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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mor on April 02, 2025, 05:01:48 AM
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Hi,
My new(to me) 1984 V1000G5 is losing power at high speed over 5500rpm and blowing oil out of the breather. When I am cruising at ~4500rpm and up to that point all is well with the bike. But if I give it wide open throttle it bogs down and blows oil, it comes out the airbox drain tube which today happened to drip onto the exhaust and create a massive cloud of smoke.
Going to do a compression test this week but wanted to hear your opinions/thoughts on this.
The bike has had new pistons and rings, new valves and guides. Electronic ignition.
Oil level is right in the middle between the upper and lower marks.
It has the ball valve in the top breather tube and the flapper in the airbox has been removed.
New oil and air filters installed.
After sustained high speed riding there's a good amount of oil dripping from the joint of the airbox with the metal clamps and springs and coming out of the drain tube.
Definitely seems as though the crankcase is building up high pressure at high rpm.
Appreciate any replies to this, thanks.
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Check the ball valve in large tube, it may be stuck. My 86 Cal2 stuck & blew my rear main.
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Hi,
My new(to me) 1984 V1000G5 is losing power at high speed over 5500rpm and blowing oil out of the breather. When I am cruising at ~4500rpm and up to that point all is well with the bike. But if I give it wide open throttle it bogs down and blows oil, it comes out the airbox drain tube which today happened to drip onto the exhaust and create a massive cloud of smoke.
Going to do a compression test this week but wanted to hear your opinions/thoughts on this.
The bike has had new pistons and rings, new valves and guides. Electronic ignition.
Oil level is right in the middle between the upper and lower marks.
It has the ball valve in the top breather tube and the flapper in the airbox has been removed.
New oil and air filters installed.
After sustained high speed riding there's a good amount of oil dripping from the joint of the airbox with the metal clamps and springs and coming out of the drain tube.
Definitely seems as though the crankcase is building up high pressure at high rpm.
Appreciate any replies to this, thanks.
How many miles since the rebuild? Sounds like the rings are not bedded in yet...or maybe the oil control ring is upside down ?
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Hi Steve,
The ball is free in there. Could the oil be coming from one of the other breather hoses?
Frenchfrog, I don't know the mileage since the rebuild but I don't think it was used much since. I was wondering about the oil control ring too, a compression test might not tell me if that's the cause. I'll get a leak down tester in the meantime.
How long would it take for rings to bed in? I've covered over 1000km so far.
Maybe I have 2 unrelated problems..
Thanks
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Is there a sump spacer fitted? It goes between the engine oil pan/sump and engine block. If not, I would install one, or a deeper sump from an EV era engine. The extra volume can make a huge difference.
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No sump spacer fitted. I was hoping to take a break from ordering parts for this bike. I bought it, rode ~200km and the clutch went. Turns out it had a RAM clutch fitted so I had to order a used clutch and new plates to bring it back to standard. Then after fitting the clutch it started leaking oil from the bell housing slot, I didn't see any oil in there when I did the clutch. I'm thinking the leak might also be caused by excess crankcase pressure.
I'll do a compression test tonight and report back.
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No sump spacer fitted. I was hoping to take a break from ordering parts for this bike. I bought it, rode ~200km and the clutch went. Turns out it had a RAM clutch fitted so I had to order a used clutch and new plates to bring it back to standard. Then after fitting the clutch it started leaking oil from the bell housing slot, I didn't see any oil in there when I did the clutch. I'm thinking the leak might also be caused by excess crankcase pressure.
I'll do a compression test tonight and report back.
Check the hose clamps on the breather box as they could be leaking and the oil is draining through the housing slot.
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Those clamps are all tight, just had them off to inspect the box and change air filter.
Compression test results: 170 psi rhs and 160 psi lhs. Will check valve clearances when it cools down.
Thanks for all the replies👍
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Is there a sump spacer fitted? It goes between the engine oil pan/sump and engine block. If not, I would install one, or a deeper sump from an EV era engine. The extra volume can make a huge difference.
If all checks out like it is, it would be volume of air. Reason they put pan spacers on them. Like Charley says.
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Valve clearances 0.15mm intake and 0.2mm exhaust.
I’ll order the spacer.
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There is also filter spacers that put filter outside and are same thickness.
