Ugh - new oil leak

[pdksh]

It’s always a good idea to keep your shop floor clean. Went into the garage and noticed a new spot under the chin spoiler of my Uly. It has a weeping rear base gasket that needs to be changed and I had every intention of power washing the entire engine to ensure my rocker box gaskets weren’t leaking as well.

Motorcycle is a 2008 XT with 25,000miles.

One of the oil cooler lines going into the oil cooler is soaking. The oil has accumulated in the chin cowl and is dripping on the floor

It’s obvious to me where the problem is, I was looking for suggestions on a fix. Of all of the Buell leaks this is a new one for me. I’m hoping for a loose line and thread seal, possibly an o-ring?

 

[JimRideThis!]

My fingers are crossed for you.

 

[rchuff]

check oil lines and oil filter.

 

[Chicknstripn]

If it’s a loose line that’s easy!
Did you check the lines?

If your base gasket needs to be replaced you’ll have to replace the rocker box cover gaskets anyway. If it’s just your rocker box cover gaskets that’s easy. Shouldn’t be more than a Saturday in the garage.

Let us know what you decide you need to fix.
Between this bike and your 1125 you’re gonna be a wrenching fool!

 

[pdksh]

The 1125cr is still a mystery but head assemblies on flea bay are cheap enough in case of...

There is nothing wrong with the oil cooler assembly, the front head gasket is leaking. I can watch drips of oil when idling. There doesn’t seem to be any escaping gasses and the bike is running great. Rocker box gaskets are bone dry, I did the, a year ago. The rear base gasket is wheepy but not wet.

Ordering a James gasket kit, I should memorize that part number. Time to rotate the motor.

 

[pdksh]

One bike is up and running again! The headgasket failed at the line up dowel that doubles as an oil passage because I didn't used the O-Ring. The James Gasket Kit (top end kit) has old school head gaskets (not MLS) that require the line up o-ring. I replaced the base gasket, valve seals and rocker box gaskets. For good measure I also did the intake seals because the throttle body had to come off.

Interesting Point...
The Buell will run just fine with the exhaust and intake push rods swapped... Somebody, possibly me swapped them at some point in the bikes life. The push rods don't have any paint on them, but I did measure them. The exhaust push rod is half a hair taller than the intake push rod. The front cylinder had a darker spark plug (the front cylinder was swapped) but that could just as easily be anything else. When I put the bike back together it started right up. The BUTT DYNO hasn't noticed any significant increase in HP.

Did a TPS reset, bike backfired on decel for a night and now it seems to be working as good as new.

 

[pdksh]

I was NOT recommended they be swapped. They had accidentally been swapped. My poor attempt at humour obviously made it sound like some bizarre experiment, now that I re-read the post.

I was trying to say, I wasn’t robbed of any significant amount of HP because the push rods were swapped

I’m sure the bike wasn’t running at 100%, in my opinion if it didn’t matter, HDMC would have made them the same length to save money on spare parts

 

[GregoXB]

Did you try turning it off and putting it back on again?

 

[pdksh]

LMAO - the IT crowd?

 

[GregoXB]

LMAO - the IT crowd?

:eagerness: Glad to see someone with a sense of humor... good luck with your bike.

 

[pdksh]

Just a couple of quick updates I never like threads that end without full resolve... Nothing like reading about the exact same issue your bike is having only to find the tread is 5 years old and no resolution... Did the dude just sell his bike???

That never happens hear because we all have the same problems, over and over and over again. My number one problem is I can't stop buying buells

The swapped push rods may not have presenting them selves as an obvious problem but I can say with 100% certainty, the bike runs much more efficient with the push rods in the right spots. I have read countless threads about 50MPG and I have always gotten around 40mpg to 45mpg, never 50. On my last trip my low fuel indicator hardly went on! I was easily getting 50mpg touring. The bike also had a pronounced stumble around 3500rpm. I assumed a good fuel map would fix that. NOPE! the push rods again. The stumble is gone. Proof that a fuel map can not overcome a mechanical problem.

Now for the bad news! WHEEL BEARINGS!!! About 700kms into my 4000kms trip my bike started to click when I pulled into a camp site for the night! Yep. Wheel Bearings! I had about 20,000 Miles or 30,000 Kms on the last set of SKF bearings. I didn't check them before my trip. A 14hour bus ride home and two days later I was changing my wheel bearings in a parking lot in Sault Ste. Marie.

 

[pdksh]

Yes my trip was cut short. I did trailer the bike home after going for a couple of good runs after replacing the wheel bearings. I could have taken the bike to a local dealer but most bike shops are closed on Mondays and this was Saturday night. Either way my bike was not going to be ready till Tuesday evening. Next year I'll try to go around Superior again, my schedule was tight as it was, definitely didn't have the two or three days needed to deal with the wheel bearing issue.

The belt tension issue, I'm a little confused about your statement. I have read a few posts about drilling out the bolt holes of the stock tensioner. Are you referring to modifying the stock pulley assembly or is there a different fix? I believe the XR1200 has an adjustable axle, unlike our fixed axle. I'm considering drilling out the tensioner, but in the mean time I'm getting lots of use out of my blind-hole bearing puller.

 

[GregoXB]

Wouldnt it be enough to just file down the bottom hole?

 

[34nineteen]

XR1200's run a factory fixed tensioner along with an adjustable rear axle.

I'm pretty sure John owns one or two XR1200's, I'd stick to this^^^^^^^

 

[njloco]

All you have to do is elongate one hole a little.