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2008 Triumph Bonneville Bad Oil Leak Upon Start Up

4K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  bobscogin 
#1 ·
I am in the process of replacing the bottle jack on my motorcycle lift and completely cleaning my 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100 so I can see where it is leaking from. It was small drops at first but now when I start the bike it hemorrhages oil. If anyone has any suggestions on where it could be coming from that would be great. I originally thought it was the oil filter (perhaps I left the seal from the previous filter on when changing the oil). It is not the oil filter and I did not leave a gasket from the previous oil filter when doing my last oil change.

I got this bike 13 months ago with 2k miles (in 2014) and it now has 15k miles. It did a lot of sitting before I owned it and ran great at first. I had to do a carb overhaul and changed the cam cover gasket about 6 months in. It ran great again after that and towards the end of the summer the leak started getting bad.

Thanks,
Stephanie
 
#2 ·
I am in the process of replacing the bottle jack on my motorcycle lift and completely cleaning my 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100 so I can see where it is leaking from. It was small drops at first but now when I start the bike it hemorrhages oil. If anyone has any suggestions on where it could be coming from that would be great. I originally thought it was the oil filter (perhaps I left the seal from the previous filter on when changing the oil). It is not the oil filter and I did not leave a gasket from the previous oil filter when doing my last oil change.

I got this bike 13 months ago with 2k miles (in 2014) and it now has 15k miles. It did a lot of sitting before I owned it and ran great at first. I had to do a carb overhaul and changed the cam cover gasket about 6 months in. It ran great again after that and towards the end of the summer the leak started getting bad.


Thanks,
Stephanie
Need more info - where are the drops falling (assuming bike on centre stand), any runs of oil from say, cylinder head? Or perhaps under primary drive on the left hand side, or at the oil cooler? Do a bit more research on the location of the drops, whether they run down the barrels, along the frame etc, more info the merrier and some pics:nerd:
 
#7 ·
I'm sorry, it appears to be coming from the oil filter area. I do not have a center stand installed. I fixed my lift last night and will be getting the bike up on it to take pictures (and post) later this morning. I should clarify that it was oil drops that you could watch falling at first so I stopped riding it for a few days. It did not, and does not, drip oil when not running so I decided after the few days of no oil that it was safe to try and ride. I backed it out of the garage, put it in neutral, started it and got off the bike. I walked maybe 5 feet to my tool box and turned back around to find a puddle of oil already on the ground with a visible stream still leaking. It was dark and the stream may have been my imagination but there was a 2' x 1' stain on my driveway and a trail from where it was in the driveway to where I parked it in my garage.

Another odd thing about this bike is that the oil level sight glass always reads differently. You can change the oil and add the recommended amount and let it settle and never see it in the sight. Take it for a ride and look at the sight and it's overfull. It never reads the same.
 
#4 ·
The neutral switch is located just in front of the oil filter and has been known to leak oil.
 
#6 ·
If it's "hemorrhaging" oil, it won't be the neutral switch. I'd check the oil lines to the cooler if the filter and drain bolt seem secure.
 
#11 ·
Is the filter one of the redesigned units that no longer fits the bike properly? See the sticky about oil filters that fit, v2. Here's a picture to show the difference. The filter on the left will leak because the slightly convex redesigned base plate does not allow it to seat properly. The filter on the right should be alright.

 
#13 ·
Also .................... check to see if the "Oil Seal" stuck to the mounting surface when you last changed the oil filter.
THIS, combined with the new oil filter would result in 2 seals "stacking".

Might seal initially, but would eventually push out under pressure.

ALWAYS be sure the Oil Filter Seal is removed WITH the Oil Filter upon changing.

Could be catastrophic if it blew out riding down the road!

Pull the Oil Filter and check this out. Please!
DO NOT operate again until you do.

Good Luck.
 
#17 ·
This is the first thing I checked. I have had leaks for quite a while now. I changed the filter and the leak would slowly return. After the first time I checked to make sure I did not leave the seal on it. I never thought it was just the filters were designed incorrectly.
 
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