Looks like the T500

[LexPaul]

has a small oil leak. It is leaking right at the bottom of the right side transmission case cover. Maybe 8 drops in 2 weeks. I have 1400cc in the motor, I changed it out two weeks ago. I thought the leak was coming from the kicker shaft seal, I replaced that seal and it did stop leaking. So now I see there is a leak from gasket just below the kicker shaft right side.

Question, should I get a good stop leak additive and see if that seals up the leak or should I just drain the oil and replace the gasket. I am asking, because if it is not harmful or ill advised, then I would just as well pour in the stop leak and go have a cold one.

Thoughts?

[pearljam724]

I'm far from being a believer in stop leak products, they can cause more expensive damage all for being lazy. Buy a gasket and do it right. The cover and gasket, takes 15 minutes to replace. Unless, you have problems with fasteners. Which is also likely.

[titan performance]

Are you talking about the front sprocket shaft seal?

[LexPaul]

I'm far from being a believer in stop leak products, they can cause more expensive damage all for being lazy. Buy a gasket and do it right. The cover and gasket, takes 15 minutes to replace. Unless, you have problems with fasteners. Which is also likely.

Can you tell me in a nutshell what to expect. Do I just drain the oil, unbolt the cover, work it off the motor, clean the old gasket off, place the new gasket ( with or without YamaBond or gasket sealer?), and then bolt it back up? Thanks

[Fritz500]

Drain the oil ( some folks suggest leaning the bike on its side so you don't have to drain the oil - be careful if you have lead acid battery - remove it first).

Unbolt the cover. Remove the old gasket and check the case and cover for damage to the mating surfaces. Someone in the past may have previously removed the cover and used an implement to prise a stubborn cover off and damaged one or both mating surfaces. Clean any such areas (gently!) and add a drop of gasket compound in the problem area. No need to apply gasket compound if there are no issues with the mating surfaces.

Ensure the mating surfaces have no grit etc and make sure the gasket has no cracks.

Replace cover and using a screw driver that fits the screw heads perfectly (this is critical) tighten them firmly. No need to over-tighten. I use anti-seize grease on all my screws so getting them out next time is a breeze.

[pearljam724]

To add to what Fritz said. The covers are easy to remove. However, the fasteners can be problematic. Due to how long they've been installed on the bike, being a phillips fastener, clearance, etc. I would suggest, touching them with a small butane pen torch for a minute. One at a time before making any attempt to remove them. Heat is your friend. Worst case scenario, which could be likely. You may have to drill a fasteners head completely off in order to get the cover off. No big deal, once the cover is off. Apply more heat to remaining threads and remove the remainder with vise grips. Soaking them with a penetrating oil is worth trying. But, it rarely works. Because the penetrating oil won't penetrate the threads where you need it. But, it helps reduce friction behind the fasteners head. So, it's worth adding it. Make sure you have the proper size bit also. Fasteners can be stubborn due to oxidation. Heat, will cure that. Before trying anything, make sure the fasteners are the proper torque. That alone, may fix the leak. Easy outs don't work too well on these fasteners, because of the grade of steel. Easy out bits or screw retractors often won't bite into the metal. But, they too are worth trying if you have problems.

[alanr]

when I had trouble with tight screws I brought a cheap impact driver($13).a moderate tap and problem solved.

[Fritz500]

when I had trouble with tight screws I brought a cheap impact driver($13).a moderate tap and problem solved.

Have to say I still use the impact driver I bought back in about 1972 and it has never let me down. Never be tempted top tighten screws with it!!!!!

[jabcb]

Also still have my Vessel impact driver that I got in the 1970s.

Until recently I wasn't aware of the JIS vs. philips issue.
The stock screws on our old bikes are JIS.
One of the reasons that the old impact driver worked so well is that it has JIS bits.

Now use Vessel Magadora JIS screwdrivers & have new Vessel JIS bits for the old impact driver.
A pretty cheap tools upgrade & worth every penny.

[Pete O'Dell]

firstly there is no kickstart seal on the right side only a gear shaft seal. the k/s seal is on the left so which side are we talking about.

I think you mean the r/h gear seal.

I have never owned a impact driver and never had a screw beat me or had to drill any out and have always been able to re-use if needed even the most chewed up screws.

I did explain my method once but some knob got arsy and deleted all my posts

[stevebee]

firstly there is no kickstart seal on the right side only a gear shaft seal. the k/s seal is on the left so which side are we talking about.

I think you mean the r/h gear seal.

I have never owned a impact driver and never had a screw beat me or had to drill any out and have always been able to re-use if needed even the most chewed up screws.

I did explain my method once but some knob got arsy and deleted all my posts

like to know your method.

[Coyote]

Going back to the beginning, is there really a stop leak for oil? Never heard of it Water yes, air yes, but oil??
I'm not a big fan of gasket sealers. They are fine till you have to open it up again. Getting the old sealer and cemented on gasket material off is a major PITA.
Some might want to try my method if you're worried about a good seal first time. This is only for paper gaskets. I get a sheet of food wrap and lay it on a flat surface. Lay the gasket on the wrap and smother it in oil. Wait at least 24 hours. The longer the better, This makes the gasket swell slightly and makes the gasket surfaces soft. Then use it as normal. The softer gasket faces will squeeze into even the slightest imperfections and the whole gasket will compress better. And if I have to take it apart in the future, there's none of that crap to deal with.
That leads me to another story. I once rebuilt a Ducati 250 thumper. The cases on this motor are split vertically. I had a hell of a time getting the halves to seal Tried twice and it still leaked. Then and old timer says "I can tell you how to fix that". Okay, sow now I'm all ears. He told me to (take apart again). Lightly grease both surfaces.Get a length of silk thread and lay it on the half - all the way around. Any overlap should be at the top. Well I took it apart. I didn't have any silk thread so I used regular sewing machine thread. It worked! Never leaked another drop!

[stevebee]

http://www.wynnoil.co.uk/products-wynns ... p-leak.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
wynns have been around for many years. it worked on a old ford laser i had but it was not of much value.in my honest opinion if it was any of my bikes a new gasket or seal

[titan performance]

I must say that from your description of the leak, I am still confused as to where it actually is? As we are now talking gaskets, it must be the clutch cover I guess.....as Pete said, only the gear change shaft exits that side. If the clutch housing is the issue, then gaskets are not expensive.....oil stop leak products are designed to soften rubber seals, I don't think it will help cure a break in a paper gasket. Also, you need to consider what effect the product might have on your clutch's performance.

[jabcb]

Did you fix the leak?