2000 XR650L oil leak

[SilverPig]

Thumper Gurus,

I recently purchased a 200o XR650L that had been sitting for years.  I did all the typical restoration (Gas tank clean, fresh fluids/filters, airbox filter, carb rebuild, etc).  The bike runs pretty good, as excepted for a "tank" built XR.  However, the bike leaks oil from left side crankcase only when resting on kick-stand.  When I center-stand the bike (with small bike lift) it doesn't leak at all.  It appears to be coming from a bolt just forward of the kickstand and gear shift area.  I can see small crankcase deformation in the area, probably where previous owner hit a rock, but otherwise integrity of crankcase looks good. 

My question:  Is it possible to remove the bolt in question, glob it with Honda bond and replace?  Seems like a shortcut, vice removing left side cover all together.  The leak is slow, about 50 cent piece on the floor after a few days, but its annoying.  Sorry for not posting pictures, I will do so once I get home.  Just wanted some preliminary thoughts. 

 

Thanks,

SilverPig

[brianhare]

IF........it was just the bolt head not sealing,,then yup silicone would work.....but the bolt holes are surrounded by the gasket and don`t go through to where oil is,,they have a closed bottom. and even if it fell out it shouldn`t leak oil......I would look a lot closer before I silicone that bolt..

 

B

[cooldudesmd]

Do some real good inspecting for sure. As mentioned, all else well, you can pull a bolt or 2 from a cover and it still shouldn't leak.

[ThumpNRed]

I chased an oil leak on mine for a year! I finally figured out that it was a small leak in the head/valve cover seam. It looked like it was leaking everywhere BUT there. 

 

[SilverPig]

You have all given more to think about.  If the bolt isn't a through-hole into the oil reservoir, then I probably need to look elsewhere.  I get the idea that it looks like it can come from anywhere, but I still see seepage from that one bolt.  That doesn't mean it isn't traveling from somewhere else.   I'm still working on pics.  Thanks very much for the input so far.  More to come.

[notoriousE-R-I-C]

A little dye and a black light find that leak in less than a minute.
Autozone

[greggkklee]

Possibly too much oil in air-filter??? It's a possibility....

[notoriousE-R-I-C]

Naw, then itd get pulled into the motor and burned up.
Unless your using motor oil, not a nickel size drop of filter oil