oil leak

[Kopfjaeger]

got one. looks like my hoses from oil cooler. at bracket that bolts to the engine. common? gunna replace em. have cleaned and filled up with oil again, took 1 litre, further diagnostics coming .( meaning i ll go fro a ride and 'ave a butchers) just to save me does anyone know if can be converted to replace hoses only? looks like a moulded one piece pipe, no JIC fittings or the such.... contemplating cutting hard pipe and flaring to make a jic fiitting but looks again like a pain in the ar*se at the oil cooler end.... input preciated.... not critical just needs to be fixed.

[Harvy]

Neil......talk to Randy....JIC fittings are on the Legends engines........I did mine when I installed the bigger cooler and got new hoses made.


Harvy

[racerman_27410]

sounds like its time for a oil cooler upgrade.


KOokaloo!

[Yamifj1200]

Or replace it with a stock unit another owner may have for sale or better yet someone who has upgraded to a better part and no longer needs the stock cooler. I bet theres one around here...

Eric M

[Harvy]

Or replace it with a stock unit another owner may have for sale or better yet someone who has upgraded to a better part and no longer needs the stock cooler. I bet theres one around here...

Eric M

Good thought Eric....... Neil, I've got a couple of stockers here.........a '90 or a '91.

Take your pick.......I owe you anyway!

Harvy

[Yamifj1200]

Thats the good thing about this group. Folks willing to help others out... Your a good bloke Harvy!!!!!

Eric M

[racerman_27410]

 Dammit...there is nothing wrong with upgrading!

you do what you want to Kopfjaeger   



Kookaloo! (fer upgrades)    

[rktmanfj]

Your a good bloke Harvy!!!!!

Eric M

+1   

Randy T
Indy

[mz_rider]

got one. looks like my hoses from oil cooler. at bracket that bolts to the engine. common? gunna replace em. have cleaned and filled up with oil again, took 1 litre, further diagnostics coming .( meaning i ll go fro a ride and 'ave a butchers) just to save me does anyone know if can be converted to replace hoses only? looks like a moulded one piece pipe, no JIC fittings or the such.... contemplating cutting hard pipe and flaring to make a jic fiitting but looks again like a pain in the ar*se at the oil cooler end.... input preciated.... not critical just needs to be fixed.

Kopfjaeger,

I had this problem with the older of my two FJs. After a winter lay off it was spewing oil from the oil cooler metal pipe. The pipe had corroded through behind the clip onto the engine. At the time the bike had done 113,000 miles and run through a lot of crappy British weather – so it's not likely to be a common problem. A visit to my local Yamaha dealer provided a nasty shock – the pipes were £90 (145 USD) each! - and that was 5 years ago. I then looked for a cheap repair. I obtained a length of rubber oil pipe, cut out the metal pipe and replaced it. This has worked fine for 5 years/20,000 miles. If I had the same problem again I'd get a cooler with pipes off eBay. They are common and cheap here in the UK.


The pipes look ok, but....


Rust hole behind clip.


Rubber oil pipe.


Repaired pipes - not pretty, but ok for a "work-horse" bike


Stuart (Glasgow, Scotland)

[Kopfjaeger]

cheers fellas. and thanks harvey im looking into it havnt had much of a chance (bloody work!!) i like your upgrade stuart was thinking along the same lines as yourself and "borrowing" some FRAS covered pre made hoses from work  but i dont think its going to be an option. looked into braided lines yesterday at the bike shop... bit pricey so thats on hold. i might grab those coolers and hoses of you harvey let me know how much and we will tee it up. always good to have spares!!! will a 91 fit on an 86? dont think it would be any different.
cheers again.
on the plus side at least my oil light in the dash works!!!

[Kopfjaeger]

  looking good so far. cant get the oil pipes off without taking the headers off so after a wrestle  me vs bolt that holds the collector to the frame i finally got it and then the lines off, have degreased engine, greased front wheel and bearings and have all that back together, leaving over night to let oil do its thing, new filters o rings for the oil filter, and a thourough thourough clean and polish. been dirty for too long did you know the dog bones and rear linkage were silver? i didnt!!! . thank you to harvey those lines were a treat, :dance2:bit of a flush and change of o rings and straight in!! thanks for the spare bolts too mine were cr*p!! if its not the lines i cant work it out. the barrell section on the front finning is oily. the gaskets are dry no weeping it starts at the fin below the gasket. no rocker cover leaks new plugs no evidence of oil squirting out there, i know stuff can wick but up that far? its a bit wild sorry i dont have pics. most dreaded thought is a busted oil gallery that will weep out under pressure?? as i have said i have cleaned it and will hit it again tomorrow... need sleep .. been for a ride up to wootton with a mate on his cbr 600 f and then got home and started work . wouldnt be ded fer quids eh?

[Kopfjaeger]

ok got the source of the leak. at the front of the engine, where the cam chain runs behind that bulge in the casing, under the 2 nuts there is about 3 fins, its the middle one of those, i cleaned the engine and i can see it slow drip, i cant see where its running from it looks like the base of that paticular fin took buckets of oil as was too be expected , cos i drained and flushed the oil cooler and lines and new filter. dont know how to get out of this cept for barrells off and weld the casing or new barrells..... sigh... tits or tyres eh?

[Travis398]

Dare I breath the words "Head Gasket?" Let's just hope you didn't clean the oil off enough, and it is just running down from the valve cover gasket or rubber grommets. 

[andyb]

Ahem.

Wouldn't surprise me if the head gasket was leaking around the cam chain tunnel.  Been there. 

Isn't a very difficult fix though, intimidating and time consuming the first time, but not awful.

[Kopfjaeger]

yeah thats what got me buggered. cant see any tell tale leaks leading down to the fin where the oil is sitting. i checked rocker, head and base gaskets, rocker cover rubbers for the bolts just cant find it anywhere. it truly does look like its originating from the bas of the fin. . on the plus side, it has done 42 thousand kays since i bought it and have just had to keep an eye on the oil. will persist to continue to do the same, get the gsx on the road and take the fj to the shed.