Battle of the Left Side Engine Covers.

[SpecOps13]

I've visited this problem 4 or 5 times in the past with my 89 and never fixed it. Oil seepage from the left side. When I found engine oil in my coolant, I decided to go at the leak problem full force and then change the oil. OP said the amount of oil in my coolant could be normal. No coolant was found in the oil.

Yesterday, I pulled the covers off and left the oil to drain in 2 buckets overnight, Engine and filter. I scraped all the gasket material off both sides of the stator, middle gear covers and the engine side of both. I taped paper towels over the open engine to keep any crap from getting in.

Today, I checked everything over as I was pretty well beat and getting stupid when I quit the day before. I pulled all the previously installed RTV Bandages off the stator wires and sprayed the wires, grommets and cover down with Electrical Cleaner. I made sure the wires would move and were very clean where they go into the grommets. Put Super Black RTV on one side and pulled the wires to get it inside the grommet. Then reversed and pulled RTV the other way. Made a small hill on both sides. I then installed the gasket on the engine side with a thin layer of RTV. Made sure everything was able to go back together correctly and then RTV'd the cover side in the same way. There's not gonna be anything get past all of this.. I took the stator cover down to 75 inch pounds. Next, I did the same RTV thing to the middle gear cover. I also put a blob into the bottom center hole to block that possible leak. I used a Brass Washer there, since it's worked in the past. After both covers were in place for a short time, I tweaked the torque up to 100 inch pounds... To insure a tight seal. I put a new oil filter on and sealed the pan drain... Hung my Rotilla Bottle over the right grip and taped it there and taped over the ignition too. Don't want any mistakes that the bike may get started with no oil...

Again the bike is setting over night. Allowing time for the RTV to totally cure... I'm happy that there should be no more possibility that these covers will seep oil... I think God would be happy with this fix. Actually, the bike is going to sit for days. Tomorrow's a Honey Do Day...

Wish Me Good Luck... I don't want to ever do this leak fix again....:bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head:

After I finish this up, it's time for a flush and refill of the coolant..

 

[[email protected]]

Sounds like and impenetrable fortress of RTV. Good luck Dave.

 

[SpecOps13]

I sure hope so. I'm actually happy with the way it turned out. I'm impossible to please...:rofl_200:

 

[PATMAX]

Dave, I think I was there for one of the earlier attempts at a fix. Sounds like you did your due diligence this go around and she should be dry and tight. Just how Coprunner likes em'. Let us know in a few days if that did the trick.
PATMAX
P.S. Start thinking of a tech day or ride date again. Weather should be getting drier and cooler soon. October starts our local bike nights for the season!

 

[gamorg02]

dave i really hope that fixes it.

if it doesn't however, have you looked to see if the covers are flat? if i mine kept leaking i was thinking about taking the covers to a machine shop and telling them to make them flat. i have a feeling these covers warp a bit. its more than a handlful of vmax owners who have told me their 'corner' area of the stator cover weaps.

 

[SpecOps13]

PATMAX, I could do a Tech Day here at my house. It'd be 20 miles closer for you. Kyle's working so hard lately, I think he really enjoys his days off with Christine. Went to see him today and video'd the contents of his "Man Cave" Garage. He stripped a 96 down so fast between my call and getting there, he musta moved at superhuman speed.. Video's not great, still learning the capabilities of my $40.00 Kodak from Big Lots... It will be up in his Mic Parts Thread soon.

G: I read of all the troubles with these covers. That's the reason for RTV, everywhere. I got down with a flash light after tightening and can see a continuous bead all the way around the covers. I'll torque another 25 inch pounds if it leaks but I see no way it could unless there's a hidden crack in one of the covers...

 

[live-to-ride]

I have the same problem. I see some weeping here and there, so I'm going to do a full valve cover overhaul in October with Jim Rodgers, VMOA president.
I was gonna get new covers, because mine seem to be quite corroded, and I've been told that if the borders are not 'flat' anymore, leakage is going to continue being an issue.
Has anyone in CANADA bought parts from the states? I tried buying the covers here but am getting charged 70 dollars more per cover than in the states. Oh, by the way, what is RTV?
Thanks!!
Jeremy

 

[ninjaneer]

 

[SpecOps13]

Examples of Permatex RTV's

http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=permatex%20rtv&origkw=permatex+rtv&sr=1

live-to-ride: If I haven't yet,,,, Welcome to the VMax Forum.....



BTW: I added Rotilla-T, flushed and refilled the coolant, ran the engine a number of times during that process and no leaky yet...:clapping:

 

[RaWarrior]

I don't want to be a stick in the mud here, but I bet the leak will return given a few months. I've never found even the black RTV to be "oil proof", it's labeled as "oil resistant". Every case I've used the black RTV on, starts to leak again after 4-5 months, sooner if synthetic oil is used.

I suspect your covers are warped. I had this same incessant leak from my stator cover, I tried all sorts of RTVs, sealants, gaskets, ect. Nothing worked, at least not for long. I finally removed them again, and realized neither cover was flat. We have a giant disc sander in the shop up here, I took both covers and just pressed the mating surface up against it....immediately "low spots" formed that weren't touching the sander. Kept sanding until there were no low spots. Used a new gasket on the stator, leak free.

For the middle gear, the local dealer didn't have a gasket, so I just used threebond (yamabond 4), and that's been bone dry since the spring as well.

The final solution is to get your covers flat, the sealants are a band-aid.

 

[SpecOps13]

Hope not, this is a picture of the paper towel I stuck under the side of the bike...
It's been there for days and days. I've had the engine running in place with fans
on it for various checks and work.... No oil drips yet. Keeping my fingers crossed.....