!#%$$#@! Oil Leak

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

GSXR 87 1100. Running engine in, all fine. Got 400 kms on it and did an oil and filter change.

No unexpected amounts of metal in oil or on sump plug magnet. Did the change as went to a track day to put some more kms on it. Came off track after 15 min session with oil everywhere, on my left leg leathers, fortunately not a gushing leak as nothing on track and no engine failure as such (Engine still runs fine no knocks or odd sounds).

Was hard to see the source of the leak due to everything being lightly oiled, but can rule out or less likely.

• Oil cooler feed lines - dry
• Head Oil return lines as installed with new o rings
• Head oil supply lines as installed with new o rings
• 6 Head stud gallery orings were installed brand new with new head gasket

Oil had pooled on the top of the head and in head bolt hex so figure oil has leaked out the front and blown over top of engine.

I am thinking maybe:

• Head gasket leak due to bad head gasket (but this was installed branch new with engine)
• Head gasket leak due to head bolts loosened - I have not as yet done a tighten up since the install as was going to do this at 600 or 1000kms
• Possible a cylinder nut has let go on a stud that has the oil gallery supply
• Possibly cam chain tensioner gasket

So ill strip off the fairing today, degreeze the engine , pop the rocket cover off and check the stud nuts and retorque, then go for a short ride and check for leak origin.

Manual says - "First loosen and retighten the nuts to the specified torque with a torque wrench"

IS that what you normally do - Loosen them all first and then retorque? or do most people just tighten and check the torque settings in the correct pattern?

Any other suggestions for me to check?

Ill post some photos off leak source after the ride

 

[Gixer1460]

I'll bet money where its coming from . . . . . . . . the 'mickey mouse' oil seals around the plug wells! Oil gets in there and drains out through the water drains! They are soooooo easy to displace when putting the cover on and the shit gets everywhere like you've dumped a litre all over it!

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

22 minutes ago, Gixer1460 said:

I'll bet money where its coming from . . . . . . . . the 'mickey mouse' oil seals around the plug wells! Oil gets in there and drains out through the water drains! They are soooooo easy to displace when putting the cover on and the shit gets everywhere like you've dumped a litre all over it!

Thanks Ill check them, I did install new seals but possibly cocked it up

[Jaydee]

2 hours ago, kiwisuzuki1100nz said:

Thanks Ill check them, I did install new seals but possibly cocked it up

Easy to have one slip popping the cover back on. Also check that you torqued/tightened the four union bolts on the top of the rocker cover. They'll piss oil at hand tight.

Something similar happened to me a good few years back. I was fairly moving it when I copped the oil light come on. Shut it down straight away! As bike was coming to a stop I saw oil spraying HEAVILY from the the side of the engine. My whole left leg and the side of the bike drowned in oil. Turned out to be the m8 side plug bolt (no.9) on the rocker cover had worked its way loose and had escaped.

[Fazz711]

You never check if something is tight by tightening and you see if it loose them you don't over tighten

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

Oil on top of head

[dupersunc]

That's most likely a cam cover seal, mikey mouse ears as suggested, or one of the seals on the bolts. 

Were does the breather on the cam cover go?  It's not just breathing out of that?

What circuit were you at incidentally?

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

7 hours ago, dupersunc said:

That's most likely a cam cover seal, mikey mouse ears as suggested, or one of the seals on the bolts. 

Were does the breather on the cam cover go?  It's not just breathing out of that?

What circuit were you at incidentally?

I have breather hose and a catch can. taken it off ready to take of the cover.

Hampton downs Auckland New Zealand

[dupersunc]

43 minutes ago, kiwisuzuki1100nz said:

I have breather hose and a catch can. taken it off ready to take of the cover.

Hampton downs Auckland New Zealand

I was at Hampton 3 weeks ago. 

 

Hopefully its an easy fix.

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

8 hours ago, dupersunc said:

I was at Hampton 3 weeks ago. 

 

Hopefully its an easy fix.

Thanks I bloody hope so

[kiwisuzuki1100nz]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:47 PM, Jaydee said:

Easy to have one slip popping the cover back on. Also check that you torqued/tightened the four union bolts on the top of the rocker cover. They'll piss oil at hand tight.

Something similar happened to me a good few years back. I was fairly moving it when I copped the oil light come on. Shut it down straight away! As bike was coming to a stop I saw oil spraying HEAVILY from the the side of the engine. My whole left leg and the side of the bike drowned in oil. Turned out to be the m8 side plug bolt (no.9) on the rocker cover had worked its way loose and had escaped.

ok SO the mickey mouse ears were good and the general rubber gasket.

However all the gaskets (number 7) for large hex bolts number 5  were not installed and the gasket number 10 for hex bolt 8 are steel washers and not a gasket.

I have ordered a complete new set as well as the head bolt gaskets.

So I am hoping the oil when the engine was under high revs was pissing out the head bolts leaking down the spark wells and then spraying around once out the drain holes in the front of the engine. Lesson learnt.

Now to loosen off head bolts and retorque them back down.

Damn getting the rocket cover off with the engine in the frame was F*****g tight. I had to remove a mickey mouse ear to get a few mm to be able to clear the cam chain idler

Edited February 27, 2020 by kiwisuzuki1100nz

[Ted M]

I think you’ve found your problem with the gaskets number 7. Although I would have put money on the Mickey Mouse ears being knocked as you replaced the cover. I’ve done it loads of times just the slightest displacement gives you an oil leak. Hope you’ve sorted it mate

[Swiss Toni]

I had the same problem with the 'ears'. Cleaned them and the housings with contact cleaner, few dabs of silicone in the recesses. Weight the cover down on a flat surface until set. Job jobbed!