Case Leak
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 306
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
Case Leak
I very hesitant about posting my fix on this thread because I will probably
get a lot of flak about it, but here goes anyway. About a month ago I
bought a 04 Softail Standard from a friend that needed money to pay his
property tax. Very clean low mileage bike but the next day after I bought
it I noticed a quarter size oil spot on the floor under the motor. I cleaned
the bottom of the motor with lacquer thinner and tried to find the oil leak
thinking maybe it was a case bolt or maybe the primary cover was leaking
oil at the lowest point at the bottom. No such leak, so I got a magnifying
glass and examined the seam where the case halves meet from front to
the rear of the motor. Bingo! There was oil seeping out of what looked like
a 1/4" long area. So I began with tightening the case half bolts in that
area which did nothing to stop the seeping. The next 2 days I went through
the process that everyone on here mentioned, I tried silicone cement and
every other sealant I could think of to no avail. What would happen is the
oil would seep right under whatever sealant I used before it could harden.
So I knew I had to stop or slow it down. This is the shocking part of this
I ended up using a box cutter blade and by gently tapping it into the seam
until it broke off. Not very much of the blade broke off but to my surprise
the oil stopped seeping out. I waited about an hour and checked it to see
if it was leaking oil. No leak or dampness whatsoever. I waited until the next
morning and checked again, dry as a bone. This blew me away!!
So to make a long story short I went ahead and applied a thin coating of
epoxy over the area and its been about a month and a half and probably
500 miles of riding and it's still bone dry!! No BS!! End of story.
get a lot of flak about it, but here goes anyway. About a month ago I
bought a 04 Softail Standard from a friend that needed money to pay his
property tax. Very clean low mileage bike but the next day after I bought
it I noticed a quarter size oil spot on the floor under the motor. I cleaned
the bottom of the motor with lacquer thinner and tried to find the oil leak
thinking maybe it was a case bolt or maybe the primary cover was leaking
oil at the lowest point at the bottom. No such leak, so I got a magnifying
glass and examined the seam where the case halves meet from front to
the rear of the motor. Bingo! There was oil seeping out of what looked like
a 1/4" long area. So I began with tightening the case half bolts in that
area which did nothing to stop the seeping. The next 2 days I went through
the process that everyone on here mentioned, I tried silicone cement and
every other sealant I could think of to no avail. What would happen is the
oil would seep right under whatever sealant I used before it could harden.
So I knew I had to stop or slow it down. This is the shocking part of this
I ended up using a box cutter blade and by gently tapping it into the seam
until it broke off. Not very much of the blade broke off but to my surprise
the oil stopped seeping out. I waited about an hour and checked it to see
if it was leaking oil. No leak or dampness whatsoever. I waited until the next
morning and checked again, dry as a bone. This blew me away!!
So to make a long story short I went ahead and applied a thin coating of
epoxy over the area and its been about a month and a half and probably
500 miles of riding and it's still bone dry!! No BS!! End of story.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 5
From: Florida
I very hesitant about posting my fix on this thread because I will probably
get a lot of flak about it, but here goes anyway. About a month ago I
bought a 04 Softail Standard from a friend that needed money to pay his
property tax. Very clean low mileage bike but the next day after I bought
it I noticed a quarter size oil spot on the floor under the motor. I cleaned
the bottom of the motor with lacquer thinner and tried to find the oil leak
thinking maybe it was a case bolt or maybe the primary cover was leaking
oil at the lowest point at the bottom. No such leak, so I got a magnifying
glass and examined the seam where the case halves meet from front to
the rear of the motor. Bingo! There was oil seeping out of what looked like
a 1/4" long area. So I began with tightening the case half bolts in that
area which did nothing to stop the seeping. The next 2 days I went through
the process that everyone on here mentioned, I tried silicone cement and
every other sealant I could think of to no avail. What would happen is the
oil would seep right under whatever sealant I used before it could harden.
So I knew I had to stop or slow it down. This is the shocking part of this
I ended up using a box cutter blade and by gently tapping it into the seam
until it broke off. Not very much of the blade broke off but to my surprise
the oil stopped seeping out. I waited about an hour and checked it to see
if it was leaking oil. No leak or dampness whatsoever. I waited until the next
morning and checked again, dry as a bone. This blew me away!!
So to make a long story short I went ahead and applied a thin coating of
epoxy over the area and its been about a month and a half and probably
500 miles of riding and it's still bone dry!! No BS!! End of story.
get a lot of flak about it, but here goes anyway. About a month ago I
bought a 04 Softail Standard from a friend that needed money to pay his
property tax. Very clean low mileage bike but the next day after I bought
it I noticed a quarter size oil spot on the floor under the motor. I cleaned
the bottom of the motor with lacquer thinner and tried to find the oil leak
thinking maybe it was a case bolt or maybe the primary cover was leaking
oil at the lowest point at the bottom. No such leak, so I got a magnifying
glass and examined the seam where the case halves meet from front to
the rear of the motor. Bingo! There was oil seeping out of what looked like
a 1/4" long area. So I began with tightening the case half bolts in that
area which did nothing to stop the seeping. The next 2 days I went through
the process that everyone on here mentioned, I tried silicone cement and
every other sealant I could think of to no avail. What would happen is the
oil would seep right under whatever sealant I used before it could harden.