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I agree that lack of crankcase capacity could lead to problems with the breather. But I don't think it would reduce power at high RPM. After all, the energy lost to pumping the crankcase up on each stroke is mostly regained on the subsequent 180° if the breather isn't working. I would check the timing, both of the spark and the valves. Have you checked the valves opening and closing points against the marks on the flywheel. Have you checked that TDC as marked on the flywheel is really TDC? Those things could affect power at higher speeds.
Have you checked the advance of the ignition against known-good marks?
Someone could've put your bike together wrong, since you just got it. Unless somebody steps in and says that the 1000 cc engines never worked well above 5500 RPM, I'm not convinced that it is a crankcase capacity problem, since they all shared the same crankcase from the factory.
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Hi.
You say the bike has had new pistons and rings, is that new cylinders (Gilardoni or the like), or rebored standard iron cylinders, or new pistons and rings in old standard bores? If the latter new pistons and/or rings wont completely stop blowby. Is the rest of the engine stock?
What type of breather box is the bike running? Is it the LeMans 1/11 type? The bigger Agostini breather box is another option here.
In addition to a sump extension, which has already been mentioned, a windage plate may help.
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Sump spacer is on the way.
I also ordered a set of plugs, they tested ok but I've had plugs that tested fine out of the bike and didn't work properly when installed.
The flywheel marks lined up when doing the valve clearances. I'll check the timing with a strobe light over the weekend and report back.
Looks like the standard breather box to me, I'll try to get a photo of it and post it here.
I don't know if the barrels were replaced, I'll have a close look later. The compression test was reassuring.
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Best do a leak down test, compression test may read good but if there is excess oil in the cylinders compression test reads good. You may be surprised at the results of a leak down test. DonG
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If the breather box has an internal spring loaded valve, it doesn’t need a ball valve. It should be one or the other not both. The ball valve has been updated with a square hole on the upstream end instead of a round hole so it can not completely close itself off. It should come alive at 5K rpm and up to redline. Third gear at 5500 rpm is great for mountain roads and passing.
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If the breather box has an internal spring loaded valve, it doesn’t need a ball valve. It should be one or the other not both.
It has the ball valve in the top breather tube and the flapper in the airbox has been removed.
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Thanks, Charlie. I looked for that before I posted but didn’t see it.
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Subscribing. Was going to say the ball/valve on top of the crankcase, but you checked that.
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So, decided to check the timing. The “D” mark should be right on the mark in the window when the led on the electronic ignition goes off(TDC rhs). But the D was up near the top of the window at that point so the ignition must have been retarded by a few degrees. Adjusted it so the led turns off just when the D is on the mark and took it for a quick blast. Much improved performance and I didn’t get any oil coming out of the breather drain tube. I only got out for ~60km and no sustained high speed stuff but seems good. I’ll still fit the sump spacer when it arrives and get out for a good long ride and report back.
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There are 3 timing marks on the flywheel, TDC with an S or D, a static timing mark above that a little bit and way above that a full advance timing mark and you check that at about 6000 RPM. You also may see an arrow above the full advance mark, disregard that. DonG
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The marks on the flywheel can sometimes be off considerably, best to use a piston stop and degree wheel to find true TDC and see if the marks are correct.
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I just worked on a bike with a flywheel that was off about 10 deg. What the heck??? So much for QC??
Tom
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I just worked on a bike with a flywheel that was off about 10 deg. What the heck??? So much for QC??
Tom
Mark was telling me about that one! :laugh:
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Timing was my guess.
When I first got my T3, I spent some time checking the flywheel marks, just to be sure.
Charlie's recommendation to use a piston stop is the best bet, but I used a straw stuck in the right spark plug hole to make sure it reached its greatest height at the TDC mark, D, for that cylinder. The spacing of the flywheel teeth is 3.75°, point to point, so observing them through the window gives a pretty good idea of where TDC is.
You said your bike has an electronic ignition, but you didn't indicate which one, or whether you had checked its timing at full advance with a stroboscopic timing light. Getting the timing right at full advance is crucial for enjoying the motor at high RPM, where it sings.
I assume you have the Haynes manual, but here are some relevant passages anyway.
(https://i.ibb.co/k63rfSmj/IMG-1817.jpg) (https://ibb.co/k63rfSmj)
(https://i.ibb.co/0jN33QtH/IMG-1818.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0jN33QtH)
(https://i.ibb.co/5Wmv5TJ5/IMG-1819.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5Wmv5TJ5)
And here are some notes about the flywheel teeth:
(https://i.ibb.co/fV41V2CP/IMG-1820.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fV41V2CP)
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A second note, from 2002, recorded my actual static and full advance degrees after setting the full advance with a stroboscope. Note that the static timing is different from the spec in the manuals (the "Spec" columns) as is consistent with Dave Richardson's comments in Guzziology.
