www.BurgmanUSA.com

by **Daboo** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 20:56 20

I decided to take a few minutes and try to determine where I'm dripping oil. Actually, I know where it is dripping oil at. The question is how it is getting there.

This isn't a bad leak at all, and is just one of those things I'd like to take care of. The location is forward of the oil fill plug and oil window on the bottom leading edge of the engine on the right side.

: Here's where the leak shows at.

When I took the air filter off to get access to the top of the engine, I found some oil in the air filter box.

: Looking down at the air cleaner box, in the rear right corner is some oil that has pooled up.

FWIW, here's what the air filter looked like after about 10,000 miles, compared to the cleaned air filter I'll be putting back in.

The only area I can find with wet oil is the one area in the first picture. The rest of the underside and back of the engine just has a combination of oil, dirt, etc. that has built up after riding over the miles. (I should give my bike to Mitch for a week, and get it back looking sparkling clean!) Everything I can see from above and looking from below seems to be simply dry dirt with no signs of oil leakage.

So, two questions...
1. My assumption is the oil in the air cleaner box is coming from a crankcase breather tube. Correct? After about 10,000 miles, I'm not thinking this is unusual...what do you think?
2. Where would you look for the source for the oil leak that shows in the first picture?

Chris

by **Elliott Larron** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 23:09 23

Strange i did find some Oil in Mines as well Chris, as you said crankcase breather tube is where it's coming from but thats inside the Air Box it should not be leaking out of the Airbox onless there is a Crack or Breach on that Corner someware - On The Second Picture from the look of the Top Cover Seals theres no Oil Getting thru there..

One thing you can Check Chris, is the crankcase breather tube and see if there a Split on the Rubber Tube, to the Airbox.

if it's not coming from inside the underside Airbox it could be leaking from the crankcase breather tube itself and flowing to the under Corner dripping on to the engine.

Gary,

by **Daboo** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 1:40 01

Your theory sounds good Gary, but I'm at a loss to figure out how it can happen. I could be wrong, but the breather tube opening is on the left side of the air filter box. There is some oil residue going across a small ledge on the back side of the box from the left side to the right. Even if the oil was traveling from the left side at the breather tube up into that ledge and over to the right side, I can't see how I'm getting fresh oil on the bottom of the engine, since everything outside those couple inches in the first picture is dry. Dirty yes, but dry.

In other words, how does the oil in the air filter box, go all the way to the bottom of the engine without leaving a visible trail?

This isn't like I'm spewing oil everywhere, it is more like an annoyance when you want things to be perfect and they aren't. Maybe in 5000 miles, I'm using a couple ounces of oil.

I appreciate the thoughts Gary. If I had it all figured out, I wouldn't have asked the question. Gosh, now you have me wondering. Could the oil seep under the built up dirt and get from up above in the air cleaner box and then show up where it would pool till it dripped off on the bottom? Maybe I should take the bike to one of those car washes with the hand held sprayers and do some cleaning?

Chris

by **Desert Rat** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 16:13 16

Chris

Have you cleaned it real well and checked again. Mine has the same type of oil leak but it's coming from were the (2) engine side bolt togeather. I guess it just thinks it's a Harley :lol:

by **Daboo** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 16:38 16

I sprayed it down yesterday a couple times with Simple Green and polluted the environment. So yes, I cleaned it.

Now that you mention it, the independent shop I take it to for tire changes, did mention that there was a leak where the two halves of the crankcase join. They offered to fix it for me, but before I do that, I'll sell it and buy another. The repair bill would probably end up as much as the bike is worth. :roll:

(While they are good honest mechanics, I think they were hoping I'd pay for a new add-on to their building. Ain't gonna happen.)

I was really tempted the other night to sell this Burgman and buy another. There's a brand-new 2008 in black on the Olympic peninsula for $4000. Brand new. And I also like the black color. It would be my second choice for color after the blue. Tempting, but I'm only barely through braking this one in.

Chris

by **Elliott Larron** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 20:11 20

Did you try tightening the screws first before you make the Plunge,
maybe there just Loose,

Gary,

by **bobo44** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:34 01

Tightening the screws over recommended torque on important places like this make things worse usually :evil:

by **Elliott Larron** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:44 01

bobo44 wrote:Tightening the screws over recommended torque on important places like this make things worse usually

When i had my Old China Vento i had Oil leaks just like that What i did was Put JB Weld around the Seals, and it did work But make the engine Look Nasty onless it's Done Correctly.

as a matter of fact i did the same for this Burgman when i found some Cooling Fluid leaking from the Crankcase i JB welded it and had no leaks ever since...

Gary,

by **happytech** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:40 09

I've heard of some riders patching an oil leak with a product called "Water Weld" - it's also by J-B Weld. Yes, it's for underwater but might be a better product than the standard J-B weld stuff.

by **Elliott Larron** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:00 08

Chris, What's The Status of your Oil Leaks What have you Done for it? have you made a Decision what your gonna Do? :thumbup:

Gary,

by **Daboo** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:46 10

Yes, I'll leave it alone and just watch it.

There are some things worth fixing and others worth leaving alone. This is one of those where the payback to fix it, is probably more costly than the bike is worth. Since I'm not losing enough oil to warrant adding any in 5000 miles, it is more of a nuisance than anything.

Chris

by **micbergsma** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:02 11

by **Elliott Larron** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 15:07 15

from the look at Mic's Picture that there is a Little Hole where that Plastic Rubber Tube connects to the Airbox, But u guess it never fills with Oil anyway, But i have read Some cases that Oil did fall into that Hole
... :cheers: