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Where did this oil come from?

2K views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  linkmodo 
#1 ·
This morning I opened the bike cover to check on my bike and noticed a big patch of oil on the ground...




I don't see any leak around bolts and seals... And I suspect it's coming from this open end hose... What is this hose anyway?


I also notice that even when bike is on side stand, the oil view window shows oil way above the max line... did previous owner overfill the engine?:crying:
 
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#4 ·
Hmm.. I'll have to keep a close eye for it and do some more ridding today and see if the oil comes out again or not.. The line does smell gasoline, but on the ground it seems more like oil than gas, and the second image was actually oil dripping on the black paint
 
#6 · (Edited)
The oil on the frame comes from any loose bolt. Riding at any speed, the wind move the oil back to the frame or the tire even... The same way wind pushes water away from the visor to the back of the helmet while rinding in the rain (same on a car windshield).

Same happen to mine. You have to check all the clutch cover bolts and cranck case bolts. These engines vibrate a lot and loosens bolts.

Verify each bolt and tighten to spec or add some locktite.

Don't over tighten!! Aluminum cases easily brake.

Remember, if you add locktite you won't be able to torque correctly so tighten by hand feel to very snug and let locktite dry and do the rest.

That's what I did.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
Hard to tell where it's coming from. However, if your oil level is too high, you might be getting oil where it doesn't belong. Get a baby ear syringe or a turkey baster and some plastic tubing, and suck some oil out of the diptube until it's at the correct level.

Note: I don't remember how to check oil on the Gen I's, but as you say, if it's too high in the glass when the bike is on the sidestand, it's certainly overfilled.
 
#8 ·
I did a quick ride and got back and put the bike the other way, and now there is a new patch of oil on the ground... hmmm... and the oil level window showed a lot less oil than before (before it was over the max line, now it's between max & low on side stand), seems like an emergency oil leaking situation. Will try to torque all the bolts that I can see.

There is a bolt on the bottom that holds a silver wire with a loop at the other end, nothing is attached to it, I'm wondering if it's removable?
 
#12 ·
My 3 leaks were:

the clutch lever seal at the top of the clutch cover

the seal at the shift shaft

the seal at the output shaft (behind the front sprocket)

The first 2 are fixed. Just waiting on parts for the 3rd one.

If it is as over filled, it can push the excess oil out of the engine thru the crankcase vent into the airbox. There is a small drain hose that goes from the airbox down to the bottom of the engine.

Betting that if you open up the airbox you'll find it covered in oil.

Drain out enough oil to get the level at the top mark on the sight glass, with the bike standing up straight. No sidestand.
 
#16 ·
My 3 leaks were:

If it is as over filled, it can push the excess oil out of the engine thru the crankcase vent into the airbox. There is a small drain hose that goes from the airbox down to the bottom of the engine.

Betting that if you open up the airbox you'll find it covered in oil.

Drain out enough oil to get the level at the top mark on the sight glass, with the bike standing up straight. No sidestand.
Just opened the airbox this afternoon because bought some new Iridium spark plugs to put in and a K&N filter. There was indeed quite a lot of oil spilled inside... And when I took airbox out of the frame it was dripping oil......wow...

Gonna suck out some oil and see... Still wasn't able to tighten those torx screws blocked by the exhaust as even torx bits were too long for it gonna have to look hard for a compact T30
 
#13 ·


Ok so after some more diagnostics and observation, I found out that the leak is actually coming from the bolt shown in the photo above. The one that had a wire attached...

My problem is I can't reach and tighten that bolt with my torx socket because there is exhaust in the way.

And to remove exhaust it looks like I have to remove radiator and oil cooler to access those bolts on the exhaust port... Anyone have any suggestions on proper tool to reach this bolt without removing almost everything?
 
#15 ·
If you are sure its a Torx and not metric hex you can pick up a set of Torx bits (Harbor Freight calls them "star bits") for around $3.00 and get in there with a bit and end wrench to tighten the bole without disturbing the exhaust.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=torx (about half way down the page)

I might suggest Simple Green at 100% mix to get rid of the oil that is flung everywhere.
 