(https://i.ibb.co/60t2N13D/IMG-1821.jpg) (https://ibb.co/60t2N13D)
This shows how important it is to set the timing dynamically with a stroboscope at 6000 RPM.
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The marks on the flywheel can sometimes be off considerably, best to use a piston stop and degree wheel to find true TDC and see if the marks are correct.
Yes, I’ve been saying this for thirty years. In relation to each other the marks are fine. In relation to the engine, I have not seen one that is accurate. On an engine that you use the marks for timing ignition, it is worthwhile .
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Yes, I’ve been saying this for thirty years. In relation to each other the marks are fine. In relation to the engine, I have not seen one that is accurate. On an engine that you use the marks for timing ignition, it is worthwhile .
Surprising! How many older Guzzi big blocks have you checked? How many degrees were they typically off?
EDIT: Depending on your answers, I may have to mount a degree wheel and recheck.
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Surprising! How many older Guzzi big blocks have you checked? How many degrees were they typically off?
EDIT: Depending on your answers, I may have to mount a degree wheel and recheck.
I bought a new Bassa in ‘99. It had ten miles on it and I changed the cam to a Norris S , timed in at two degrees advanced on the intake centerline. Since I had a degree wheel on it , I checked the TDC mark which was about 3/8” off. I do the cam change at low miles so I don’t have to replace the lifters. It was the same thing on a previous Cal2. Before that it was T’s and T3’s, none of which I bought new. I think most of those were around 1/8” to 1/4” off.
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I bought a new Bassa in ‘99. It had ten miles on it and I changed the cam to a Norris S , timed in at two degrees advanced on the intake centerline. Since I had a degree wheel on it , I checked the TDC mark which was about 3/8” off. I do the cam change at low miles so I don’t have to replace the lifters. It was the same thing on a previous Cal2. Before that it was T’s and T3’s, none of which I bought new. I think most of those were around 1/8” to 1/4” off.
If you used a 7" degree wheel then 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 inches amount to 2, 4 and 6 degrees, respectively (2.046, 4.093 and 6.139). 4 and 6 are concerning. Though the OP should at least do the straw procedure I mentioned before, the advice to use a degree wheel is better.
It seems like the T's and T3's were better calibrated, so I hope mine is OK. But I may just get a degree wheel and piston stop and check it this summer. If so, I'll add my result to the end of this thread, for posterity. Thanks for providing the details.
Moto
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Been really busy lately and didn’t get around to replying here. The sump spacer seems to have improved things but I’m not out of the woods yet.
Went for a decent ride and when I came back the nappy I had attached under the slot in the bell housing was soaked through. Decided to just bite the bullet and tear back into it and see what’s leaking in there.
Removed the clutch and sure enough there was a lot of oil behind the flywheel.
Decided to replace the seal, flange gasket and breather gasket in the hope that I won’t have to go back in there for a long time.
Ordered the parts and went about taking the flange off as suggested using set screws and bolts. Anyway, it broke. I’ve managed to get it out without having to tap it out from behind thankfully.
Just about to order a replacement but I’m unsure if mine is standard size, there are options for over and undersized flanges. What should my measurements be for a standard flange?
Thanks guys.
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A few dirty pictures
(https://i.ibb.co/pB0HZRYq/419-B941-D-AA70-431-F-9801-8-F138-AA91-DE3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/pB0HZRYq)
(https://i.ibb.co/HDrvqv5H/B4-BE4-B8-A-EDF5-446-A-B380-743-D7-BC04495.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HDrvqv5H)
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Here we go, 54mm to 54.019mm. I’m getting 54mm on my manual verynear calipers.
(https://i.ibb.co/355dS5ZX/IMG-6071.png) (https://ibb.co/355dS5ZX)
post pics (https://imgbb.com/)
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Been really busy lately and didn’t get around to replying here. The sump spacer seems to have improved things but I’m not out of the woods yet.
Went for a decent ride and when I came back the nappy I had attached under the slot in the bell housing was soaked through. Decided to just bite the bullet and tear back into it and see what’s leaking in there.
Removed the clutch and sure enough there was a lot of oil behind the flywheel.
Decided to replace the seal, flange gasket and breather gasket in the hope that I won’t have to go back in there for a long time.
