Oil droplets on chaincase

I have the same. Check the intake rocker cover for a leak from the center stud. Mine drips down gets sucked forward and blows onto the primary case.

hobot said:

snipped so only oil there would come from fork seals or brake fluid or chain case itself.snipped

Click to expand...

Steve, I'm curious as to how brake fluid [master cylinder is on the right handlebar] would end up on the primary case????

Charlie

illf8ed said:

I have the same. Check the intake rocker cover for a leak from the center stud. Mine drips down gets sucked forward and blows onto the primary case.

Click to expand...

The leak above is easy to fix. Replace the steel flat washer under the nut, with a copper washer. The copper washer will act as a gasket and stop any leak at that point.

Fluorescent leak detection dye is great stuff. You can usually buy it at your local auto parts store. Wear amber sun glasses to aid in seeing very small traces of dye. See

http://spectroline.com/how-fluorescent-leak-detection-works/

Gravity works! Leaks start at the top and/or front and drop down or get blown back by the wind.

Charlie

PS One repeatable test is worth a thousand expert opinions.

Steve, I'm curious as to how brake fluid [master cylinder is on the right handlebar] would end up on the primary case????

I was thinking of caliper sealing not m/c but I've had m/c leak drain down outside of hose to blow back when riding. Could be a primary case leak for gosh sakes as it is a Commando so tests ones wits & Rarely do our public guessing games ever ID the correct issue, so constantly surprised by what owner finally finds to solve. I'm hoping to learn at your expense too. Mean while power wash avoiding wheel bearing and ignition while attending other never ending priorities.

chaztuna said:

The leak above is easy to fix. Replace the steel flat washer under the nut, with a copper washer. The copper washer will act as a gasket and stop any leak at that point.

Fluorescent leak detection dye is great stuff. You can usually buy it at your local auto parts store. Wear amber sun glasses to aid in seeing very small traces of dye. See

http://spectroline.com/how-fluorescent-leak-detection-works/

Gravity works! Leaks start at the top and/or front and drop down or get blown back by the wind.

Charlie

PS One repeatable test is worth a thousand expert opinions.

Click to expand...

Nice I like it and will give it a try.

BTW. tale NOTE: soft Alu washers seal rather easier better w less torque than well annealed copper, DAMHIK. Big famous Vendors know and supply this but don't want to offend experts ordering commonly recommended and factory copper washers. Keep in mind if repeating leaks form banjo joints. Banjo bolts are so hollow they are fairly weak / fracture to take the torque required to seat copper washers in some cases like my 2 Combats.

hobot said:

BTW. tale NOTE: soft Alu washers seal rather easier better w less torque than well annealed copper, DAMHIK. Big famous Vendors know and supply this but don't want to offend experts ordering commonly recommended and factory copper washers. Keep in mind if repeating leaks form banjo joints. Banjo bolts are so hollow they are fairly weak / fracture to take the torque required to seat copper washers in some cases like my 2 Combats.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's true that you can also use aluminum washers. I've NEVER had an issue using copper washers, providing you anneal them first. Aluminum can also be annealed. However, since it does not turn cherry red [like copper] it is difficult to properly heat it without melting it. To my mind, I'll go with copper. I can re-heat it and anneal it over & over. Since annealing aluminum is beyond my skill level, they are a "use once and throw away" item for me.

Regardless of which material you use, when the washers are manufactured, they are broached. The machine that does this, work hardens the edges of the washer. Annealing will remove that. The copper becomes so soft, you can bend it between 2 fingers.

You are not wrong. I just prefer a material I can re-use.

The factory torque spec for the over head oil banjo bolts is 15 lbs./ft. That seems excessive to me. I questioned this on my thread relating to editing the Mk III repair manual, but I got no replies.

Ok you got smarts-experience enough to know how to make factory numbered copper washer, annealed work, so best wishes on a clean machine zooming around. Also a nod at your wisdom to ignore manual and go with experience, like me.

Once again the old problem but now there are no drops on the case anymore. There could be oil escaping through the felt seal but I now know the head gasket leaks.
Due to the small amount of oil at the moment I will just leave it.
I have a composite gasket and hear pleanty of pros and cons.
On my old T140V I used both without problem.
Any views?

In the 60s and early 70s I was racing outboard hydroplanes. I trick that some of the "old hands" used on their head gaskets was to spray a couple of coats of hi-temp aluminum header paint. I've used that same trick on all of my head gaskets ever since without one failure. On my Nortons I'd take a Q-tip or small paint brush and build up a bead of paint around the push rod cutouts. Worked on both composite and copper head gaskets. Even while running a Drouin supercharger the head gasket never leaked. That was a well annealed copper gasket with the paint treatment. I did snap the crank while slipping the clutch to really let the pressure build. It built right to the point that the crank acted as a pressure relief valve by exiting out the bottom of the cases. Hey, I was 20 years old and just couldn't let that Japanese 4cyl beat me.

eskasteve said:

snipped It built right to the point that the crank acted as a pressure relief valve by exiting out the bottom of the cases. Hey, I was 20 years old and just couldn't let that Japanese 4cyl beat me.

Click to expand...

Steve,
Thank you for defending Nortons everywhere. I feel your past pain. Been there, done that, got the Tee shirt!

Mine did the same (oil spots on the chain case) and it ended up being the head gasket.