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Message started by danibugg on 10/31/09 at 22:03:58

Title: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 10/31/09 at 22:03:58

So, I did the cam chain check, put on the modified tensioner with no problems, put the whole bike back together, added some oil and turned the bike on. Instant oil leak (dripping) from the bottom of the clutch cover. The gasket is brand new, both surfaces were clean, and I assume b/c all the bolts went in with no problems that it was straight. Is there some trick to getting the gasket to seal properly?

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by verslagen1 on 10/31/09 at 22:12:28

where's it leaking?
did you put the sealing washers in the right places?
Oil filter o-ring didn't slip out on you?

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 10/31/09 at 22:14:43

It was leaking around the clutch cover. Drips centered on the centermost bolt, underside of cover.

I don't think oil filter o-ring, b/c there was no oil around the filter cover.

I drew myself a picture with labels for the long bolts and the ones with washers, so I'm sure that they're in the correct positions.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by verslagen1 on 10/31/09 at 22:31:39

I don't know what to tell you dani. I've never had a problem when using a gasket.

When you cleaned the gasket surfaces, did you remove the locating pins?
Cleaned it all around with no klingons lerking about?
Didn't scratch the surface anywhere?

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 10/31/09 at 22:39:37

No scratches, I got all the old gasket bits off with my fingernails (advantages to being a girl :)), would never take a screwdriver or anything to a surface like that.

I guess I'll put the whole thing together again tomorrow and see what happens. I was just hoping there was some trick, maybe some sealer I didn't know about that was standard to use, that would fix all my problems.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/01/09 at 06:32:25

Did you get the rubberized washers back in the right places? Is the oil leaking around the bolt or in the crack of the case/cover?

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 11/01/09 at 07:28:04

In the crack, I think.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 11/01/09 at 07:53:35

Wipe everything down with parts cleaner, then squirt some baby powder around the suspect area. The powder should make it easier to see exactly where the leak is.

Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by BurnPgh on 11/01/09 at 14:30:24

you sure you got all the bolts torqued down? It doesnt take a whole lot but if you were being extra cautious they may be a bit looser than they should. I dont know that it would matter but i always put a thin layer of oil on both sides of a new gasket with my finger before installing it. Maybe got a peice of grit on the gaskets before you installed it and didnt notice? How extensive is teh leak? Weeping? dripping? A drop an hour? drop a minute?

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 11/01/09 at 17:57:34

Haha if anything I over-torqued the bolts. I took it all apart, put a bunch of gasket maker around the gasket, and put it back together. No leaks so far, so hopefully that's good. It sounds different though :-/ maybe I put the muffler back on wrong.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/01/09 at 19:29:35

Gotta be cool w/ that gasket stuff. There are oil passages that have to stay open.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by Oldfeller on 11/02/09 at 06:50:41

A compression gasket requires an even application of a known torque value range to work correctly. Over torque crushes and ruins the gasket and warps the cover. Undertorque is just less clamping force but it does not damage the gasket nor warp the cover.

Long time ago I bought me a little quarter inch drive "inch pound" torque wrench for compression gasket use.

Default values for me if there are no known torque values for the involved gasket screws/bolts is 80-100 inch pounds with stress being put on a multi-level cross pattern pull up and consistency on final torque. This I got from oil pans on car engines -- the touchiest compression gaskets in the world for leaking over time.

I think our side cover gaskets DO have a spec at 6.5 - 9.5 foot pounds (given for 6mm crankcase fasteners) which translates to 78 to 114 inch pounds. Them, I'd shoot for 100 inch pounds on the nose with a good 3 level repeat cross pattern with first level at 50, second at 80 and last round at 100 inch pounds. This ought to do her jest fine.

Gasket torque wrenches cost $30 to $50 most places as they are somewhat "specialty tools" and are not big volume items by anybody's guesstimation. Shame that, every bike mechanic really needs one.

========== Ta Da !!! ========== Jedi science comes up with an answer !!

Now, for the ~~cheap bastards~~ budget minded amongst us Harbor Freight has the no-brainer 6 newton/meter (or 72 inch pound) install a gasket tool for your Savage engine for a whopping $3.97 price tag. Can't get more reasonable than this.

Yoda approved as it hits right close at the bottom end of the Suzuki/Clymer recommended gasket installation torque values
(less a half a newton/meter off and the other torque wrenches don't even graduate that fine).
That's six inch pounds shy (alias one ~~LRCH~~ LPH) to you English speakers.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66269

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/66200-66299/66269.gif

Go for it! Your ~~red head~~ person will never even miss it!

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by serenity3743 on 11/02/09 at 10:20:41

DaniBugg, is it possible that, the first time you put it all back together, the clutch cable connector on the engine case clutch lever was pointed straight out and kept the cover from torquing down all the way? This would cause a leak at the bottom, not necessarily in the center though.

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 11/02/09 at 20:40:31

6C7A6D7A71766B662C282B2C1F0 wrote:

Anythings possible. Leak stopped when I put it together the 2nd time though, which now gives me time to deal with whatever calamity arises next ;D

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by danibugg on 11/02/09 at 20:42:52

0A2921232029292037450 wrote:

Your red head will never even miss it!

What if I'm a brunette?? ::)

Title: Re: Leaking clutch cover gasket
Post by Oldfeller on 11/03/09 at 03:42:47

Ah, the old mechanics axiom does not apply to blonds or brunettes
(nor to you since it was coined in the early 1940's).

Also, in this age of "correctness" it is possibly offensive to red heads -- I believe "person" is the current political correctness. I will go fix that right away.

Sorry for the old outdated humorous saying. It is apparently no longer in use. I do tend to date myself occasionally, but I am a child of my generation (both good and bad as that may be).

My apologies, mia culpa on that old funny mechanics saying.

But it is good to see you have a sense of humor

(some don't, you know)

http://www.acronymfinder.com/Land-Rover-Club-Holland-%28The-Netherlands%29-%28LRCH%29.html