top of cylinder oil leak

[LadyDrifter]

Guess I'll have to keep it away from the local penguins! 

[49Reo]

I DID know that!! Asking if supper is ready when the smoke alarm goes off causes the lights to go out too!! Did you know THAT?

[greenbarn]

...carrying black spots in to the house on the seat of my pants to depsit on the wifes furniture......tends to cause pain......

Similarly, did you know walking across the kitchen floor with muddy boots can cause severe pain in the back of the head???

[49Reo]

Good to know; didn't want to use dye on it and end up carrying black spots in to the house on the seat of my pants to depsit on the wifes furniture......tends to cause pain......

Thanks for the quick reply.....

[John Hopkins]

Will it work on the vinyl?

Regards and such,
49Reo

Sorry for the late reply..yes leather dye works fine on vinyl..in fact over here we have very few real leather seats because they absorb rainwater and after a day in the rain you end up with a very soggy seat..If you think leather is waterproof just look at your fingers after soaking in a hot bath for a while.

John.

[ChilliDrift]

my mechanic told me to carry a napkin ! the engine has to be removed to repair valve cover leaks !

Good news for you then. There is a link in this thread with directions on how's to fix it for 10 bucks. Congrats! Look how much money this site just saved you!  Its a great thing. These bikes are pretty damn durable and they most all share common problems. Your in the right place.

LOL @ Chief. Speak of the Devil. 

[chief]

my mechanic told me to carry a napkin ! the engine has to be removed to repair valve cover leaks !

Harley mechanic?

[dvdnsndy@yahoo.com]

my mechanic told me to carry a napkin ! the engine has to be removed to repair valve cover leaks !

[koolray]

Great info on this leak i have the samething going on with mine as well left leg side up front and right leg side in back thanks for info concerning this leak or misting of oil.

[49Reo]

And send a lot of them home......

[aralph]

Everything causes cancer in California, maybe they should annex that state and move everybody out....

[DC]

Pure Feldercarb.  We used to take baths in it when we were kids.      

[Troll]

Doesn't carbon tet cause cancer in california rats and birth defects in penguins that drink it?

[DC]

What about some old carbon-tetra-chloride for cleaning the area?

[David Baker]

I'm truly amazed at the wealth of knowledge this site has to offer. Recently I noticed the same symptom that Chilli described, My first thought was that it was a gasket under the head cover and was dreading the thought of having to tear the bike down. I also had recently switched to a synthetic blend and soon after I started to notice the seepage. It also seemed that the bike ran on the sluggish side. The last time she was due I drained it completely (even replaced the oil screen/spring)  New Oil filter, Went back to SAE 10w-40 oil.
Bike seems to be back to the responsiveness it had when I bought it, Still have the seepage, I keep an eye on it and clean it periodically. Now that I have my new found knowledge from this glorious site (Kudos to all who make it possible) I know what I'll be doing soon as my riding time goes into hibernation mode. Thanks again! BTW... You'd have to stand in line in a Harley Shop for this kind of info! LQTM

[ChilliDrift]

Permanent marker might work.

[49Reo]

Will it work on the vinyl?

Regards and such,
49Reo

[chief]

Leather dye would like handle that problem...

[49Reo]

One thing about brake-cleaner; I got a few minute droplets on my stock solo seat, and now have little white spots on my pretty black seat; so be careful; spray it on a rag, AWAY from the bike; trust me, they DO NOT look good with little white spots on them!

Regards and such,
49Reo

[Troll]

The sealer only works if the parts are CLEAN! 45 Bravo is correct about the brake cleaner...it's a dandy thing to have around, anyway.  About $2 at Wal-Mart, it not only cleans away oil and LEAVES NO RESIDUE, but it will clean oil spots and crap off clothing. It's basically the same stuff dry cleaners use. Carb cleaner is NOT the same, and will leave a deposit behind that will impede the sealer. I have no idea how many intake manifolds I resealed because G.M. changed the after machining process cleaner they used back in the early 90's and the silicone seal  wouldn't stick to the not quite clean surface. I remember doing 3 in one day, each one paying about 3.8 hours....warranty flat rate. I could hardly stand up after that.

[45 Bravo]

Using brake cleaner and cleaning it REAL WELL, is the key.

Mine is still holding (knock on wood).
And yes, very little silicone is needed..

That is a very inventive, and unique approach to the problem..

45 Bravo

[ChilliDrift]

Getting it clean prior to putting high temp sealant on is the trick.  I actually took mine to the car wash first. Came right home, let it cool and cleaned with Qtip swabs and alcohol till it was clean. Needed very small amount of sealant actually, just covering the plug seam and let it dry for a couple of days.  I used a little plastic painter spatula per 45 Bravos advice. It worked well and seems to be holding fine.  I did put the bike up on the jack to get it up high enough to make it easier.

[rawv]

Hey Troll ...I tried that fix and it still leaks a bit I've got so much silicone up there that I probably won't be able to get the cover off when its time to fix it .

[Troll]

Yeah, left front, right rear...cam bore plugs. There is a link on here somewhere somewhere about sealing them up without major surgery..

[rawv]

I got creative and came up with a very easy fix to this oil leak problem until I decide to pull the motor...First take an old black biker T- shirt and cut up several pcs. 10 x 2 then roll them up tight like a small cigarette ...Once they are rolled up I used alittle glue from a glue gun  to keep it from unrolling and coming apart just enough at the end not much... Mine leaks on the front left and the right rear ...Now take it and push it in tight between the cooling fins with a screwdriver make sure you put it on the fin that is under the plug ...Now when the oil leaks down and back towards the exhaust or the front of the other side it will work as a little oil sponge  .....Make several of these and have them on hand then when they get full of oil you just pull it out and install a new one...Its just a simple fix to keep the oil from leaking out all over the motor ... I used them all summer and it kept the motor clean...Oh and put the glued seam at the top so it can draw up the oil on the bottom fin it won't absorb with the glue on the bottom ...hide it between the fins and it won't be seen by anyone but you .