Ordered the parts and went about taking the flange off as suggested using set screws and bolts. Anyway, it broke. I’ve managed to get it out without having to tap it out from behind thankfully.
Just about to order a replacement but I’m unsure if mine is standard size, there are options for over and undersized flanges. What should my measurements be for a standard flange?
Thanks guys.
Dont forget to check the cam bung, another known leak point. While you're in there put some JB Weld around the join.
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Seems someone else has done the job with epoxy. Looks like it’s well sealed and I’m inclined to leave it alone.
(https://i.ibb.co/V0TCgRvZ/IMG-6072.jpg) (https://ibb.co/V0TCgRvZ)
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In the diagram below, part#31 is the little steel dowel you can see in my photo beside the broken flange, correct? This dropped out when the flange came out, it can only go back in one position right? I didn't see where it was when the flange came out. I assume it will have to be installed on the new flange when it's going in?
What is part#38 between the gasket and flange?(Am I reading that right?)
(https://i.ibb.co/t50dtb8/bearing.png) (https://ibb.co/t50dtb8)
(https://i.ibb.co/zH7LC4PR/419-B941-D-AA70-431-F-9801-8-F138-AA91-DE3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zH7LC4PR)
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In the diagram below, part#31 is the little steel dowel you can see in my photo beside the broken flange, correct? This dropped out when the flange came out, it can only go back in one position right? I didn't see where it was when the flange came out. I assume it will have to be installed on the new flange when it's going in?
What is part#38 between the gasket and flange?(Am I reading that right?)
(https://i.ibb.co/t50dtb8/bearing.png) (https://ibb.co/t50dtb8)
(https://i.ibb.co/zH7LC4PR/419-B941-D-AA70-431-F-9801-8-F138-AA91-DE3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zH7LC4PR)
Yes, #31 is the "oil dowel" and needs to be inserted into the new main bearing/flange before installation. There's only one hole it fits into correctly.
I'm not even seeing any #38 on any of the illustrations I'm looking at online. Maybe the illustration you're showing wasn't drawn correctly.
(https://i.ibb.co/whtGCsj8/303033373018.gif) (https://ibb.co/whtGCsj8)
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Thanks Charlie.
My plan is:
Put the new flange into the freezer for a day or 2 with the dowel inserted.
When I'm ready to install it I'll heat the case with a heat gun.
Smear a little blue Hylomar on both sides of the new gasket.
Place the gasket onto the flange and hopefully the flange will go in without having to tap it with a hammer and wooden drift.
Then bolt it in and torque up the bolts.
Then install the new Viton seal using the official tool and a smear of blue Hylomar around the outside of it.
Am I missing anything/doing anything wrong?
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Thanks Charlie.
My plan is:
Put the new flange into the freezer for a day or 2 with the dowel inserted.
When I'm ready to install it I'll heat the case with a heat gun.
Smear a little blue Hylomar on both sides of the new gasket.
Place the gasket onto the flange and hopefully the flange will go in without having to tap it with a hammer and wooden drift.
Then bolt it in and torque up the bolts.
Then install the new Viton seal using the official tool and a smear of blue Hylomar around the outside of it.
Am I missing anything/doing anything wrong?
I've never found the need to heat/chill anything. I use a smear of oil on the bearing/flange and on the engine case so that it slides in easier.
Not a fan of Hylomar. I use Permatex 300 on the gasket surfaces and seal the bottom two bolts with Hondabond 4. I also seal the oil return pipe banjo bolt with the Hondabond.
I use four long M8 bolts as guides for the rear main bearing/flange. Slip them through the holes in the flange and thread them into the engine case. That way the bearing will be correctly aligned. The flat spot on the flange goes towards the breather pipe. I would replace the gasket and use sealer on the breather pipe as well.
I prefer to install the seal into the bearing/flange first, not after. I use Permatex 300 on the outside of the seal, a smear of oil on the seal lip and assembly lube on the bearing surface and crankshaft journal.
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Do what Charlie said to align the flange. The only thing I would add is that when the flange is close enough to the case, replace the long bolts with ALL the short bolts making sure they thread in easily. Sometimes I have found that the flange needs to be rotated just a hair to get them to ALL go in. You may need to gently tap the flange to rotate it.
BUT....I do not use the bolts to pull the flange fully in. Tap with a soft headed hammer until fully seated.
