Author Topic: oil leak cb500 four  (Read 1766 times)

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Offline florence

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oil leak cb500 four
« on: September 25, 2007, 01:41:54 PM »
my bike has an oil leak which i put down to leaking oil seal but when i eventually investigated (it was getting worse) it turned out to be coming from the oil pressure switch on the top of the oil pump.  i thought it would be good to share this as i don't know if it is a common fault but the subsequent loss of oil pressure cannot be a good thing.  I don't know if this has damaged my engine? but if you get a leak like this it is worth looking at straight away.

does anyone know of a conversion to fit a pipe for an oil pressure gauge in place of the oil pressure switch?

Offline hymodyne

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Re: oil leak cb500 four
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2007, 07:32:25 PM »
spring for a replacement pressure sensor and forget about the pressure gauge. I installed one on my 500K1 by tapping out the oil gallery bolt below the dyno and running a line from a generic oil pressure unit up to my handlebar area. it was nice to be able to check the pressure, but the gauge and fitments just mean one more thing to break. plus, a scrape against something down where the line exits the crankcase and you've disabled the bike (I started to travel with a spare galley bolt just in case).

check the threads of the opening at the top of the pump, replace the sensor. use automotive teflon tape.

hym

"All things are ready if our minds be so."

Offline Bodi

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Re: oil leak cb500 four
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2007, 06:53:55 AM »
The light attracts attention, a gauge you have to look at it and think about the reading. Both might be nice, but I wouldn't want to lose the light.
The sensor attaches with a 1/8 NPT tapered thread, fittings are available at any auto or plumbing shop. I doubt if there is room for a tee and the sender, but they might fit. Don't use 1/8" copper tube for an oil pressure line as it doesn't do well with vibration and will work harden and crack fairly quickly, there is also a corrosion issue when joining copper to aluminum. Aircraft braided hose is best, you can use plastic but it's pretty easy to damage and a broken tube will pump out a lot of oil very quickly. I would mount an electrical gauge sender somewhere close and use an electronic gauge if I wanted it on the steering bridge:  routing any pressurized tube through the steering stem would be nightmarish.
I have a mechanical gauge mounted down by the engine, I can see it if I want to look (except at night - no lighting). This works for seeing how things are going as the pressure changes with temperature and oil condition... but the gauge isn't a necessary dashboard instrument in my opinion - probably not necessary at all but I like it anyway.
If your sender is leaking through the mounting threads, remove it and reinstall with two turns of teflon plumber's tape around the threads on the sender tightened snug but not reefed down. The senders often leak through the top stud or around the joint between the plastic and metal parts, a replacement is needed then. Almost any car engine oil pressure switch will work, auto shops usually have generic ones that look roughly identical to the stock Honda one. Make sure it's an oil pressure switch, there are other pressure and vacuum switches that look identical but will not do the job.