Oil Leak While Running

Oil is leaking on the left side of the engine. Looks like it is coming out of cylinder #1 exhaust, but I doubt that it really is. The oil migrates to the fins down the left side of the head/jug and will blow out onto your pants in drops. Only about 3 fins get juicy.

I have cleaned the fins pretty good and then gone for a ride with no noticeable leak, so it is pretty slow. After long rides, the left side of the engine is juicy again. I have a new valve cover gasket, it is very clean and I can see ZERO oil seeping from the front left cover on either the front or in by the spark plug.

The oil gets on the fins above the head gasket, so I didn't think it was coming from there, but I cleaned the area anyway and can't see any leak between the head and the jugs. It literally looks as though it is coming from the exhaust from cylinder one and then migrating to the left around the engine to the spark plug and your leg.

Before I start tearing into the engine needlessly, has anyone seen this before OR have any ideas of where to look.

 

Which bike?

 

It's the Seca in my sig

 

which left side? from viewing the engine in front of the bike or the rear of the bike?

reasoning I ask is I just replaced head gasket on my 650 yesterday. it was slowly leaking like you described above, on the RIGHT side (which would be left side when viewing bike from front)...

IF you have the same problem I did, the head gasket was not leaking per say rather the two O-ring sleeves on the very RIGHT side between engine head and jugs were squashed one too many times and I never replaced 'em last time I had it apart. Needless to say it bit me in the @ss and would "sprit" a tiny amount of oil on my pant legs. Annoying after awhile so I replaced everything yesterday, even the 2 copper washers on the very RIGHT side under the engine lug nuts

My response may not help you out whatsoever, but nonetheless just sharing my experience, and double checking your situation. I would find it really hard to believe oil comes out the exhaust (header?) so a picture is a thousand words... just saying

 

Thanks for the insight. My leak is on the other side. Cylinder #1 is on the left as looking down on the bike from the seat. This is the one it seems to be leaking from.

Oil droplets blow onto your left pant leg after a long ride.

**edit** My leak seems to be above the head gasket. The cooling fin right above the head gasket stays dry, but the two or three fins above that get juicy. The gasket for the valve cover stays clean/dry as well. I didn't think there was anything between the head gasket and the cover gasket that could leak at all. But those two or three fins get juicy right up to #1 exhaust pipe.

 

Then that points to your valve cover leaking then, and seepind down over the fins

 

Maybe I need to get a mirror or something for closer inspection, because I just can't see that gasket (or right below it) getting juicy at all. I have cleaned and checked multiple times. I am about to take the exhaust off just so I can see better.

Anyone ever use that dye they sell to track oil leaks with a UV light? Does it work well? is it OK for the Seca engine?

 

If you do find it's the valve cover gasket, check the status of the valve cover bolt grommets, if these are rock hard no amount of new gaskets will stop your leak. In fact your gasket may be pliable enough to seal once more if you just changed your grommets.

 

The valve cover gasket is probably leaking to the inner gallery (where the #2 plug is located) and then running through to the front.

The advice to replace the hold-down bolt 'donuts' is valid; they do the work of pressing the cover down against the gasket/head.