Oil wont stop leaking!!

[2strokezuke]

Ok i have a 99 rm 125 and won't stop leaking oil from the plastic clutch cover. The last time i rebuilt it it leaked a little oil so i put a pan under it and wasn't to concerned. After a ride or two it stop leaking completely:banana:, i figured the heat caused it to warp and create a better seal to the engine casing. But today i noticed it there was a ton of oil on the side clutch cover:banghead:. I feel like i have tried everything: using liquid gasket, using liquid gasket with the normal gasket, tightening the screws in star pattern, torquing them down a ton( all actually strip most of the bolts before and had my mechanic re-thread everything). Do these clutch covers get warped with time?

im talking about the entire plastic cover, not just the circular clutch cover.

[Tailender]

Try cleaning everything with carb cleaner to remove the oil (lay bike on its side) and use a bead of RTV high temp silicone gasket maker. I've never had a problem with that as long as the surface was clean. Be sure to let it cure before you lift the bike up and get oil on it. Be sure to check the cover for any cracks too. Do not over tighten the screws when you reassemble. That will help "warp" the cover. Also check the surface of the case and cover for any damage.

[2strokezuke]

thanks for the info, do you use the silicone gasket with the regular gasket?

[alex211]

Left or right side of the bike?

[2strokezuke]

right side, if it was coming out the magneto side that would be entirely different problem.

[alex211]

That cover should be magnesium unless it isn't stock. I had a stock one that cracked in that cracked, I tried to epoxy it back but it always leaked out the o-ring groove. So I got a set of covers off eBay for $20 that didn't leak and were powdercoated black.

Edit, I was talking about the circular cover, the big one should be magnesium though. I have never had one leak with a new gasket and proper torquing to 96 inch pounds.

[gscx]

Just get a piece of smooth glass and that will tell you if its warped or not. But i dont really think magnesium will warp, it just shatters. But is there a nick there or something?

[mihylo33]

yeah it should be aluminum or magnesium and have an o-ring gasket.

http://shop.thumpertalk.com/oem.asp?partcategory=87559&manufacturer=5&category=3&year=2000&model=1989

[gscx]

The big side cover does not have a o ring

[mihylo33]

The big side cover does not have a o ring

Thanks, I missed the very last sentence of the post.

With an OEM gasket that shouldn't leak at all. It should also be a cast aluminum cover.

[alex211]

The OEM gaskets work really nice, if you put it on dry and CLEAN and then torque to 96 inch pounds in increments in a diagonal pattern it will not leak.

[2strokezuke]

Well the last couple times I put on the aluminum cover ( using a new gasket) i installed it on a completely dry case ( doing some sort of engine overhaul), smooth the case and aluminum bonding surfaces using some fine grit paper, tightened the screws maybe a half turn past hand tight in the best star pattern i could, and it still leaks. Though this time around it is leaking at the top of the aluminum cover rather than the bottom so I can only tell when im running the bike.

The fact that position of the leak has changed tells me that it is not because of a crack or nick in the casing or aluminum. It almost like the aluminum is never going to make to make a perfect seal, thats why im wonder if things warp after time.

[mihylo33]

Even if it was warped a little bit it should still flex enough to seal. Somethings not right especially if the area of the leak keeps changing. You are torqueing to the specified 96inlbs?

[Tailender]

thanks for the info, do you use the silicone gasket with the regular gasket?

Just the silicone.

Does your engine have a vent hose? Maybe it's blocked and building too much pressure and pushing it out at the weakest point?

[2strokezuke]

Mihylo; No, i don't use a torque wrench, i just tighten them so they are snug. Ill tighten them to the specific torque and see what happens.

Tailender; yes, i have a vent hose but it is on the top end. As far as i know the top and bottom end are sealed off from one another in 2strokes so that shouldn't be the problem.

[gscx]

All engines have a vent hose in the case to keep the atmospereric pressure the same. But it wouldnt be enough to push it past a gasket

[Tailender]

The vent hose connects to the power valve area and that is connected to the tranny part of the motor, which is where your leaking. Double check to make sure it's not blocked or pinched.

All engines have a vent hose in the case to keep the atmospereric pressure the same. But it wouldnt be enough to push it past a gasket

They do, but if the hose is blocked, it would create pressure from the heat and could cause a leak.

[2strokezuke]

oh yea, i forgot that power valves are open to the bottom end. ill check that ....

[gscx]

they shouldnt be open to the bottom end. The linkage arm has a seal that goes around it when it goes into the cylinder.

[2strokezuke]

check out this torque wrench, set at 96inch pounds