Base gasket leaking? I need your advice and help!!!!!!

OK, I have a major oil leak at first I though I some how mangled my valve gasket and I did a little, however this has been a lot of oil. So, today when I got home I let the bike run and I wiped the front of the motor clean and watched with a flash light it appears that in the front of the motor, about half way down in the front that seems to be where the bulk of the leak is, I can see oil seeping out wiped it away and it re-appeared in seconds. So, I am guessing I am pulling the motor and replacing this gasket is there anyone in the Richmond, metro area that can help. I don't have a garage and I really need some where to work and maybe some experienced hands and eyes to help out... I am trying to figure out how this gasket went... Maybe it was just its time. But this looks like major work from looking at the service manual. Or is this one of those things you say time for a new motor? Help me out guys.

Below is the area where I saw the most oil seeping, however, there was fresh oil coming from the valve cover so maybe *hoping* it was just running down to there and I didn't see it running because of the poor lighting and all the black baked on oil...

 

OK I am wrong it is coming form the valve gasket, It is leaking down I cleaned it up a wet rag and then watched it and noitced it was running down not coming out of this area.. whew....

 

Yes, relief. Replacing a base gasket is a PINA. Replacing a valve cover gasket is much easier, don't forget to replace the cam end plugs and check the valve clearences.

 

Valve clearances are done new shims installed on 9-9-11 however during that operation I guess somehow I mangled the valve cover gasket. Cam end plugs? Not sure what they are no one has mentioned that to me I have an 82 XJ650-J YICS motor...

 

Doc, relax.

By "cam end plugs" he's talking about the half-moons we discussed. (I answered your PM.) On the YICS motors they're part of the silly gasket. (On the non-YICS motors they're separate plugs.)

The gasket you thought was leaking would have been the head gasket; the base gasket is further down, at the "base" of the cylinders.

BTW, when you eventually think you have a base gasket leak, replace the cam chain tensioner body-to-cylinder gasket and the o-ring on the tensioner bolt. When (not if, when) that starts leaking it will "migrate" all around and convince you that you have a base gasket leak. Guess how I know this?

 

I am much calmer Bigfitz. I was a little freaked about having to replace the head and or base gasket. Much, much more of a tear down than I could do on my patio I think. Should have the new valve gasket by Thursday or Friday. I am hoping to replace the gasket on whatever day it gets here. Unless it is Friday and I'll just do it Saturday morning....

 

You should have ordered up some new rubber donuts for the valve cover bolts.

 

Oops, I see you did that on 8-21-11......never mind.

 

Here is a thought/question. I hand tightened my valve cover. Is it possible I have it too tight and the gasket is just not doing its job because is has been flattened out too much? I just ordered a torque wrench that does in/lbs on amazon. So I can torque these bolts to the 7 ft/lbs it should be when I replace the gasket when it arrives from Chacal.

 

Take a look at the bolts. They have "stop collars" on them, they can only be tightened so far.

So, no, you didn't overtighten it. Overtightening the valve cover bolts on a YICS motor will either break the bolt or strip the hole; not mash the gasket too much.

 

OK I was just wondering what I did to this poor gasket for it to leak like it is... And it is coming from the front edge of the motor more so than anywhere else... but it was a reasonable excuse to get a proper torque wrench for the smaller jobs on the bike...

 

If the 650s are the same as the 550s maybe you caught the inner lip on the upper front camchain tensioner mounting thingie/bolt.

When you have the valve cover off, be sure the "fake" cam caps (the ones that are only there to hold the cover) aren't loose or cracked. Not unheard of either.