Annoying oil leak...

The bike - XJ900. The problem - one or two drips per week. After cleaning the area it looks like its coming from the neutral light switch? What's the fix for this? A new o ring? Also it appears to be well hidden underneath the frame so is it an engine loosen job? Cheers

 

?? All quiet out there?

 

I thought I replied to this yesterday.

I had the same slow leak coming from the underside of the engine, up above the 1 and 2 headers/exhaust pipes. You can simply remove the headers to get to it.

It's been awhile, but I think mine was the neutral sensor o-ring (or oil level sensor o-ring) that needed to be replaced. Chacal hooked me up with the parts. I had no idea what the part was so I snapped some pictures of the underside where the leak was coming from and chacal helped me identify the part to order.

 

SecaRob posted a write up about this that is helpful. Here it is:

Neutral safety switch

 

Thanks for the link! I can't imagine how on earth you can get to it without undoing the engine mounts! Cheers ADrian

 

I just did this today. I didn't replace the switch, just tightened it. Backed off on it and then re-tightened it as far as I dared to go. Had to jack up the engine about an inch. Didn't want to remove the oil filter housing so that's all the jacking I could get out of it. But after examining the switch area carefully before I loosened and then tightened it good and tight, I noticed it seemed like the switch itself might have been oozing oil out through the insulator center part. I've seen oil pressure switches do this on cars. Well, I couldn't wait for a new part from Chacal, had to get the garage back for the wifey. So I degreased the switch and carefully applied some JB Weld around the circumference of the area in question without getting it on the screw threads in the hole. Put it back together and let it harden about 6 hours or more. I ran the bike today and it seems fine now. Not a hint of leaking. Worst case scenario, if it does start leaking I'll replace the switch. It'll be quicker now I know what to do.

I had to pull the wheels to get new tires so I took the opportunity to drop the swing arm and jack the motor. Upon reconsideration, however, if I have to do it again on this XJ900 beast, all I'll need to do is snatch off the tank, carbs, rear wheel and drive shaft -- all of which is easy. Tedius part is dropping and reinstalling the stock exhaust. That sucks without a helper. Anyway, I will leave the swing arm in place. There's a lot of clearance at that open end. Then pull the motor bolts (again, easy) and I rig a support bar across the front triangle shaped brackets with those main bolts on the motor in place but loosened and stick the bar across, then hook my hoist system (cinch straps) from my ceiling mounted hoist point, jack the motor and do the deed.

Access to the switch is tight, but I actually was able to fish a 3/8" drive 14mm or 9/16 (same) socket without the extension up there first, then stuck up a swivel extension, worked fine.

But frankly, I think I got it now. I torqued that sucker up real good. Probably crushed down that washer another couple of thousandths.. lol..