Tom
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Just had a look at my clutch friction plates and noticed some oil on them spreading from the centre outwards. Saw some oil inside the gearbox input hub. Must be coming from the pushrod as there’s no oil anywhere around the seal on the box.
I have the 2 conical rubber seals on the pushrod, is the cure for this leak to replace them with the 6 o-rings?
(https://i.ibb.co/Qv1fMQ48/IMG-6076.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Qv1fMQ48)
(https://i.ibb.co/d49rtF38/IMG-6077.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d49rtF38)
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I can’t find permatex 300 here. Is it a non setting gasket compound same as hylomar or different?
I was going to use some black high temp RTV silicone to seal the bottom 2 bolts of the flange.
Which would you recommend for the new gasket on the breather tube?
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Where is "here"? It helps if we have some idea of your location (what continent is close enough). Permatex 300 and Permatex Aviation are virtually the same. They are a brown, non-drying liquid, comes in a small bottle with a brush on the cap. I find it at the local auto parts or on Amazon.
I use Permatex 300 on the breather pipe gasket.
Just had a look at my clutch friction plates and noticed some oil on them spreading from the centre outwards. Saw some oil inside the gearbox input hub. Must be coming from the pushrod as there’s no oil anywhere around the seal on the box.
I have the 2 conical rubber seals on the pushrod, is the cure for this leak to replace them with the 6 o-rings?
(https://i.ibb.co/Qv1fMQ48/IMG-6076.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Qv1fMQ48)
(https://i.ibb.co/d49rtF38/IMG-6077.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d49rtF38)
I've had the cones leak, so use the 6 o-ring stack exclusively now. I send them to anyone in the US for free. This will give you the dimensions of them. https://www.mcmaster.com/93125K19/
It looks like the nut securing the clutch hub is on backwards - the tapered edge should go towards the hub.
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I'm in Ireland. Managed to find Permatex 300 locally, just back in stock today.
No luck finding hondabond 4 here, had to order it from the Netherlands. Should be here next week. Really don't want to do this job again so I'm not taking any chances.
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In the shop that I worked in for a bit that overhauled radials we used Permatex Ultra Copper. It sets up a bit but doesn't become permanent parts are easily removed later. One of my jobs was tear down when I got an engine that was assembled Yamabond or I guess Hondabond it was sometimes scary as I was afraid I would break a hard to find expensive part trying to separate. A set of matched cases would run a couple of thousand dollars or more. It would also cost the customer more for the overhaul because of the extra time for tear down and the miserable job removing that crap.
kk
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Just want to confirm this as I’ve never done this job before.
The flat section of the flange goes where the breather is and the dowel goes in the hole beside the flat section and lines up with the hole in the case right underneath the cam plug. Am I right?
(https://i.ibb.co/RTxt2ZFq/IMG-6091.jpg) (https://ibb.co/RTxt2ZFq)
(https://i.ibb.co/60G2W01V/IMG-6092.jpg) (https://ibb.co/60G2W01V)
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Just want to confirm this as I’ve never done this job before.
The flat section of the flange goes where the breather is and the dowel goes in the hole beside the flat section and lines up with the hole in the case right underneath the cam plug. Am I right?
(https://i.ibb.co/RTxt2ZFq/IMG-6091.jpg) (https://ibb.co/RTxt2ZFq)
(https://i.ibb.co/60G2W01V/IMG-6092.jpg) (https://ibb.co/60G2W01V)
Yes, the flat goes towards the breather. The dowel can only fit into one hole and not stick out.
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Everything went according to plan for the rebuild, no drama.
Went for a ~50 mile ride and there was no oil around the slot in the bell housing. I left it for a day and then yesterday I balanced my carbs. Had a quick check under the bike and there was oil dripping out of the slot again. I put it straight back on the lift and pulled the clutch out again. Hard to say exactly where the oil was coming from but I tightened the flange bolts a bit more and re-sealed the bottom 2 bolts. Looked like oil might have been coming from the banjo so I re-sealed that too. Also removed the epoxy from the cam plug and sealed it with jb weld. While I was there I decided to apply some pressure through the oil filler hole. I could feel and hear air escaping through the air box which is reassuring but there’s oil oozing out through the top of the oil line that has the banjo in the bellhousing.
(https://i.ibb.co/Df4qTFpD/IMG-6149.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Df4qTFpD)
Is that to be expected?