So I knew I had to stop or slow it down. This is the shocking part of this
I ended up using a box cutter blade and by gently tapping it into the seam
until it broke off. Not very much of the blade broke off but to my surprise
the oil stopped seeping out. I waited about an hour and checked it to see
if it was leaking oil. No leak or dampness whatsoever. I waited until the next
morning and checked again, dry as a bone. This blew me away!!
So to make a long story short I went ahead and applied a thin coating of
epoxy over the area and its been about a month and a half and probably
500 miles of riding and it's still bone dry!! No BS!! End of story.
Glad it worked out for you, though!
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
You cant stop an oil leak by sealing from the outside of the motor , the oil will find its way around any " patch " as this is what oil does.
Try to determine exactly where the leak is occuring first. If it is actually leaking from the case halves , you have only two choices .
1) replace the offending seal gasket with all the work required to do so.
2) try to treat the leaking gasket with a reswelling additive .
If the gasket is not structuraly broken it might live again if treated chemically with a reswelling additive added to your oil.
Most gaskets are now a compilation of neoprene , silicone , etc.
The old cork and hemp type stuff have not been used for many many years.
Try a " reswelling gasket additive " available at any automotive parts supply shop and follow the directions on the can.
I have had excellent results with this but this is to be considered as a fix only.
If your motor is old enough to present this type of symtom , i would suggest a rebuild is in your near future.
Try to determine exactly where the leak is occuring first. If it is actually leaking from the case halves , you have only two choices .
1) replace the offending seal gasket with all the work required to do so.
2) try to treat the leaking gasket with a reswelling additive .
If the gasket is not structuraly broken it might live again if treated chemically with a reswelling additive added to your oil.
Most gaskets are now a compilation of neoprene , silicone , etc.
The old cork and hemp type stuff have not been used for many many years.
Try a " reswelling gasket additive " available at any automotive parts supply shop and follow the directions on the can.
I have had excellent results with this but this is to be considered as a fix only.
If your motor is old enough to present this type of symtom , i would suggest a rebuild is in your near future.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 306
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
Case Leak
Machinehed, this motor does not have a physical gasket and I doubt that a
tiny piece of a blade that probably isn't thicker than a few thousandth of a
inch will have any effect on a mating surface over a 1/4" wide. Even if this
doesn't fix the leak I doubt that I'm going to pull the motor, tear it down
and split the cases for the minor leak. Reswelling gasket additive, thats a
new one on me!!! So what does that do to gaskets you don't want to swell?
tiny piece of a blade that probably isn't thicker than a few thousandth of a
inch will have any effect on a mating surface over a 1/4" wide. Even if this
doesn't fix the leak I doubt that I'm going to pull the motor, tear it down
and split the cases for the minor leak. Reswelling gasket additive, thats a
new one on me!!! So what does that do to gaskets you don't want to swell?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12,878
Likes: 5,448
From: la la land jerzey
what it did was upon entering the crack it spread the bottom out and caused the top if the case halfs to pinch closed - it would be a used car lot fix if it was a car -- let someone else deal with the end issue -- johnjzjz
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
sealing case halves.
Machinehed, this motor does not have a physical gasket and I doubt that a
tiny piece of a blade that probably isn't thicker than a few thousandth of a
inch will have any effect on a mating surface over a 1/4" wide. Even if this
doesn't fix the leak I doubt that I'm going to pull the motor, tear it down
and split the cases for the minor leak. Reswelling gasket additive, thats a
new one on me!!! So what does that do to gaskets you don't want to swell?
tiny piece of a blade that probably isn't thicker than a few thousandth of a
inch will have any effect on a mating surface over a 1/4" wide. Even if this
doesn't fix the leak I doubt that I'm going to pull the motor, tear it down
and split the cases for the minor leak. Reswelling gasket additive, thats a
new one on me!!! So what does that do to gaskets you don't want to swell?
After researching further i see Harley is using a factory applied chemical soft sealant instead. The non hardening sealer is Harley part # HD-99650-81 or 3M equivilant #3M 800.
I have used this 3M 800 sealant extensively in my work and it is the best .
Now that we are on the same page i would suggest you do the following...
Remove the blade from the leak site as it will eventually rust out.
Purchase a small tube of 3M 800 sealant available at any bearing shop or industrial supply house. You wont find it anywere else.
Purchase also a syringe with a needle to inject the sealant into the leak area.
After draining all oil and cleaning the leak area to medical specs. you can now inject the sealant into the crack only ., do not over inject into the case.
The pre cleaning of the leak is critical to allow the new sealant to adhear to the remaining sealant etc. You might have to raise one end of the bike to ensure that residual oil does not leak out of the affected area before you do this. I suggest you let the bike stand like this for a few days and then clean the area with a can of brake cleaner . You need to clean the inside of the mating surfaces as well as possible . Use the spray nozzel and anything else you can to force the spray into the opening.
