Recent S&S top end with oil leak at Jug Base ..
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Joined: Apr 2017
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From: Raleigh nc
Recent S&S top end with oil leak at Jug Base ..
Put down about a hundred miles yesterday .. And noticed some oil coming from the base of the front cylinder .. Its located where the front tappet block meets the jug right there at the front of it . Now I know theres an o ring on the base of the jug . And theres a possibility its the tappet block where it meets the jug .. Now my question is ,,, if it is the jug leaking , what could be the cause of it . Those O Rings dont normally fail and its all new stuff from the jugs to the top .. Could base compression be causing this ? Or what could be the culprit ? Bad O ring maybe.. This bike has Never leaked a drop until now . Just trying to think of all my options and issues that I May be dealing with here ..I did check the tappet block bolts and they are tight .. So Im wondering how and why this is happening ?? Any comments are appreciated and Thank you in Advance ....
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,956
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From: florida
Clean it and do shorter ride to try and find leak early before it spreads and make finding the origin harder.
Most likely it’s cylinder oring. Was oring installed with film of oil? Was it moved around after it seated? Was it heat cycled 3-4 times before ridden? Was engine revved during heat cycles? These are possibilities possibly causing a leak
Most likely it’s cylinder oring. Was oring installed with film of oil? Was it moved around after it seated? Was it heat cycled 3-4 times before ridden? Was engine revved during heat cycles? These are possibilities possibly causing a leak
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Joined: Apr 2017
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From: Raleigh nc
Clean it and do shorter ride to try and find leak early before it spreads and make finding the origin harder.
Most likely its cylinder oring. Was oring installed with film of oil? Was it moved around after it seated? Was it heat cycled 3-4 times before ridden? Was engine revved during heat cycles? These are possibilities possibly causing a leak
Most likely its cylinder oring. Was oring installed with film of oil? Was it moved around after it seated? Was it heat cycled 3-4 times before ridden? Was engine revved during heat cycles? These are possibilities possibly causing a leak
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,956
Likes: 437
From: florida
Don’t worry about bigger problems if it runs good and sounds good. Oil return oring and dowel is on left side so it’s not that. Typically base leaks are on left side for that reason. Could be tappet block, gaskets can leak. Good rule is keep rpms miild until motor at operating temp and vent with larger external head breathers and or oil tank vent as case pressure could be an issue
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
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From: Dubuque, IA
Dont worry about bigger problems if it runs good and sounds good. Oil return oring and dowel is on left side so its not that. Typically base leaks are on left side for that reason. Could be tappet block, gaskets can leak. Good rule is keep rpms miild until motor at operating temp and vent with larger external head breathers and or oil tank vent as case pressure could be an issue
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Joined: Apr 2017
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From: Raleigh nc
Dont worry about bigger problems if it runs good and sounds good. Oil return oring and dowel is on left side so its not that. Typically base leaks are on left side for that reason. Could be tappet block, gaskets can leak. Good rule is keep rpms miild until motor at operating temp and vent with larger external head breathers and or oil tank vent as case pressure could be an issue
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
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From: Dubuque, IA
Excessive crankcase pressure doesn't necessarily mean a blowby issue like rings. I'd look at breather valves first. If they're not closing properly and sucking air in, crankcase pressure will build. I went thru 3 sets of rocker cover gaskets in a 1,000 miles on my sporty build before I figured out it was the stock umbrellas. On that I just plugged the bolt holes in the heads by using solid bolts and drilled/tapped a hole in the cam cover for a 1/8NPT to hose barb 90° and used the Hayden Krankvent. Problem solved.
Altho poor crankcase venting can cause ring flutter and poor ring seal too compounding the issue.
Altho poor crankcase venting can cause ring flutter and poor ring seal too compounding the issue.
Last edited by 60Gunner; Nov 16, 2020 at 07:41 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: poway
If you only have a couple hundreds miles on it, Clean the area off and keep an eye on it. Some like to put a little grease/oil on the O rings during assembly to help them seat. It will weep out.
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