oil leak

[Kopfjaeger]

Yeah. All I can put it down to is a bad casting. Unless .... at a wild stab in the dark on the edge of fantasy all I can think is a rock? But nahhhh.... illogical and 1 in a million. Has to be bad casting. I had chatted to a bloke on the Yamaha IT forum a while ago ( long whle ago) and yes his 1100 blew a chunk out like you say and yes it still got him home ish apparently. Have also heard that the best thing to do is to stay away from jap big bore bikes as "their crankshafts are like rubber"..... couldnt really say myself this is the first major problem i have really had with it, everything else has been a fix it when it really bothers me thing....and this is my 1st "big bore" bike i spose the rest have been 3/4 and litre  bikes

[Harvy]

Had a similar experience with a small inclusion in a brass freeze plug on an old V-8.  The small steel inclusion rusted all the way through and caused a cooling leak.  Almost never found that leak.

Must have come in the same batch that I had. Same experience.
If it was a rock, you would think that maybe there is metal floating around in the sump, assuming it busted a piece out inside the tunnel.

Harvy

[andyb]

Bad castings aren't entirely unheard of, actually.  Does happen.  Don't know that is what I'm seeing in the picture, but meh, doesn't matter, it's a hole is a hole is a hole, y`know?

JBweld that sucker (don't use the fast stuff, use the normal slow setting stuff) after really roughing it up good.  Bet you end up fine with it (I threw a chain around my countershaft and the seal for the clutch pushrod is now maintained by JBweld... and tha'ts a pressurized galley!  Good prep and it's not a problem in the slightest).

[Kopfjaeger]

wow andy sounds like youre fj is held together with jb weld and cable ties.... used degreaser then the (ahem) can of flaw check high strength contact cleaner....(melts paint off ... pretty good stuff.... also good for spiders  its better than moretein....) then set to with a small file (handy having the ol model kit supplies close by) put loctite quick steel on last night. going to check it this morning. give it a bit of a rub back and see if it needs more. 

[Kopfjaeger]

just a heads up, seem to have a problem with the loctite metal. put it on about 11 am yesterday, 10 :45 am sunday now still hasnt cured so cleaning it all off and grabbing some of your jb weld. Dont think i applied it wrong...( blonde yes drummer yes ) but i would have thought it would have semi cured at least. any hoo not stressing just a small setback.   thinking i should have known better !!! as a bit of an aside re loctite....when in tech for 3rd year we had the loctite man come to school(!) and give us the run down on loctite the anerobic glue of the future!!! chuckles i can remeber him distintcly showing how to apply loctite thread  locker.... brought little nuts and bolts for us all.... dont let the tip touch the metal cross contamination.... now screw your nut on.... in about however long it was it will cure and be gold.... can remeber at the end of the day me and about 2/3rds the class unscrewing nuts by hand.... chuckles.... it is good stuff but when i have to use thread locker i prefer to use bearing retainer it holds better. but thats just me.... any hooo off to get some jb weld or kwiksteel!!!!!!!

[Kopfjaeger]

no leaks thus far, going for a test ride round newcastle. cheers everyone.

[Kopfjaeger]

ok all went well no leaks no drips no mess .  rode it round town in traffic, it got pretty hot, but it is a warm muggy day here and was in traffic. take her for a long run maybe tuesday. been so long since ive ridden it ( pretty much since the start of these posts) ive forgotten how hot they get. no rattles or bangs ( clutch is still noisy) just a bit of heat. i ll wack some feresh oil in'er and see how we go. cant say thanks enough ladies and gents. hope it was amusing and i wasnt too much of a pain in the arse. cheers
neil

[Pat Conlon]

After 26 years of futzing with FJ's, That had to be the most difficult oil leak problem I've ever seen.
A casting flaw? I don't see any other explanation, unless someone shot you with a pellet rifle or took a ice pick to your motor.

Major Kudos for staying with it, identifing and solving the problem.

You did remarkably well considering I don't think I could have gone thru that, and stayed sane.    

[Travis398]

ok all went well no leaks no drips no mess . 

That's great news, lets hope it stays that way. I would have never guessed that one, even though you kept saying it was leaking in the front between the fins.
Maybe we should have listened better, as you know diagnosing the problem is often harder than fixing it.

[mikeholzer]

... as you know diagnosing the problem is often harder than fixing it.

Yeah, especially when you can't personally witness the phenomenon. Good job, Neil. I'd have given up long ago.

[Kopfjaeger]

thanks fella's.  that means a lot. seem to be a bit lucky at the moment..... managed to swap a dt 175 carby and 2 old dirt bike tyres and a suzuki dr 250 tool kit ( plus a few small items) for a full set of 4 into 1 good headers for the suzuki gsx, brake master cylinder and an r6 end can all in pretty awesome condition. i tell ya this bloke is gold.... showed me round his joint.... various IT 465's and 490's 2-3 RD 250's and 350's ( and spares to bild about 6 of them).... and the cream for a stink wheel... a KH 250 triple with feck all on the clock. managed to secure 2 1980 DT 175's and an early model DT ( i think 78???) for about 500 bucks!!!!... projects projects projects     ... and once again i appreciate all of your input because these are things i didnt know about that i do know..... keep the rubber side down.
cheers
neil

[SlowOldGuy]

So, spare me 5 pages of re-reading.  Was the oil leak from a casting defect or the cam chain tensioner gasket?

DavidR.

[Pat Conlon]

David, looks like Neil had a casting flaw, or a pissed off neighbor with a ice pick. See the hole?