Oil leak fun.............yeah
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 546
Likes: 606
From: Out West
Oil leak fun.............yeah
My buddy has a 78 Shovel with an oil leak that is giving me a workout!
It's an open primary, and it's weeping from under the stator cover. So he brings it by, and we pull it apart. Sprocket shaft seal looks dry, and splines are dry. There is some oil in between the bottom of the stator and the case, but it's just a film. Inside of the case is bone dry except a little tiny amount in bottom of cover. There is no cover gasket, so it just weeps out the bottom and doesn't stick around.
I tell him about the classic leak locations, and sure as can be, he has no sealant on the stator wire retainer screw holes (go through into case), and it's wet up there. He is impressed! I clean it real good and seal it. I then removed and sealed the 4 stator bolts to really hedge my bets.
Well........................he brings it over this morning, and it's still leaking. Not as much, but it's there. I just ordered a couple of sprocket shaft seals, and now I am going to swap it out. His sprocket shaft spacer is basically new (Jims) but I have a new spare in case it's worn. Funny thing is, it has ZERO telltale signs of leakage, there is no oil pooling at the seal base, and I even checked with a Q-tip.
I am not seeing any oil around where the insert meets the case, so I am ruling that out for now. Stranger things have happened, and I am hoping that it was a combo leak of stator retainer and seal. Runout is good, so it's not that. Good times.
Anybody see a seal leak so "clean"?
It's an open primary, and it's weeping from under the stator cover. So he brings it by, and we pull it apart. Sprocket shaft seal looks dry, and splines are dry. There is some oil in between the bottom of the stator and the case, but it's just a film. Inside of the case is bone dry except a little tiny amount in bottom of cover. There is no cover gasket, so it just weeps out the bottom and doesn't stick around.
I tell him about the classic leak locations, and sure as can be, he has no sealant on the stator wire retainer screw holes (go through into case), and it's wet up there. He is impressed! I clean it real good and seal it. I then removed and sealed the 4 stator bolts to really hedge my bets.
Well........................he brings it over this morning, and it's still leaking. Not as much, but it's there. I just ordered a couple of sprocket shaft seals, and now I am going to swap it out. His sprocket shaft spacer is basically new (Jims) but I have a new spare in case it's worn. Funny thing is, it has ZERO telltale signs of leakage, there is no oil pooling at the seal base, and I even checked with a Q-tip.
I am not seeing any oil around where the insert meets the case, so I am ruling that out for now. Stranger things have happened, and I am hoping that it was a combo leak of stator retainer and seal. Runout is good, so it's not that. Good times.
Anybody see a seal leak so "clean"?
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 546
Likes: 606
From: Out West
Just occurred to me, what if it's leaking from where the seal meets the case and not the shaft? That might explain why oil is not flung all over the place (from a leak at the crank shaft)....???????????
I have never seen that on a Harley, but there is always a first!
But it still appeared "dry" at that location.
I have never seen that on a Harley, but there is always a first!
But it still appeared "dry" at that location.
Last edited by Hannibal Smith; Sep 17, 2018 at 08:28 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 979
Likes: 38
From: new orleans,la
i turn the sprocket shaft seal around when using a belt - the seal is designed to stop oil from going from the primary into the engine - since its open flip the seal around and add a tad of hondabond to the seal - maybe-- maybe not --
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 546
Likes: 606
From: Out West
Seal is conventional with spring side in. Didn't leak for about 200 miles. Fresh build. I installed the seal for him, so I'm responsible haha.
I didn't goop outside of seal. Hoping it's this simple.
Conventional as in standard practice for bikes in general. Harley.......all bets are off.
I didn't goop outside of seal. Hoping it's this simple.
Conventional as in standard practice for bikes in general. Harley.......all bets are off.
Last edited by Hannibal Smith; Sep 17, 2018 at 10:35 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12,878
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From: la la land jerzey
we have seen over the years not often, the race that houses the seal will start to come loose and it leaks from the alloy to steel insert never seen with a closed primary
another spot we have seen is the splines throwing off some splash not much but some - between the back side of the belt sprocket and the race - or even the front side but that makes a different mess
and the one time a moron had drilled the stator screws out into the block to fix a stripped thread - and the stator bottom was leaking into the case well
another spot we have seen is the splines throwing off some splash not much but some - between the back side of the belt sprocket and the race - or even the front side but that makes a different mess
and the one time a moron had drilled the stator screws out into the block to fix a stripped thread - and the stator bottom was leaking into the case well
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Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 546
Likes: 606
From: Out West
we have seen over the years not often, the race that houses the seal will start to come loose and it leaks from the alloy to steel insert never seen with a closed primary
another spot we have seen is the splines throwing off some splash not much but some - between the back side of the belt sprocket and the race - or even the front side but that makes a different mess
and the one time a moron had drilled the stator screws out into the block to fix a stripped thread - and the stator bottom was leaking into the case well
another spot we have seen is the splines throwing off some splash not much but some - between the back side of the belt sprocket and the race - or even the front side but that makes a different mess
and the one time a moron had drilled the stator screws out into the block to fix a stripped thread - and the stator bottom was leaking into the case well
That being said, anybody have a more elegant seal removal method besides the self tapping screws? Hate doing that stuff, I like a split case so I can reverse press.
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 105
Likes: 37
You can make a drill guide out of a piece of pvc to make sure you are drilling the spot you want in the seal.
I usually use a bit smaller than 1/8" and follow up with a body slide hammer with a small screw with a coarse thread.
I usually use a bit smaller than 1/8" and follow up with a body slide hammer with a small screw with a coarse thread.
Last edited by 78lowrdr; Sep 18, 2018 at 11:34 AM.
