Oil leak after laying down

[AJ Huff]

I don't understand how things work enough to understand this. Today I lost my balance at a stop on a hill. I set the bike down on it's right side. It was gentle. Not a fall. Rode the bike home, pride hurting more than anything.

Just noticed leaving the house that I have a large oil slick under the left side of the bike in the garage. What did I break? 😞

-AJ

[pehayes]

Which bike?  Big difference in plumbing.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[fotoguzzi]

Define large.. did the drain plug come loose? 

[guzzisteve]

Most likely from the crankcase vent system, being on it's side more ran out the vent hose under the bike, from airbox drain also. Upset the apple cart stuff goes sideways.

[John A]

Most likely from the crankcase vent system, being on it's side more ran out the vent hose under the bike, from airbox drain also. Upset the apple cart stuff goes sideways.

That’s what I think as well. Check your battery water unless you have a sealed battery, sometimes the vent will have more acid in it than usual after a fall and will make a mess unless you clean it up right away.

[AJ Huff]

Sorry Patrick, in my hurry to post I forgot. This is on my Cal Spec.

It's a large puddle, about 15" in diameter. It won't be until tomorrow that I can roll it back for more proper inspection. The leak is back of the bike, behind the passenger foot pegs.

[fotoguzzi]

 

[pehayes]

I'd say clean up the mess, check the oil level, and go for a nice long ride to restore your confidence.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[lucky phil]

Sorry Patrick, in my hurry to post I forgot. This is on my Cal Spec.

It's a large puddle, about 15" in diameter. It won't be until tomorrow that I can roll it back for more proper inspection. The leak is back of the bike, behind the passenger foot pegs.

Gearbox oil out the vent from the tip over.

Ciao

[mtiberio]

you need to feel/smell the fluid, engine oil, gear oil, water oil emmulsion, battery acid, water, etc?

[AJ Huff]

OK, I have more information!

It was not a true drop. It was a right hand turn on the side of the top of a hill. In trying to look left up a blind curve. I lost balance. In hind sight I should have put my left foot down instead of my right foot. Learning experience. If you had been watching you would have asked why is that guy slowly laying his motorcycle down on the right side? In my futile efforts to try to keep the bike up I know I over revved the engine pulling up on the right side of the handle bar. Bike was running for I'd say no more than 30 seconds on it's side. Long enough for me to get my leg out, get up, process whats happened and turn the key off. I had the bike back up in a matter of minutes and rode another 5 miles home. Didn't notice anything unusual.

I checked the battery. It's a sealed AGM.

Checked the slick again this morning. It's behind the engine. Definitely seems like oil to me. Nice honey color. My oil is not that old. I can't see any signs of dripping under the bike. Only thing I see near the passenger peg on the left side there is a hose right above the starter. I'm assuming that vents something? It's in the right area.

I checked my oil level expecting it to be low. It was way over full. I am not sure if it smells like gas or not. The dip stick did smell like gas. Oil on the fingers did not. There is a smell of gas around the bike no matter where you stand. And I remember the smell of gas on my ride home but didn't really think anything of it.

So I'm guessing this means I have gasoline in my oil? Do I need to just drain the oil and replace with fresh or is there more to it?

Thanks!

-AJ

[bigbikerrick]

I would drain the oil, and replace just as an extra caution. check the transmission oil level , the rear drive oil level, and clean out the breather/airbox, in case there is some oil in there, then wash/degrease the bike, and look for any leaks after cleaned up.
I think that would cover all bases.
Rick

[AJ Huff]

Also, there been no more leakage since I cleaned up what was on the floor.

-AJ

[Tom]

Problem solved?  Dump the oil or at the very least.  Drain and check it for gas. 

[LowRyter]

If it's not leaking, just ride it.   Probably just the crankcase vent.  Check the fluid levels as a precaution as per any periodic check.

[fotoguzzi]

Gear lube "might" be honey colored too but it has a distinctive smell, get a whiff of the rag you cleaned it up with then you'll know if it was motor oil or lube.

[TN Mark]

As has been posted, the oil vent system likely bled out the oil. Your engine crankcase being over filled is not good. Drain or siphon engine oil out till it gets to the correct level. Just under the ‘Full’ mark on the dipstick.

Nearly everyone drops their bike at some point. It happens. Don’t sweat it.

“Hi, I’m Mark and I once dropped my bike in the garage changing the oil. The windshield missed my wife’s car by less than an inch.”

[Alfetta]

that oil puddle looks thick. i would suspect tranny juice. not sure how or where, but it sure looks too thick for engine oil.

