Topic: "baby" has an oil leak

[heffay]

   started leaking badly on the peak to peak ride.  it is leaking from the bottom of the clutch cover... anyone guesstimate what seals/gaskets i will need?... also seeps from the head gasket... oh yeah and the cam chain is noisy as hell... and there might be a rod-knock also... fun!  now you see why i bought another engine last winter?  man i need a garage! 

[eldar]

I need a garage too. I need to pull my bike apart to do all kinds of small things. Repaint frame and such. Hard to do that in an apartment garage. Boy if you got a rod knock I would say you may have bent one. Otherwise you have a wrist pin or bearing that is going bad.

[mkarcz]

'75 550k1 is starting to leak from many of its little cracks and orifices.  I am displeased as well.  Does anyone know if the gasket for underneath the crankcase can be replaced while the motor is on the bike, or do I have to pull the engine???
mark

[bryanj]

If you mean the sump pan gasket --yes and its an "O" ring

[heffay]

I need a garage too. I need to pull my bike apart to do all kinds of small things. Repaint frame and such. Hard to do that in an apartment garage. Boy if you got a rod knock I would say you may have bent one. Otherwise you have a wrist pin or bearing that is going bad.

actually, i meant to say piston slap... it sounds more top end than lower.  but, these noises aren't new for the bike and i've had it for 3 years and probably put 2 or 3k on it since i bought it.  i was just most curious about the leak since it is bad... literally covered the right side pipe on a 100 mile trip (ok not covered but a hefty amount of oil)

[78 k550]

Sounds like it's rebuild time.
 My 72 500 I just picked up is running. It is green and black. with no leaks yet. I need to swap out the top tubes and bring it back to stock. It has a chopper style extended forks.

Paul