Rear Cylinder Leak

[durbin]

I have discovered that I have a leak coming from the rear cylinder. What kind of project am I looking at to remove the engine to gain easy access to the rear cylinder? Has anyone encountered this? Suggestion?

 

[TooFst]

Exhaust??? Sounds more like base gasket? Yr? Make? Model?

 

[durbin]

2007 XB12R. As far as I can tell it is an oil leak coming from the top of the rear cylinder.

 

[Fock347]

could be the breather popped out or is leaking. if its the rear cylinder rocker box or head gasket , your looking at about 2.5-3.5 hours to remove the motor from the frame ,then another couple hours replacing the gaskets depending on which one it is . it could be done in one day .

 

[Medicbpm]

Yep had the same problem on my 08. Rotate the engine down to get to it and replace the rocker box gasket. Do it quick before it ruins the fan. Check the breather first, but if its a SLOW leak, its one of those.

 

[Lando]

What Medicbpm said! I had the same problem, let it go for a while and then my fan failed also. You only need the upper gasket for the rocker box cover, should cost about $6 ea.
I'll try to find the part number for you when I get back home. Engine rotate is actually very easy and there is a great writeup here, Do a search.
Lando

 

[Lando]

-17633-08A rocker cover $6.55
-17695-07A rocker cover inner x2 $1.75 ea

I'm not 100% sure if these are the correct part numbers but this is what I found when doing my research. You can take these numbers to a dealer and ask them, they are also the same parts as a sportster so they should be available at any HD dealer.
I bought a compleat gasket set but that cost about $60
Part number for that is Gasket kit #17036-91A $60
Or #17036-08 $58

 

[durbin]

Thanks guys. I start my vacation tomorrow so this will be my project after I get some dove hunting in.

 

[durbin]

The breather was loose. I pushed it back in but there seems to be a significant amount of play compared to the front breather that is not leaking. Suggestions?

 

[konarider94]

get a new rubber grommet to put in the cover

 

[rockerphotographer]

It sounds like your vacation just got a lot easier

 

[Fock347]

i agree with what medicbpm and lando said about the fan going out, it happened to me as well cus of the breather grommet being jacked up. glad to hear its only a minor issue.

 

[durbin]

alright so I am on my last steps to finishing the engine rotate, I am stuck on backing out the rear axle. I have totally removed the pinch bolt and the rear axle is not budging. Is there some special trick besides the pinch bolt? I know the torque specs are 45-50ft lbs and I am putting way more than that into breaking it loose. I dont want to strip out the axle.

 

[durbin]

Since I have my bike apart and will be messing with the breathers I am contemplating doing the breather mod because I am having similar symptoms as others have described. Is there anything that I should steer away from when doing it?

 

[Fock347]

just be sure you are spinning the axel counter clock wise to remove it . unlike the front which is clock wise removal.

 

[durbin]

I have the engine dropped down finally. The breather is definitely leaking. On the back side of the cylinder there is a lot of oil accumulated. I figure it is smart to spend the $20 on gaskets and replace the rocker box gaskets while the engine is dropped. I dont want to have to do this again anytime in the near future!

 

[durbin]

Is the rubber gasket beneath the top cover the most prone to leak?

 

[Lando]

Durbin, yes the gasket directly below the rocker cover is the one that usually fails.

It's a thick rubber gasket that wedges into a channel on the rocker cover. Might as well change the small square one in the middle also.

 

[konarider94]

I am stuck on backing out the rear axle. I have totally removed the pinch bolt and the rear axle is not budging. Is there some special trick besides the pinch bolt?

some impact can help. while you are wrenching on it hit it with a hammer to see if it will break it loose. pb blaster never hurts either.

 

[durbin]

So I got everything fixed and it has been leak free for over a week! WOO!! It runs better to now that I did the breather mod and I experimented with the airbox