80' G5 V1000 trans breather leak?

[Allflatblack]

Hey guys, its been a while since I have posted since my 1980 V1000 G5 has given me zero problems for close to four years now. I have it built up in lemans trim and ride it around the country roads of Western NJ.
Recently I had plans for a big dawn till dusk ride with friends up to the catskills in lower NY state and down along the Delaware so I checked out the adjustments and fluids and found that the trans was very low. I am not sure how low since I assumed that it was just below the fill line on the level inspection plug and I poured in some till I decided to drain the fluid and empty it to see what was going on.

I filled it until it was just about to pour out the level line plug on the right side and went riding. Twenty minutes later the rear of the bike was covered in gear oil. I assumed that it was a failed o ring on the clutch actuator so I pulled into a parts store and was lucky to find that they had one that fit well. Cleaned up the bike and went out. Twenty minutes later wet again.

On this bike I have the trans breather connected to a hose that simply looped up to the frame and then back down to beneath the engine in a goose neck. This seemed to work well for years though there was a slight mist of oil on the end of the hose.

It was clear that this breather was where the oil was coming from and the only way to stop it was to route it up to the gas tank way high. Then I had no problems.

Any clue as to what i have done wrong? I have never had an issue with the trans and hate to think that it was running under full, though perhaps I have over filled it? My book says one liter of oil I recall. Any over fill should run out the check port on the side, right? Is the breather supposed to be a check valve perhaps?

Thanks for any insight.

John

[Don G]

It should hold .750L, did you have the pink milkshake oil in it at anytime previously? I found in one of my Eldo's that had the RedLine heavy in it, all of it did not drain out, adding in the correct amount ended up as overfull and it then exited out the breather. Just a thought.  DonG

[acogoff]

     Fill by amount only and not by the overflow hole or you will get oil poking itself out the breather. Been there done that.

[Allflatblack]

No, I had it apart when i restored the bike, no grease oil in there!
thanks on the "fill by amount only" note-dont want to start trouble but is there a recommended oil that I can get easily. I assume it is a GL4 oil?

[jwinwi]

No, I had it apart when i restored the bike, no grease oil in there!
thanks on the "fill by amount only" note-dont want to start trouble but is there a recommended oil that I can get easily. I assume it is a GL4 oil?

Pretty sure you need GL5...

[MotoG5]

I am a bit confused as I owned and rode a V1000 G5 for well over twenty years and it did not have a breather on the transmission. It did have a breather on the engine crank case that had a vent tube off the engine case on the back of the engine inside the bell housing that came up through the transmission bell housing and had a check valve in top of it that connected to a black box with a nipple for a drain hose that ran down between the transmission case and the stater motor down to under the bike. If your bike is loosing transmission fluid it just about has to be coming from the rear output shaft seal, clutch through rod throw out bearing seals or the dirve shaft seal on the front of the transmission inside the bell housing. If its the front seal it will be coming out of small slot on the bottom of the bell housing. 

[Allflatblack]

The breather is just behind the starter motor on top of the transmission. I currently have the hose routed directly up.

[blackcat]

It should hold .750L,

At most 750, Manfred Hecht from Raceco told me 650 as it will just puke out what it doesn't want from the 750 level.

[John A]

At the risk of stating the obvious, the breather hose is supposed to go vertical six inches or more, then loop down to prevent water incursion 

[Allflatblack]

Thank you guys, Ill drain it and refill and set up a really good gooseneck on the breather hose.

[MotoG5]

The breather is just behind the starter motor on top of the transmission. I currently have the hose routed directly up.

Thanks for the pic. This had me really wondering if dementia was setting in. My later model G5 according to Guzziology had a transmission up date on the breather that had moved it to the rear cover of the unit. The original was either a hole in the plug that held in the shift detent spring or a later updated plug that had a hose fitting like the one you have on your bike. The vent on my old bike had no hose attached so over the years I owned it there were no issues that ever lead me to really look at it or give venting any consideration. When I read your post that is why I was was not getting what you were talking about. If I had checked out the issue in my copy of Guzziology before posting I could have avoided sticking my foot in my mouth. For what its worth the hose placement you have used should have done the job. Hope you get it sorted.