Oil leak!!

[Andy B]

Hi Guys,

Hoping someone will be able to advise me a little on this... (first time delving into a Guzzi big block)...

So... i noticed a little sizeable oil leak around the bell housing after a proper look over the bike - '97 cali 1100i.

I didn't think much into it at the time, as it was getting stripped down over the winter for a rebuild. The time has come in that rebuild where i've just split the box and engine and had a good look inside...

So there's a little bit of residue in the box..



but a lot more on the engine..



bit of a puddle at the bottom - now, i dont have the best of noses, but pretty confident it doesn't smell of gear oil.. so....



does this look like the oil seal has gone? thought it might be the gasket around the seal housing - a google says this is the rear crank bearing holder too?



So the big question, is what is involved with changing the seal? is it as easy as removing the 8 bolts holding the housing onto the engine, and swapping out the seal? or am i being too hopeful?

thanks in advance for any insight 

Andy

[twhitaker]

I'll go out on a limb and say all is not lost. That residue is likely due to a compromised hose that was attached to the crankcase vent tube. The oil gets outside the hose and drains back into the bell housing.

[Andy B]

now, that would be nice if that was the case 


i am tempted, whilst i'm in there to throw a fresh seal in there mind (for what it costs)... would i be opening a can of worms if take the rear main bearing housing off? or will it all sit nicely in place whilst i change the gasket and seal?

[pete mcgee]

As mentioned above the breather hose can harden and leak.
The metal fixture the hose attaches to is sealed by a paper gasket, remove and replace with a new one.
The 2 lower bolts securing the rear bearing housing go right through the block, drop the sump and have a look which ones, seal these 2 bolts threaded areas with sealeant.
Removing the bearing housing can be a pain use a suitable puller, levers, chisels and hammers not required, but at times you wonder. The housing is sealed by a paper gasket.
Another place for an oil leak is the welsh plug at the rear of the cam, some seal this up with epoxy to fix or prevent leaks from here.
If you do replace the rear crank seal, use a Viton one.

Merry christmas

[Tom H]

I was able to find the leak I had in that area with compressed air.

Keep the engine buttoned up and use a compressor to blow air in through the dip stick hole. Use a blow gun type attachment and a rag to seal it to the dip stick hole. It does not take a lot of pressure to do this, so a rag will seal it fine.

Use some soapy water and dab it around the seal, gasket, cam cover and the breather. That should narrow it down.

Unfortunatly my leak was the main bearing gasket. My first time removing it and it did not go well

The seal can be removed without pulling the bearing.

If this engine has the same problem with the cam cover, you might want to seal it up. Do a search here for that.

Good luck,
Tom

[bigbikerrick]

Andy, when you have the bellhousing open like you do, you should change : rear main seal, paper gasket behind main seal/bearing holder, gasket behind oil return pipe on top, and seal your cam plug up with JB weld. also the lower 2 bolts that hold the rear main flange on need the threads sealed with thread sealer. There are a bunch of threads here about sealing up everything in the bellhousing area, take a peek!
Good Luck,
Rick.

 PS: Ive learned from the school of hard knocks...."do it once, do it right"

[Andy B]

the more i search on this the more daunting a job it seems...    but definitely would like to get it all sealed and not worry about it at all again...

the top hose from memory didnt feel particularly hard.. will have to dig it out and check...

how does a puller work on the housing? photos i've found on google of the housing - there doesnt appear to be anything to pull against? perhaps im missing something?

but with attempting to stay positive - at least pricing up the gaskets and seals was pretty harmless... 

\Thanks for all the replies guys.. 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

how does a puller work on the housing? photos i've found on google of the housing - there doesnt appear to be anything to pull against? perhaps im missing something?

Two of the eight holes of the main bearing flange are threaded M10-1.5, the puller attaches there.

[Jose Mendez]

Andy, these are incredible pics of your work. Please continue to share your progress with pics.

Best of Luck to you.

[smdl]

Here is a good resource for what to check:

http://www.thisoldtractor.com/moto_guzzi_loopframe_engine_out__check_these_things.html

Also, Charlie does a really good job of covering how to find leaks and seal things up in this thread:

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=70784.0

Best of luck.

Shaun