Oil leaks

mikesim

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Yammy did an excellent job in recreating the Brit bike in the XS650! They even copied the oil leak ;).
I'm going to replace the sump gasket and filter along with the oil filter in the right side cover. I also believe there is a bit of leakage coming from the countershaft seal. Any tricks or cautions about these repairs? Recommended parts sources? Thanks!

Mike
 
On your oil filters. They are both designed to be cleaned and reused. Often you will find the sump filter torn. Easy fix. Is small tear just clean really good, coat with JB Weld or your favorite epoxy. If large tears or chunks missing cut a patch out of an adult beverage can that covers the hole from the steel top and bottom and out past the hole a bit and glue in place with the epoxy. Once glued in place and dry another coat on any iffy spots.
If you can find one an extra sump plate, sump filter and side cover filter can be handy. When doing an oil change just swap the dirty parts for the clean ones. This speeds up the oil change and you can clean the dirty parts anytime.
As mentioned the countershaft nut could be loose, many have found it to be barley finger tight. A leak there is generally not the seal. The nut pushed the sprocket against a spacer that passes through the seal and presses up against a bearing race inside the tranny. Oil is under pressure from the oil pump to all the bearings and shift fork parts inside. If the nut is loose oil passes between the bearing race and spacer, along the splines on the shaft, and drips out between the spacer and sprocket. Tighten the nut up seals off this oil escape route.
You clutch pushrod seal just ahead of the sprocket is much more apt to. Leak than any other seal in the engine. It not only can spin but slides in and out of the seal. This can drag dirt into the seal,
 
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So, I will replace the pushrod seal as well. I will check the countershaft nut for looseness. Is there a torque spec for the nut?

Thanks for the info!

Mike
 
You want the countershaft sprocket nut very tight. You're trying to seal metal to metal in two places (both ends of the spacer sleeve). I use the spec from the early bikes, highest given, about 94 ft/lbs. I used to use something in the low to mid 70's but still got some slight seeping. Every time I'd pull that left cover, I'd find oil streaks on the sprocket emanating from the shaft .....

InsideLeftCoverDirty.jpg


It wasn't leaking to the point of dripping, but it wasn't sealing 100% either. I also now take a couple additional steps to help seal this area. I add some Yamabond sealer to the backside of the sprocket where it meets the spacer sleeve, under the lock washer, and the nut .....

SprocketMountSeal.jpg


SprocketMountSeal2.jpg


But I think making the nut really tight is the most important thing. Heiden actually sells an improved spacer that incorporates an o-ring on the inner end to help seal it. I wish Mike's would start carrying this part .....

CountershaftSleeve.jpg
 
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