VS700 Oil Leak

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TripleKing
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VS700 Oil Leak

Post by TripleKing »

I replaced the clutch on my 86 VS700. I installed a new genuine Suzuki gasket and was careful to use the correct bolts in the correct holes. I have no drips at the cover, but now I have oil leaking from the center of the engine. The drip seems to me from a bolt that holds the case together to the left of the drain plug, but i have no drips at any gasket or seal. The engine had no leaks before. I went through the cover twice more and it still leaks. I am stumped.

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sgtcall
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by sgtcall »

Can you post a picture of where the leak is coming from?

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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by navigator »

There is a sump and screen to the rear of the drain plug, that gasket is o-ring material. is that where it is leaking?

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sgtcall
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by sgtcall »

navigator wrote:
Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:47 am
There is a sump and screen to the rear of the drain plug, that gasket is o-ring material. is that where it is leaking?
Didn't Lechy have that issue once?
Lechy wrote:
Wed Apr 05, 2023 11:08 pm
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by Lechy »

Take a kitchen towel and clean the case under the shifter, see what you get. The splines can damage the lip seal causing oil to seep and migrate to a drip point. Tip: when re-fitting the alternator cover wrap a little insulation tape around the splines and add a little lubrication.
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TripleKing
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by TripleKing »

I would post a picture, but I don't have a way to upload to get a URL. The like is not coming from the clutch cover, shifter spline or anywhere on the side of the engine. It is coming from the bottom of the engine where a bolt goes through to joint the two sides of the case. It is not leaking from the seal where the two sides of the case meet, but from the left side of the bolt itself. That leak is minor. I fixed the leak at the drain plug. When I had fork work done on the bike (for the second time) I had the shop doing the work do an engine oil change (I got lazy and figured it was there already). The drain plug was installed with no crush washer at all.

Now interestingly, when the bike is cold and has not run in several hours. It only leaks when the engine is running or off, but still warm. It is definitely coming from where I described.

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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by Herb »

Have you tried checking the torque on the bolt(s) in that area?

If the leak is coming from around the head of the bolt there is a chance that the inner part of the gasket has deteriorated allowing oil to go out alongside the bolt.

Since replacing the whole gasket would be an expensive pain in the butt you might pull the bolt and put a fiber gasket washer on it.
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by sgtcall »

TripleKing wrote:
Sun Apr 09, 2023 5:55 pm
I would post a picture, but I don't have a way to upload to get a URL. The like is not coming from the clutch cover, shifter spline or anywhere on the side of the engine. It is coming from the bottom of the engine where a bolt goes through to joint the two sides of the case. It is not leaking from the seal where the two sides of the case meet, but from the left side of the bolt itself. That leak is minor. I fixed the leak at the drain plug. When I had fork work done on the bike (for the second time) I had the shop doing the work do an engine oil change (I got lazy and figured it was there already). The drain plug was installed with no crush washer at all.

Now interestingly, when the bike is cold and has not run in several hours. It only leaks when the engine is running or off, but still warm. It is definitely coming from where I described.
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by Lechy »

Try fitting bonded washers to the bolts, give everything a good clean first.
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TripleKing
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Re: VS700 Oil Leak

Post by TripleKing »

I will try to get a wrench on it What is frustrating is that until i repaired the clutch I had no leaks, If i was going to have a leak I figured it would have been from the clutch cover. Go figure.

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