When you feel all is ok. use the needle to inject a very small amount of the sealant into the mating surfaces only as the rest will end up in the motor.
I have done this with other machines and it will work for you , just dont inject too much as you are only trying to cover a tiny bit of leak area.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 306
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
Sorry pops2ride i mistakenly assumed that the case halves had a gasket.
After researching further i see Harley is using a factory applied chemical soft sealant instead. The non hardening sealer is Harley part # HD-99650-81 or 3M equivilant #3M 800.
I have used this 3M 800 sealant extensively in my work and it is the best .
Now that we are on the same page i would suggest you do the following...
Remove the blade from the leak site as it will eventually rust out.
Purchase a small tube of 3M 800 sealant available at any bearing shop or industrial supply house. You wont find it anywere else.
Purchase also a syringe with a needle to inject the sealant into the leak area.
After draining all oil and cleaning the leak area to medical specs. you can now inject the sealant into the crack only ., do not over inject into the case.
The pre cleaning of the leak is critical to allow the new sealant to adhear to the remaining sealant etc. You might have to raise one end of the bike to ensure that residual oil does not leak out of the affected area before you do this. I suggest you let the bike stand like this for a few days and then clean the area with a can of brake cleaner . You need to clean the inside of the mating surfaces as well as possible . Use the spray nozzel and anything else you can to force the spray into the opening.
When you feel all is ok. use the needle to inject a very small amount of the sealant into the mating surfaces only as the rest will end up in the motor.
I have done this with other machines and it will work for you , just dont inject too much as you are only trying to cover a tiny bit of leak area.
After researching further i see Harley is using a factory applied chemical soft sealant instead. The non hardening sealer is Harley part # HD-99650-81 or 3M equivilant #3M 800.
I have used this 3M 800 sealant extensively in my work and it is the best .
Now that we are on the same page i would suggest you do the following...
Remove the blade from the leak site as it will eventually rust out.
Purchase a small tube of 3M 800 sealant available at any bearing shop or industrial supply house. You wont find it anywere else.
Purchase also a syringe with a needle to inject the sealant into the leak area.
After draining all oil and cleaning the leak area to medical specs. you can now inject the sealant into the crack only ., do not over inject into the case.
The pre cleaning of the leak is critical to allow the new sealant to adhear to the remaining sealant etc. You might have to raise one end of the bike to ensure that residual oil does not leak out of the affected area before you do this. I suggest you let the bike stand like this for a few days and then clean the area with a can of brake cleaner . You need to clean the inside of the mating surfaces as well as possible . Use the spray nozzel and anything else you can to force the spray into the opening.
When you feel all is ok. use the needle to inject a very small amount of the sealant into the mating surfaces only as the rest will end up in the motor.
I have done this with other machines and it will work for you , just dont inject too much as you are only trying to cover a tiny bit of leak area.
about repairing it. What nobody seems to understand is the area that was
seeping oil was very very small, probably no more than 3/16" long and the
piece of blade that broke off in there was the length of the leak and the
amount of blade that broke in it was less than 1/32 of a inch. I did not
have to pound on the blade with the hammer just tap lightly and the sharp
edge snapped off and plugged the hole. The idea that the other poster
mentioned that it probably spread the bottom surface of the case and
caused the upper surface pinch in is ludicrous.
Right now it has not leaked whatsoever and the epoxy is hard as a rock.
If it does leak I will definitely try your fix. Thanks very much for your idea.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
case leak !
I really appreciate your fix for it and it sounds like a very logical way to go
about repairing it. What nobody seems to understand is the area that was
seeping oil was very very small, probably no more than 3/16" long and the
piece of blade that broke off in there was the length of the leak and the
amount of blade that broke in it was less than 1/32 of a inch. I did not
have to pound on the blade with the hammer just tap lightly and the sharp
edge snapped off and plugged the hole. The idea that the other poster
mentioned that it probably spread the bottom surface of the case and
caused the upper surface pinch in is ludicrous.
Right now it has not leaked whatsoever and the epoxy is hard as a rock.
If it does leak I will definitely try your fix. Thanks very much for your idea.
about repairing it. What nobody seems to understand is the area that was
seeping oil was very very small, probably no more than 3/16" long and the
piece of blade that broke off in there was the length of the leak and the
amount of blade that broke in it was less than 1/32 of a inch. I did not
have to pound on the blade with the hammer just tap lightly and the sharp
edge snapped off and plugged the hole. The idea that the other poster
mentioned that it probably spread the bottom surface of the case and
caused the upper surface pinch in is ludicrous.
Right now it has not leaked whatsoever and the epoxy is hard as a rock.
If it does leak I will definitely try your fix. Thanks very much for your idea.
You can cover the outside area after that to secure
I still dont get why it leaked ? Check your crankcase vent system to ensure the case is not pressuring up and blowing the seals etc.?
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 286
From: Buford, GA
I got it cleaned up and finally got a chance to go for a ride today. Lucas 20/50 in engine, primary and transmission. It looks like it's leaking from the inner primary onto the sprocket. Then dripping onto the drive belt and getting slung back onto the case. Definitley need to get this taken care of since I'm thinking the oil will wind up ruining the drive belt.