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That tube is the oil return line from the breather box. If you have oil pumping out of it, one thing to do is check to make sure the banjo bolt at the bottom of the bell housing has it's pipe under the oil in the sump. If the pipe is above the oil level, I have read that the tube will pump oil out. With the oil pan off, IIRR the tube on the banjo bolt will be about an inch lower than the block.
Also, if you still have it apart. Try the air again but use some soapy water brushed on all the gaskets and seals to see if air is coming out.
Tom
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The gearbox is back in and the frame is bolted together.
If I remove the 90 degree elbow hose connecting the breather tube to the breather box and try the same air pressure then it flows freely out the breather and no oil comes up the return line. Should the breather box be presenting some resistance? I’m wondering if oil was getting past the hose connections over the bell housing and getting into the bell housing via the holes for the pipes. Those o-rings are pretty hard.
(https://i.ibb.co/ymc6jwZB/IMG-6150.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ymc6jwZB)
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In the big tube, there should be a pcv valve #35. I don't know if it would cause your problem if it's missing.
(https://i.ibb.co/B5Q5CVqg/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-12-20-30-spare-parts-catalog-g5-pdf.png) (https://ibb.co/B5Q5CVqg)
That's an interesting question if applying air pressure in the large tube will have air coming out the small tube. I would "think" not???? I have never tried that to know for sure.
Anybody have an answer for this????
One thing that can cause a leak in the bell housing is if the rubber oil return line hose is loose or cracked where it connects to the small tube. Small tube could even have a crack, though not likely. Many have been fooled thinking they have a leaky seal when it was just the hose.
One think you might try to see if the banjo pipe is under the oil level is to remove the dipstick and apply air pressure to the small return pipe. Listening at the dipstick hole you "might" hear the oil gurgling? As I mentioned I read that if it's above the oil level, it could puke oil. I have never confirmed this myself, so I do not know if it's 100% true????
Tom
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A few comments:
Ive never seen o-rings fitted to the two breather pipes before, they are not shown in the parts diagrams in the thread.
The breather box appears to be sitting low which is straining the rubber elbow connecting the large breather pipe and the air box. Is this its final mounted position?
That is a standard airbox, is it clean inside? There could be 45 years of accumulated gunk in there which would not help engine breathing.
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Tony, I noticed the missing o-rings too. I'm thinking about using some RTV Silicone at those points to seal up the bellhousing from the top. The breather box looks like the standard one to me. Air filter is clean. The rubber elbow isn't strained, it has that belly moulded into it. The 2 elbow hoses look new and I can't see any cracks or damage on them.
I soaked the breather box in my parts cleaner and blew it out. No change.
Tom, the PCV valve(Ball type) is there in the top of the big pipe and it's free. The air I applied to the crankcase was through the oil filler hole, not the breather. I could hear air escaping into the rocker covers from the breather box more than into the airbox. If that makes sense.
I had oil in the airbox again when I opened it up. It would have dripped from there again very soon, it had started to fill up the channel in the metal clip that joins the airbox and breather box.
It looks to me like when the bike is running, oil is being forced up the return line and making its way through the breather box and ending up in the rubber manifold to the carbs. The manifold is covered in oil inside.
I was thinking that switching to 10w40 might help. The 20w50 might just be too thick for my climate here, usually below 20 C.
Maybe that's creating high crankcase pressure and all of my problems.
I'll change the oil later and report back.
Starting to run out of ideas now. Have only owned this bike less than 4 months and it's spent most of that time on my lift. Wouldn't mind too much if I had a second bike or it was winter..
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Just thought I'd close this out. I ended up removing the rocker cover breathers and used a short section of tubing to connect the 2 ports on the breather box together. I noticed that when I blew air into the crankcase most of it was travelling back into the case through the rocker breathers and re-pressurizing the case causing the oil to come up through the return pipe. I also sealed the breather and return pipe connections to the breather box with RTV and ran a bead around the holes where those tubes exit the bellhousing. My theory is that oil was being forced up the return line and making its way down the hoses, back through the bellhousing and exiting at the slot. After those mods I was able to blow air into the crankcase and no oil came up the return line as the air was able to escape the engine via the breather box into the air box.
I've put down 1000km now and it's been leak-free.
New worry unlocked when I replaced the gaskets and seals in my final drive and saw some pitting on 2 of the teeth on my pinion gear.
I didn't have my phone so couldn't get a photo. I have a couple of trips coming up and I'm hoping it will be fine until after the summer. I'll start a new thread for that when I get to do it but I'll probably ship it out and get it done professionally.
Thanks for all the replies and help on this thread.