Oil leak :(

[jarl]

Threw the bike down the road the other day and thought I'd largely gotten away with it but an oil leak has started...



Since it's next to the drain plug, any chance I can coat the inside with anything to stop the leak or will I need some new casing?

There are also a couple of random holes in the engine which I think must be purposeful because I can't see how they'd be caused except from a manufacturing fault, any ideas?




(the second is hidden behind the massive front bit of the frame so there's no way that could have been caused by operator error/damage)

[StumpyFingers]

I have heard of people using Araldite to fix small leaks but I do not have first hand experience or know how successful it is.

[tramp]

hi jarl,
many years ago when I had a superdream I over tightened the sump plug and split the casing around the plug so patched up with some metal putty set as hard as you like and ran bike for 2 years in Manchester without doing a oil change and never leaked.

well worth a try but in the long run better to fit a new case

[davedixon]

Youve got nothing to loose by trying Araldite. Give it a go but keep an eye on it.

[R0vers]

id suggest using JB WELD instead of araldite... much better and intended for metal... Robert Dyas or a DIY store will have it... -its a two pack - one tube dark grey and the other white - so you get a metal colour anyway... and no one would ever know...

a tip --- just as its going off - put loads of spit on your index finger and smooth it off...

[StumpyFingers]

I forgot they now make liquid metal.

[shack]

You can get some 'wet' JB I was toying with the idea of fixing a fuel tank with it (car long gone now) and that version was in a single tube, you broke of a bit and rubbed it together (the inside portion was darker and outside lighter) until malleable and a single colour then ram it it as suggested earlier. Ebay was the cheapest place a couple of years ago, I paid about £4 posted.
Rest of the bike (and you) okay?

[jarl]

Would application of various fun chemicals be on the outside or on the inside?

Other damage to the bike is sump guard (completely shattered) and RHS footrest hanger. Also acquired a dent to the frame, I'm hoping this isn't an issue! Bike still steers straight and true.

[Nessmuk]

I think I'd try some sort of chemical metal as others have suggested. The only thing that might stop it working is the oil in the crack and on the casing.

Years ago a mate of mine cleaned up his GS1000 engine using a mild caustic soda solution, it cleaned the ally up spotlessly. If it was me I'd try that first to get it super clean before using a chemical metal type thing on it. Possibly scratch along the crack too so the epoxy can get in and bond. Or instead of caustic some phosphoric acid if you can get it, I think that is the etchant in etch primer used on ally.

You've got nothing to lose but I'd experiment with the caustic first to make sure you dont make another hole in the casing!

Or find someone who is pretty damn good with a TIG torch...

[Lutin]

You might want to have a read of this -

Fixing a hole in the crankcase.

The later posts go into cleaning up the area in some detail, if I remember correctly.