Oil Leak, Primary Side.

[duTch]

Hiya Johnny- if you do need to change the chaincase seal, it's not much more to do the gearbox seal also. .... Just need to pull the inner cover.
    Only thing is you'll need a special nut undoer...!

[muskrat]

G'day Johnny.
Bike looks good to me. The only thing I'd change is the front guard.
Once you've got the correct level in there (preferably ATF). Take her for a good ride (30-40 miles) and have a look.
Another thought is that there was a bad batch of clutch sleeve collars getting about with the scroll in the wrong direction. Instead of throwing oil back in it would throw it out .
Others here have modified the sliding plate to take a proper seal and removed the scroll.
http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=5117.msg35077#msg35077
http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=3685.msg26381#msg26381
Cheers

[Johnny J]

The method you used

filled it up to the lower screw level on the primary outer cover

was the method used before the level plug system was incorporated

OK, I guess I over filled it by 1.4L!
That would propably make the tightest primary leak...

Will get some non-freezing days later this week, I'll go out for another drive and see if the oil pours out when I have the correct level. I guess it will but it's worth a try.
The previous owner had a theory that since the bike had not been driven for a long time, the gaskets had dried out and needed to be wet again to stop leaking, I doubt this though, I propably have to change the parts.

[duTch]

 Might be ok but you may need to wash some oil off the plates...Could make it be a bit slippy/draggy. ... Maybe

[Johnny J]

The weather has been quite nice lately so I've been out riding a few times, love it!

I know the subject has been up countless times, but I still get leaks from the primary after a ride, not so much now, but still.
I have put a reverse scroll on that was missing and changed the sliding plate, replaced the felt washer with a rubber type one, put ATF in only enough to touch the chain.

What else can you do without major rebuilds?
Or just live with it?

[duTch]

 Mine doesn't seem to leave it's mark when I'm out trekkin' and stop for a while sometimes an hour or some..but back at camp it likes to *** on home turf..so I put a drip tray(paint tray) under- when I remember.
 I guess you could say that for the moment I'm pretending I've got used to it...!!!
 Still working on it too.

[nimrod650]

you know what they say about british bikes they leak oil before you put it in just joking i had to replace felt disk on my rocket  no more problems after 3 yrs

[RichardL]

I try not to start a new topic when an old one will do.

This morning, I decided it was time to stop the oil leaking from my primary cover. I'm fairly sure it was getting past the cheap paper gasket and sealer and probably not (so much) past the fill-level and drain screws. Nevertheless, I would like to fit sealing washers under those screws. Not finding fiber at my most convenient hardware store I opted for nylon. Of course, no off-the-shelf washer would have the necessary small OD with the 1/4" ID. After grinding one to what I thought would be the right OD, when I went to fit it, I noticed that those recesses appear to have two different counterbore diameters. The larger being that of all the other  screw recesses in the cover and the smaller just clearing the socket head and creating a shoulder in the screw recess. There is no way I could create a washer with a small enough cross-section to fit the smaller counterbore (at least it looks like a counterbore). Does anyone know if the original level and drain screws had custom heads that sealed somehow with this extra shoulder in the screw recess?

Richard L.

[RichardL]

A picture is worth...etc.

[duTch]

  Can't really tell from the photo, but am thinking maybe it's distorted from zealous tightening in the past, and worn to the size of the screw head...? As far as I can tell there's only two sizes the larger (by my measuring) @ 25/64" and the main bore @17/64" or maybe 9/32", don't have that size......I may be wrong

 As it happens, I only know that because was playing with a spare cover yesterday, to rectify the same issue, it seems mine leaks mainly from the drain screw, and some from the chain adjuster screw (Plunger model)...I've done what you did- but with a fibre washer, they are very tricky to grind, and still doesn't work
 My next trick, is to countersink the main bore with the 25/64 bit and leave a thin shoulder for the socket cap screw, and add in a 1mm section 6mm 'O' ring. 
 
 

[RichardL]

Dutch,

I thought the shoulder was rather obvious in the expanded photo and very clear if you can zoom in further, but, no mind. The idea about zealous tightening did occur to me, but I would expect it on more holes. Also, i don't think it would run so deep.

What I am going to try is to grind an o-ring groove into the circumference of the socket head and have the o-ring seal against the wall of the shoulder.

Richard L.

[duTch]

 Ok had a better look, as per doctored photo...and,

 

grind an o-ring groove into the circumference of the socket head and have the o-ring seal against the wall of the shoulder.

 I might have thought of that but discounted it because of laziness, or forgot....or having measured the socket cap decided there isn't really a lot of material(~1mm) if the groove is at the landing end, but now you remind me I did buy some 8mmx1mm 'O' rings to do it, but think I'll do a groove towards the top and the countersink as well....you got me going now
 
 

[RichardL]

In the photo, the first ID step-down looks like a copper-colored band about 4mm high. Of course, it's not copper. Oh, and I say "grind an o-ring groove" because I don't own a lathe, but I do own a Dremel grinder and a vise to hold it in.

Richard L.

[duTch]

 

a Dremel grinder and a vise to hold it in.

 Forget the vise, put it in a drill, so it spins opposite to the dremel- works heaps good(very well!)... I acknowledge that tip to a who guy did a custom jobbie in a ragazine, years ago

[bsa-bill]

you don't happen to have an early inner primary case on there do you, the one with the level screw on the third hole, just a thought as those cases had an open top screw hole , if you know what I mean