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Posted by chief
 - November 11, 2012, 19:06:49 PM

Leather dye would like handle that problem...

Posted by 49Reo
 - November 11, 2012, 18:38:24 PM

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! :o

Regards and such,
49Reo

Posted by Troll
 - November 10, 2012, 08:28:12 AM

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.

Posted by 45 Bravo
 - November 09, 2012, 19:32:10 PM

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

Posted by ChilliDrift
 - November 09, 2012, 10:55:25 AM

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.

Posted by rawv
 - November 09, 2012, 08:53:19 AM

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 .

Posted by Troll
 - November 07, 2012, 14:20:17 PM

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

Posted by rawv
 - November 07, 2012, 13:14:02 PM

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 .

Posted by ChilliDrift
 - October 30, 2012, 09:12:21 AM

I believe that, lots of disinformation out there in the oil world. After checking my plugs in the top of the cylinders I can see where they were sealed with high temp sealant before from the factory. the bike is in the garage and will likely be there for awhile.  Ive got some work ahead of me to get done on the Drifter. With Christmas comming up, tires and parts will likely have to wait for awhile.

Posted by chief
 - October 29, 2012, 16:28:34 PM

Greenbarn... that was a anti-synthetic charge made back in the early days of synthetic... its simply not true.

Here's some info you might find interesting...
http://www.texlube.com/oilmyths.htm
Posted by greenbarn
 - October 28, 2012, 20:14:10 PM

I'm not sure I buy the "synthetic oil leaks more" idea.  Has anybody else heard that?

I did some research on synthetics a couple years ago, and found nothing to make me think it should want to leak more then regular oil.  I use synthetic on my bike and all my small engines.  I'm not a "synthetic nut" though - most of my other stuff still gets regular oil.

Posted by chief
 - October 20, 2012, 12:53:32 PM

The SEARCH on here... way up at the top right... works pretty good. Give that a shot when you want to know something... may be its already been answered.

Posted by ChilliDrift
 - October 20, 2012, 10:29:18 AM

Thanks 45 Bravo.
I don't know how I missed your reply post. After typing the stuff below I realized that you gave me the fix. Probably a few too many shots of Bushmills that night and I mistakenly marked it read without getting it read. Thanks for your help.

Its only took me several months to realize I should look at the 1500 threads from when the website started. As Chief,Troll and the other guru's here have to re-answer questions. And since we all experience similar issues I looked and found another owner experiencing the same prob. And the fix is much easier than I expected. Compared to pulling the engine and replacing the head gaskets. I will try and remember I know nothing about what I'm doing in this dept. I shouldn't try and diagnose my or any other bikes issues in the engine dept. The answers are on this site. I just need to take the time to search them out. Again I thank you who help all of us keep our bikes on the road. And more money in our wallets.
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/plugrepair.html

Posted by 45 Bravo
 - October 16, 2012, 15:00:25 PM

Chili, I just did the plug repair on my 99 1500 last month, it took less than an hour, and has been holding fine, the hardest part is getting it clean, and getting the gasket material in looking smooth.

Without doing the heads.

I am sure Chief will post the link if we ask him nicely.

HERE IT IS:   http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/plugrepair.html  But you can always find it yourself over on the accessories/mods/tips area of the web site!!<g>

Things needed for cleaning, Brake cleaner, paper towels, and curved hemostats.
spray the cleaner on the paper towel, not directly on the bike.

To apply the gasket sealant smoothly, I used a artist pallet knife (#4 in this photo)
it is the right shape, and offset at a good angle to get the silicone into the unseen places smoothly/evenly.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/piece-oil-painting-pallet-knife/dp/B004TRSUAW

45 Bravo

Posted by ChilliDrift
 - October 16, 2012, 13:26:24 PM

Thanks Roe. I will look into that.

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