers that it helped.  I suspect that it swelled up the O ring a little. 

In my case, I don't have a compression seal leak as much as it's oil simply bleeding through the head gasket from the cam chain area. It's not bad but after cleaning the motor with mineral spirits and about 50 miles (20 at about 75 mph) of running the motor there is a slight weep both front and rear.  It's not from the combustion chambers.  This bike probably had the headgasket replaced at one time with an aftermarket one.  The composite stuff they use could be allowing the oil to flow through the gasket not around it.  We used to use gasgacinch in that area.  IIRC honda started using some sort of sealer on their gaskets. 

[maxheadflow]

It's interesting that honda says the service limit on the cylinder head for flatness is 0.009"

[mrbreeze]

Are you sure it's the head gasket and not the cam pucks? I like the idea of adding dye to the oil and checking with black light to find source of leak. I used that method many times working on cars and pin pointing hard to find leakage.

[maxheadflow]

Are you sure it's the head gasket and not the cam pucks? I like the idea of adding dye to the oil and checking with black light to find source of leak. I used that method many times working on cars and pin pointing hard to find leakage.

Absolutely.  The sad thing about the idea of torquing the head is that I pulled the motor to fix the leaking pucks and didn't.  Pucks have been replaced.  The problem is that this motor was leaking so bad that I could tell the pucks were leaking but could not not tell if anything else was leaking.  Pretty much all the side cover / pan gaskets were replaced along with most of the seals. With the motor out, I had to weld up the a lower rear left motor mount on the case. In the process, I cleaned all of the oil off the motor with mineral spirits and brake clean.  I've been going for short rides and looking for leaks.  This bike only has 70 miles on it since assembly. Early rides were 5-10 miles. Last ride was about 34 and it included freeway speeds.  Right now the only leak I see is right at the head gasket, right at the cam chain channel, front and rear.

[beemerbum]

As usual, after cleaning the bike and getting it running, I've got a slight oil leak at the headgasket in the cam chain area.  Anyone try any of the oil stop leak concoctions? 

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/bar-s-leaks-2901/oil-16865/oil-treatment-17727/460b8e8a4835/bar-s-leaks-engine-repair-16-ounce/1000/2542003?q=oil+stop+leak&pos=3

Ok it may be a little red neck but I found a product that stopped an oil leak in a BMW crankcase that had a crack. Permatex product 82099 worked great. It is sprayed on the outside where there is a leak. The area has to be totally grease and oil free. Brake parts cleaner worked well. Several coats produced a clear plastic like coating that has stood up to many miles on the bike. It would be unlikely to hold up to any kind of internal pressure leak.