550 Seca sprung a leak

This is goofy. The Seca was just sitting the the garage, I haven't touched it in a while. Sunday I walked in and there is an oil puddle.

Oil filter housing is dry. Seems to be coming from middle bottom of the engine.

Weird.

 

Like a dog that didn't get let out it's trying to get your attention. Your hidden plug may have vibrated loose and was slowly leaking and puddling until it found a way over a 'lip/damn' and hit the ground.

 

There is no "hidden plug" (middle gear drain plug) on the 550s.

If it isn't a case of that being where oil from the breather ended up via the airbox drain (as in gas in the oil overfilling the crankcase and it puked out the breather) then it could be the o-ring on the outside of the oil level sending unit, or the sending unit itself could be leaking. That's the only thing really on the bottom of our sumps.

Look inside the airbox (take the filter out and look in the inner chamber) first, it's easier than pulling the exhaust system to see the bottom of the motor.

 

I think I figured it out.

One place to leak that a 550 has that other XJs don't - the shaft seal under the front sprocket. When I was putting on the new chain it was kinda oily in there.

I ordered a new one.

 

I forgot about that. The output shaft seal is a possibility too.

 

Interesting. I also looked up the seal for my XS - the seal is the same. I ordered two.

 

So, last week I pulled the exhaust, wiped everything down and looked for drips.

The results:

Oil drain plug is loose (d'oh!)

The wires coming out from under the front sprocket cover are all oily. Seal and o-ring are getting replaced.