Oil droplets on chaincase

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Woody850

Woody850

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I took my 850 Roadster for its first run today after great winter fettling and apart from getting a dose of hayfever she sprayed oil droplets on the front of the chaincase. PCV Has been fitted and in the chaincase is 200cc of 20/50.
I can't makeout that the engine loses the oil in fact I am pretty sure it doesn't.
Has anybody also had this occurance?
Must add she is such a fun bike.
 
Head gasket.
That's where the drops land when mine weeps at the left front.
 
Aaaaghh, I was dreading porous casting, what is RH4?

Fast Eddie, did you mean chaincase seal?

Concours, did you replace your base and head gasket?
 
No, I meant fork seals, oil from a leaky fork seal can find itself being blown onto the engine if you’re galloping on a bit.

Sadly though, I concede that the source is more likely from the cylinder head area!

RH4 is a type of cylinder head, look on your head just above the RH exhaust rocker cover, it will probably say either RH4 or RH10.

The RH4 is prone to porosity and cracking, and the ports are too big, so the RH10is preferred.

Lots of other, less drastic, potential sources of leaks though, head gasket, front studs, oil feed banjos, etc. So don’t panic just yet Corporal Jones !
 
Don’t panic Mr Manerin’

Well, not just yet at least.

There are many RH4s giving good service still.

A few drops of oil doesn’t automatically mean a scrap head.

Try and work out where it’s coming from first...

If it IS scrap, that’s fantastic news, you’ll have the perfect excuse to buy a new Fullauto head...
 
For a real hit on the head price!
I've seen NOS for 1400 EURO and Fullauto well over 2000.

What does Fullauto mean anyway?
 
By NOS, do you mean New Old Scrap...?!

Fullauto is just the name of Ken’s company, email him to discuss his heads if you like, they are very superior to anything that left the factory gates. Especially unfinished scrap...

Lots of info on Fullauto heads hear if you search.

By the time you’ve done reading, you be wondering how you managed without one...!
 
Clean your motor up really well and spray it athlete's foot powder...then go for a ride. You'll easily be able to see where it's coming from. My bet is on Eddie's comment, fork seals. My Commando does the same thing because i'm too lazy to change the fork seals again.
 
Fast Eddie said:
There are many RH4s giving good service still.

A few drops of oil doesn’t automatically mean a scrap head.
Click to expand...

I have two RH 4s. The one with the copper head gasket is starting to weep after nearly 40 years since last assembly. It will put some drops on the chaincase, so I'm changing to a composite head gasket.
 
Woody850 said:
Aaaaghh, I was dreading porous casting, what is RH4?

Fast Eddie, did you mean chaincase seal?

Concours, did you replace your base and head gasket?
Click to expand...


My 850 uses no base gasket, just sealant. Loctite 518 sealant and never had a leak. I use a copper head gasket, dressed with sealer, it only weeped after the bolt came loose up front. Nipped up, stopped the drool. Easy to spot, follow the trail of oil. BRIGHT flashlight and look for the shiny wet.
 
Neither one of mine sports a base gasket. When I originally rebuilt the SS clone's motor, the paper base gasket, which had been sprayed with Hi-Tack, leaked like a sieve, so I cleaned it off and used Loctite Plastic Gasket. The Titanic has Permatex Moto-Seal at the base and neither one leaks.
 
All your information is being very helpful!

I've read about people sealing their heads with differant compounds one of them being Loctite 290.
Has anybody here done that?
 
Sometimes a leak from one of the rocker spindle covers can travel forwards through a channel in the center of the head to come out in the front of the head. These can be spotted with a good light as a reflective area below the spindle cover. I'd guess a porous head would be the least likely cause.

Have had fork seal leaks do this too. Do you have the full accordion gaiters or the short stiff plastic things?
 
Its about impossible for any engine leaks on road use to show on -front of chain case- though about everywhere else, so only oil there would come from fork seals or brake fluid or chain case itself. Drops of oil imply a spray not a weeping leakage spreading layer. Its possible tire threw road grim on it.
 
Batrider they are the short hard plastic ones.

Took her for a short ride tonight long enough to warmth engine nicely and saw one drop but I think for the time being I will leave this until I have more proof. There are several other things which bother me and need resolving.
 
750K Honda riders used to jam a piece of cotton rope between the last fin on top the cylinder and the first fin on the head to soak up head gasket oil leakage. They seemed to run a zillion miles like that.
 
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