What do I need to fix my oil leaks?

[Oggers]

I have a few Brit bikes, so I have a wealth of experience on oil leaks! Firstly all mating surfaces should be flat, clean and dint free. Secondly, yes, use a new gasket, and third, a smear of Wellseal does not do any harm. Tighten all bolts to the sequence shown, or failing that, diagonally. Do not overtighten.

[Bryanj]

DO NOT use any gasket compound on any Honda

[Nurse Julie]

DO NOT use any gasket compound on any Honda

+1 with Bryan. One day I will collect up all the red, blue, black and white gunge found in our customers engines that have blocked oilways and restrictor jets causing very, very expensive damage when they tried to rebuild the engine before bringing us to repair. I will make something out of it 😁😁(yes, white, where someone used bathroom sealant on their gasket faces 😭😭😭). It not needed, or necessary on these engines. Just Honda Bond or similar on the crank case mating surfaces as they are machined and have no gasket. Even then, it has to be applied so thinly you can hardly see it.

[Drew400]

Thank you all again.

This forum has always been a refreshing change from the bleating and moaning on other forums that I have since left!

[Bryanj]

Julie has said it right i just got fed up of writing the long version!!!!!

[Oggers]

Wellseal is a jointing compound - a million miles away from silicone based stuff.

[Bryanj]

Might be but bits still flake off and/or go hard

[Drew400]

The inevitable additional question...

Looking at the parts book (see attached photo of oil pump assembly), there are 0-rings numbered 286 & 287 but only one item is shown.

Does that mean both are required or that they're optional or they're model-dependent?

Mine's an early bike (i.e. not an F1 or F2).

Thank you all (again),

D.

[Drew400]

Solution provided via this forum, once again. 

Thank you!

D.

[mattsz]

Solution provided via this forum, once again. 

Thank you!

D.

Does this refer to the recent o-ring question?  If so, care to share with the rest of us?

[Drew400]

Yes indeed. I received a suggestion by PM hence not sharing, sorry.

I was shown a picture of an 'oil pump gaskets set' that had only two of the questioned O-rings therein. The two options shown in the parts catalogue are shown on David Silver's website to be of different sizes, 13.8mm or 15mm. I simply then measured the ones off my bike (15mm).

I'm still unsure as to why there are two sizes, but at least I got the answer I needed to progress.

Cheers,

D.

[mattsz]

Yes indeed. I received a suggestion by PM hence not sharing, sorry.

I was shown a picture of an 'oil pump gaskets set' that had only two of the questioned O-rings therein. The two options shown in the parts catalogue are shown on David Silver's website to be of different sizes, 13.8mm or 15mm. I simply then measured the ones off my bike (15mm).

I'm still unsure as to why there are two sizes, but at least I got the answer I needed to progress.

Cheers,

D.

Thanks!  I was curious about the two item numbers myself...

[SeanFD]

Hondaman on the US site has worked out that modern gaskets are thicker so you need thicker cross section O rings to seal properly.

Bryanj - the copperised ones are the ones I was thinking of. I'll check out Hondaman too.

Did you ask Mark? Did you get a reply you can share with us?

There is a thread on the same site that might be worth looking at - it's "Branden's leak free top end thread"
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,107040.0.html

[Drew400]

Dear expert peeps,

Here's another inevitable follow-up question...

The oil weep clearing job has taken a little longer than expected (what's new?) thanks to one of my exhaust pipes literally falling apart from the collector box. Clearly, it's rotted through from the inside but only became noticeable when disturbed. Hey ho, some miracle welding from a genius welder mate of mine and it'll be ready to go back together next week.

During the intervening period, with no head on the engine, oil is now weeping from the cylinder base gasket area.

Does this mean I now have to remove the block and replace that gasket, or will it seal up again when the head if finally reattached and torqued down?

Ta, D.

[Bryanj]

It would be better to replace the base gasket and O rings now as they will only leak later