SuzukiSavage.com - Small Oil Leak

nrausch

YaBB Newbies

Offline

2003 Savage

Posts: 27
Brooklyn, NY
Gender: male

Small Oil Leak
05/20/13 at 13:31:55

In the last week or so I have noticed a tiny oil leak. Not enough to ever hit the ground, but I want to fix it asap all the same.

- Muffler/ Right side of bike.
- Seems to be at the very top of the head at the rear between the head and the silver plastic cover.

Not that I'm an expert at all but...
My first guess is head gasket, but I wanted to check with the Gurus and see if possibly there is just a bolt in that area that may have come loose.

Likely that I'm dealing with this scenario?
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1327896745/6

Back to top

2003 LS650 Savage.

IP Logged

Dave

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 18092
Camp Springs, Kentucky
Gender: male

Re: Small Oil Leak
Reply #1 - 05/20/13 at 13:48:04

Doesn't sound like a head plug from what you are describing....and we don't have any actual head gasket issues on record. Both of those are several fins below what your are describing (The chome piece is metal, not plastic).

I would suspect that you either have a rubber o-ring leaking on the covers that allow you to check the valve clearance - or one of the bolts that holds the head cover on is leaking. Several of those bolts have rubber sealing washers on them.

Best way for you to find out is take the shiny chrome side cover off the right side.....and see if you cand find the source of the oil.

Back to top

Someday I will be old......But not today!

IP Logged

Digger

Serious Thumper
2005 No Login

Offline

Ya gotta be tough to
ride singles!

Posts: 1604
Colorado Springs, CO
Gender: male

Re: Small Oil Leak
Reply #2 - 05/20/13 at 20:12:17

nrausch wrote on 05/20/13 at 13:31:55:

In the last week or so I have noticed a tiny oil leak. Not enough to ever hit the ground, but I want to fix it asap all the same.

- Muffler/ Right side of bike.
- Seems to be at the very top of the head at the rear between the head and the silver plastic cover.

Not that I'm an expert at all but...
My first guess is head gasket, but I wanted to check with the Gurus and see if possibly there is just a bolt in that area that may have come loose.

Likely that I'm dealing with this scenario?
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1327896745/6

Pics?

Back to top

Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com

IP Logged

Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18092 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Small Oil Leak Reply #3 - 05/21/13 at 05:05:09 And if you do find that one of the bolts in the head cover is leaking.....don't overtighten them. There have been several forum members who have purschased bikes where these bolts have the threads stripped out......and it is very hard to fix. The torque value for these is only about 9 foot pounds.
Back to top	Someday I will be old......But not today! IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Small Oil Leak Reply #4 - 05/21/13 at 05:40:19 Yea, and they strip out at 9.0001.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Cpt.Brad

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 7

Re: Small Oil Leak
Reply #5 - 05/22/13 at 02:28:56

Yea I had what you are describing and it turned out to be a stripped out bolt that the dealership and or previous owner had managed to hide. When I bought the bike it was clean as a whistle. Over time I noticed a very small amount of oil coming from where you are describing. And it would end up all over the frame and battery cover due to wind at highway speeds. But yea apparently they are very easy to strip. But they also can loosen over time and need to be torqued down. Just be careful when doing so.

Back to top

IP Logged

renegade1 Full Member Offline SAVAGE Posts: 212 Abbotsford B.C. Gender:	Re: Small Oil Leak Reply #6 - 05/22/13 at 16:58:11 Does it look something like this?
Back to top	20130517_070739.jpg IP Logged