Oil in the drum?

Just pulled the rear wheel off my XJ (new tires today, YAY!) and there is a lot of oil that has turned into grease gunk in the drum. Enough to soak the shoes and cover everything. I have had the bike a week and the PO had run it for a season after sitting for 10 or so years. All of the bearings and seals look OK, not great but OK.

Was the gear oil overfilled? Should I clean it all up and put new shoes on or is there another issue? Thanks.

 

If your shoes are not too soaked with grease I would clean everything real good and put it all back together. Clean the shoes with brake cleaner several times to get rid of all the grease. Ride it for a few weeks and take it apart to see if it is really leaking. I have had many bikes with shaft drives and never had to replace a rear drive seal. The PO may have greased the wheel bearings and splines way to much. Check the oil in the final drive to see if the level is OK.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that would be what I would end up doing, easyer to trace a 10 day leak than a ten year one. Glad to hear that rear seals are reliable since I have street parking to work on the bike.

The final drive oil is to the top of the plug threads. (as full as it can get before coming out.)

 

Than is a little much, I think the correct leves is about 1/2 to 3/4 below the threaded hole. That is the way my XJ1100 fills, not sere on the Seca

 

If I recall correctly, gear drive oil in the seca should come to the bottom of the threaded hole with the bike on the center stand.

 

I think it's supposed to be to the top of the hole except the ones that use a dipstick (Which is the 1100 maybe).

Hard to imagine that even a shot seal in the final would result in much oil getting through the wheel and to the brake drum side. I'd think most of it would end up on the left side of the wheel.

I think you got good advice on cleaning everything up and monitoring it.

You wanna be very careful with those brake shoes. Oil soaked can make them grabby.

 

Right MiCarl, the 1100 does use a dipstick to check the rear diff oil level.

 

Well, cleaned reassembled and WOW, having a rear break is quite a thing. Feels good so far put in about 60 miles with no problems. I will update after a few days of riding.

Thanks for the help.