[pehayes]

“Hi, I’m Mark and I once dropped my bike in the garage changing the oil. The windshield missed my wife’s car by less than an inch.”

Don't want to hijack a thread, but.....
Years ago, someone posted on this board or on an earlier version.  His wife had sent him out to the garage to fetch the laundry.  When he bent over in front of the dryer, his butt hit and knocked over his dirt bike, which fell into his sport bike, which fell into the door of his nice new car.  Same insurance company on all vehicles.  They said they would cover the damages to all three, but would require the deductable for each one and would subsequently jack  up the rates of all three.

Careful in the garage!

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[AJ Huff]

I'll have to open up the gear box and sample some I guess because I don't know what gear oil smells like.

When I checked the dip stick I now have a half inch too much oil according to it so I have to think something else mixed into it. I know I've read on here about people getting gasoline in their oil but I've never understood the how. Is there anything else that could make it be too full?

When the weather clears I'll back the bike out and check the gear oil and change the engine oil.

Thanks,

-AJ

[pehayes]

When I checked the dip stick I now have a half inch too much oil according to it so I have to think something else mixed into it. I know I've read on here about people getting gasoline in their oil but I've never understood the how. Is there anything else that could make it be too full?

The 'overfilling' or diluting issue usually comes from older carb bikes.  The petcock leaks.  The float bowl valve seal leaks.  Gravity does its job and fuel slowly oozes down the intake tract and past the piston rings to the sump.  You have a pumped fuel injection system so this is less likely.  Do you still have an electric petcock or has it been changed to a manual?

This is just my imagination running wild.  The original breather circuits used the hollow frame as part of the engine's breathing process.  Oil mist condenses and can puddle inside the frame.  Normally ignored.  Lay the bike on its side and some of that puddle could then find its way back up through the breather system to the air box and thence to the sump.

Not much else other than leprechauns.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[AJ Huff]

The electric petcock was replaced with a manual one.

-AJ

[stubbie]

Is it possible that the crank case vent was bypassed and oil pumped through cylinders and into exhaust? Mind it would have been blowing a fair amount of smoke on the way home.

[TN Mark]

AJ, you said earlier your engine oil was recently changed. Who changed the engine oil recently? They likely over filled the crankcase. It’s certainly isn’t unusual to read that being done on this forum.

IMHO, everything so far points to engine oil dribbling out the crankcase vent system. It would be unlikely for it to be transmission or rear end oil.

[AJ Huff]

AJ, you said earlier your engine oil was recently changed. Who changed the engine oil recently? They likely over filled the crankcase. It’s certainly isn’t unusual to read that being done on this forum.

IMHO, everything so far points to engine oil dribbling out the crankcase vent system. It would be unlikely for it to be transmission or rear end oil.

It was changed back in late spring by an old school former Guzzi shop. I did not check the fluid levels after service assuming they were good. When the weather clears I will check both the gear oil and engine oil. Probably just replace the engine oil regardless.

-AJ

[AJ Huff]

that oil puddle looks thick. i would suspect tranny juice. not sure how or where, but it sure looks too thick for engine oil.

Are they significantly different in viscosity? What was under the bike was pretty thin on my fingers, like motor oil. Thinner than ketchup LOL.

-AJ

[AJ Huff]

I think it's different than the gear oil. I got a drop of gear oil out the top and it smells more like grease to me. Also felt sticky between my fingers compared to what was on the floor. I tried to look in the gearbox inspection hole to check the level but for the life of me I can't figure out how anyone can see in there to check anything. If I drain it I don't know how to refill it if I can't see in there.

While I was down there I noticed two black tubes pointing down behind the transmission. They are covered in grime and relatively dry but they are in right location of the leak. I don't know what they are for.

-AJ

[AJ Huff]

So my thought now is, drain the oil and replace. Drain the gear box just to be extra cautious. I'll just weigh out 750 grams of 80/90 to put in. And be done with this. Wish I understand the cause and effect but some things are just mysteries.

Thanks for everyone's help.


-AJ

[1down5up]

So my thought now is, drain the oil and replace. Drain the gear box just to be extra cautious. I'll just weigh out 750 grams of 80/90 to put in. And be done with this. Wish I understand the cause and effect but some things are just mysteries.

Thanks for everyone's help.


-AJ

750mls, not 750grams.....

750 grams will leave you short by a bit over 10%

[Muzz]

I'll have to open up the gear box and sample some I guess because I don't know what gear oil smells like.

-AJ

It smells "acrid" a sharp and not a pleasant smell. Save your gearbox oil, just stick your nose in your engine oil container to compare.  It really does have a different smell.