Advice on Leak(s)

Working on my daughter's '82 XJ750 Seca. We are actually painting and powdercoating to make the bike look better on the road, not a frame-off restoration, but a big job nonetheless.

I have a few questions about some leaking oil on the left side of the engine. Cleaning up the bike is less effective if it is still leaking oil. I can post some pictures later if I need to but I'm thinking there are probably some likely culprits or things to check that would help me get a head-start and you would be the guys to point me in the right direction.

To me, the leak looks like it is either coming out of the seal that the shifter goes through on it's way inside the engine, or from around or underneath that cover behind the shifter. There is oil on the frame below the left side of the engine and the bike leaves oil marks on the sidewalk by leaking down the side-stand. I do not know if it leaks more when the engine is running, but it does slowly leak when the engine is not running. Slow, just enough for the bike to mark its territory in my driveway.

Is there anything I should know before removing that lower-left engine cover? Easy removal? or is the transmission going to fall out the side?

I do not think there is any oil coming from round cover (front left of engine), but I will pull that cover and check to see if there is oil inside it as well.

Thanks for any advice anyone can give me.

 

try to keep the shaft in place as you pull the cover off. if it does come out, it's no big deal to put back but it's easier to be careful
should be no oil under that round cover, just ignition trigger coils

 

Thanks, I'll take both covers off today and see what is going on.

 

There is an oil seal for the crankshaft under the round covers. They can leak.
There is also an oil seal behind the alternator that can leak.When it does the oil runs through a weep-hole in the alternator cover and will find its way on down that side of the engine.

 

I just checked the crankshaft seal. There is no oil under the cover. I have not removed the alternator cover yet. I'll look at that

I am pretty sure it is leaking from the side cover at the bottom. And there is a valve cover leak on the left as well. We are looking at that now (which mostly means we are cleaning)

 

I had an oil leak similar to what you are describing and after much hunting found it was coming from the nuetral switch underneath. Could be around shaft the shift lever mounts on too. Just another couple of suggestions. I also agree with the other posts on possible locations as well.

 

To get to the neutral switch and/or the oil sensor, the exhaust has to be removed, right? What it the best way to do that. I've never had it off. Do I need to order gaskets before I even start the removal?

 

Yes. You must remove the exhaust collector. For the neutral switch I had to sand down the walls of a deep well socket to get one on it as well. Unless someone else knows a better way. It's really close to the frame.

 

Thanks for that. I'm done working on the bike for today, so tomorrow I'll see about removing the exhaust.