Oil leak : 2017 Cal Touring 11K+ miles

[chimmu]

folks, I noticed an oil leak recently and this is the first time I have seen this. I bought the bike new and have had it for 5+ yrs and it has about 113xx miles on it. I noticed a few drops of oil on the floor and then checked under the sump and I saw oil on the bottom and around the oil filter. I thought the oil filter seal might have gone bad or it got lose but no, it was not really lose enough to turn it by hand.

Please take a look at the pictures and let me know if you have noticed this before. I don't ride this bike often as I ride others on a regular basis. This is the first time I have noticed this issue. I have not dropped it or collided with anything which may have caused this. I see oil leakage around 3 of the screws, there maybe others and I have not looked at all of them. I went ahead and did an oil change and I drained almost 3.5 - 4 quarts. I'm yet to ride it again.

Please let me know your thoughts and I plan to visit a dealership soon (San Jose, CA). Thanks!

 

[Kevin.NZ]

I would give the area a though clean using solvents and then inspect it closely after every ride. Oil has the "property" to seep, spread and blow all over the place making it difficult to pin point the source of the leak. Are the sump bolts tight?

 

[scott_m]

I have seen this type of weeping many times before.

Oil is working its way past the gasket of the sump and it follows the hole for the threaded bolt.

A dealership will want to replace the entire sump gasket. Yes, this is a A1 perfect repair job, but honestly, it’s an overkill of what will actually do the trick.

A simple, cheap, and effective solution is to (ONE BOLT AT A TIME - START TO FINISH) simply remove the offending weeping bolt, use rubbing alcohol on q-tips to wipe out any current oil within the hole. Completely clean the bolt free of oil and debris. Use some high-temp RTV sealant, just a good dab, on the threads of the bolt, and reinsert the bolt and tighten up normally. The RTV will harden but remain pliable, it will also be invisible as it will all be on the inside of the threaded hole, but it will completely seal the threads up so there will no longer be oil weeping there anymore. The bolt can easily be removed at a later date as RTV will not bind it up like Loctite.

Also, use rubbing alcohol on a good clean rag, and use your fingers to fully clean that entire sealing surface at the oil filter mounting location. There is a great deal of debris on the outer edge.

When it is impeccably clean, replace the oil filter on the mounting location being sure to put a dab of fresh oil on your finger and wipe it around the sealing edge of the rubber oil filter gasket. You do this so the gasket slides as you snug up the oil filter, to prevent pinching, binding, or curling which also causes oil leaks.

Do not overtighten oil filters and NEVER add more torque onto sump bolts in an attempt to stop leaks. You will only end up tearing out the aluminum threads in the engine with the steel bolts.

Good Luck. This is an easy fix.

 

[chimmu]

I would give the area a though clean using solvents and then inspect it closely after every ride. Oil has the "property" to seep, spread and blow all over the place making it difficult to pin point the source of the leak. Are the sump bolts tight?

Yes...sump bolts.. will do.

 

[chimmu]

I have seen this type of weeping many times before.

Oil is working its way past the gasket of the sump and it follows the hole for the threaded bolt.

A dealership will want to replace the entire sump gasket. Yes, this is a A1 perfect repair job, but honestly, it’s an overkill of what will actually do the trick.

A simple, cheap, and effective solution is to (ONE BOLT AT A TIME - START TO FINISH) simply remove the offending weeping bolt, use rubbing alcohol on q-tips to wipe out any current oil within the hole. Completely clean the bolt free of oil and debris. Use some high-temp RTV sealant, just a good dab, on the threads of the bolt, and reinsert the bolt and tighten up normally. The RTV will harden but remain pliable, it will also be invisible as it will all be on the inside of the threaded hole, but it will completely seal the threads up so there will no longer be oil weeping there anymore. The bolt can easily be removed at a later date as RTV will not bind it up like Loctite.

Also, use rubbing alcohol on a good clean rag, and use your fingers to fully clean that entire sealing surface at the oil filter mounting location. There is a great deal of debris on the outer edge.

When it is impeccably clean, replace the oil filter on the mounting location being sure to put a dab of fresh oil on your finger and wipe it around the sealing edge of the rubber oil filter gasket. You do this so the gasket slides as you snug up the oil filter, to prevent pinching, binding, or curling which also causes oil leaks.

Do not overtighten oil filters and NEVER add more torque onto sump bolts in an attempt to stop leaks. You will only end up tearing out the aluminum threads in the engine with the steel bolts.

Good Luck. This is an easy fix.

Scott, thank you very much for your detailed response! I will try it all of this with patience. I love this bike and want to keep it as long as I can. Just not my daily commuter when I'm lane splitting about 40mi a day in traffic.

 

[chimmu]

I have seen this type of weeping many times before.

Oil is working its way past the gasket of the sump and it follows the hole for the threaded bolt.

A dealership will want to replace the entire sump gasket. Yes, this is a A1 perfect repair job, but honestly, it’s an overkill of what will actually do the trick.

A simple, cheap, and effective solution is to (ONE BOLT AT A TIME - START TO FINISH) simply remove the offending weeping bolt, use rubbing alcohol on q-tips to wipe out any current oil within the hole. Completely clean the bolt free of oil and debris. Use some high-temp RTV sealant, just a good dab, on the threads of the bolt, and reinsert the bolt and tighten up normally. The RTV will harden but remain pliable, it will also be invisible as it will all be on the inside of the threaded hole, but it will completely seal the threads up so there will no longer be oil weeping there anymore. The bolt can easily be removed at a later date as RTV will not bind it up like Loctite.

Also, use rubbing alcohol on a good clean rag, and use your fingers to fully clean that entire sealing surface at the oil filter mounting location. There is a great deal of debris on the outer edge.

When it is impeccably clean, replace the oil filter on the mounting location being sure to put a dab of fresh oil on your finger and wipe it around the sealing edge of the rubber oil filter gasket. You do this so the gasket slides as you snug up the oil filter, to prevent pinching, binding, or curling which also causes oil leaks.

Do not overtighten oil filters and NEVER add more torque onto sump bolts in an attempt to stop leaks. You will only end up tearing out the aluminum threads in the engine with the steel bolts.

Good Luck. This is an easy fix.

Scott, I discovered 2 more weeping bolts on the left side. I'll make time to do what you have suggested. Thanks again.

 

[chimmu]

I would give the area a though clean using solvents and then inspect it closely after every ride. Oil has the "property" to seep, spread and blow all over the place making it difficult to pin point the source of the leak. Are the sump bolts tight?

Kevin, I overlooked your question.. I have not checked the bolts... will do.

 

[Kevin.NZ]

Kevin, I overlooked your question.. I have not checked the bolts... will do.

don't over tighten, use the correct torque. As Scott says you can remove the offending bolts and put some non hardening sealer on them.