#20 ·
The hose you're holding in that first pic is about twice as big around as the fuel overflow hose; it's almost certainly the airbox drain. I would bet real American dollars that oil is pooling around that Torx bolt but actually leaking from that hose. Clean it all up real good and route the hose into a can to be sure, or just drain all the excess oil and forget about it. Max mark on the sidestand is close to two extra liters in a sump designed for three total.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
#22 ·
Just come back to rant a little...

Did a complete oil change and coolant change today... Previous owner obviously abused maintenance interval, last time I saw coolant change in his maintenance record was in 2010... the coolant was fully rusted, took me half a day, and a whole bunch of complete flush, warm up & drain to get the water to come out of the radiator clean. The radiator reservoir is a rust box... It was filled with layers of thick rust particles...

The Oil... Where do I start... Previous owner not only used the wrong type of oil that triumph specifically said no (10W50) but when I did drain the oil it almost filled my 10 qts oil pan full... He must have put at least 5-6 qts of oil in the engine... oh my F god... when I refilled the oil, it only took me 3.4qts with a new filter... What was he thinking when he added that much oil into engine... Also, last oil change was 2012...

Now I'm quite worried about the brake fluid... Ordered new brake pads and hopefully will find a time to get pads changed. Maybe I'll take bike to the dealer to do a proper brake flush...
 
#24 ·
Don't take the "brake job" to the dealer!

First, throw a couple shop towels over your wheels underneath the hubs, to protect them from any brake fluid you might spill. Likewise, put something under the master cylinders to protect the fairings and gas tank.

Then, put a clear plastic tube that fits tight on the end of the bleed nipple; run it into a clear glass container with just enough brake fluid to submerge the tip of the tube.

Loosen the bleed nipple. While you make sure you don't empty the reservoir, slowly pump and release the lever until you see clear fluid in the plastic tube. Tighten the nipple. Repeat on the other side. The process will go a bit quicker if you first suck all the old fluid out of the rez with a baby syringe or turkey baster and replace it with new fluid before you start.

Repeat on the rear brake system.

Hope this helps!
 
#27 ·
Gadzooks!

Well, you've taken care of the worst of the problem, but if I were you, I'd plan to overhaul the calipers and clean the pistons. Although a lot of guys have gone to the Daytona 675 pistons, I've stayed with my original pucks.

See my post here: http://www.triumphrat.net/sprint-forum/581297-kudos-for-brake-parts-vendor.html

While you are giving the bike a good going-over, three common failure related items to look for:

1) Check to make sure the harness coming out of the ignition switch is zip-tied to the switch housing, and not just hanging out. If you can see colored wires coming out of the housing, you need to address it, and quickly.
2) Look at the vinyl 'carcass' that covers the cabling that runs down the left handlebar, and see if it's ever been cut. There is an aluminum crimp inside there that joins the horn and clutch safety switch leads (which are copper). If corrosion sets up (and it will), the wire will break at the crimp, and the bike will not crank. And, the horn won't work.
3) Inspect the clutch cable at both ends, especially at the engine end. They tend to break right at the poured termination. I keep a spare cable in my saddlebag for long trips; I've read where some folks have their spare zip-tied alongside the installed one. If you don't know how old yours is, you might want to get a spare.

I don't know if you've seen this, but several 'general' parts for our bikes are also found on Kawasaki's, especially brake, control and suspension bits. The high-dollar sprocket nut is shared with a Honda, which costs a lot less. The 'Alternate Parts' sticky in the Blogs section is a very good source of information.

Hope this helps!

pr
(in the 'other' Florida)
 
#28 · (Edited)
thanks pr for those info, super helpful info. I did clean piston and with a toothbrush, and sprayed a lot of brake cleaner into the gap between piston and caliper yesterday. Will look into getting new rebuild kit.

1. harness is secured to the switch housing nice and snug when I installed the plugs

2. Yes the vinyl carcass was cut, looks like previous owner had it taped with thick layers of electric tape so I assume same happend to him.. I also bought a used Sprint ST left hand switch assembly as backup, because I like the hazard light feature.

3. The clutch cable looks to be replaced couple years ago under warranty, I'll buy a spare just in case.

Good to know replacement parts can be found fairly easily and cheaply than buying genuine Triumph :grin2:
 
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