XL350 Oil Leak

[Craizeehair]

I’m currently looking at an XL350, it has a slight oil leak coming from where the rubber bung is on the left side case. Is this something that anyone has experienced and could advise what it could be? The clutch pushrod seems as though it could be the culprit but I’m hoping to get some first hand experience and advice if possible?

[Bryanj]

Never done one but seal is possible, also gasket to crankcase

[Craizeehair]

Thanks Bryan,

When you say seal, do you mean any specific one, I’m guessing worst case, split the cases and replace all seals and gaskets to cover all bases?

[Bryanj]

Looking at the circular cover and gasket i suspect there is oil around the generator so there will be a gasket between that inner casing and the crankcase, i would think those cases are vertically split and seals replaceable without strip down

[Bryanj]

There are different xl350 and al cms list are usa models and some split horizontaly, couple of screen shots showing pushrod seal at end of transmission shaft and lh case with gasket

[Skoti]

I've never worked on the XL350 models, but often on the XL250 version.
That 'O' ring between the clutch operating arm and casing looks wrong, I think somebody has messed with this before.

Should be a small 'O' ring that fits on the shaft in a groove out of sight and of course a small oil seal at the other end.

Looks an interesting project.

Good luck.

[Craizeehair]

Thanks all, seems that it has had some work recently, I’m not familiar with these at all but it has had a small job to rebush the clutch actuating lever, not an uncommon thing on these apparently but I don’t know, I wonder if reassembly could be the problem.

[Craizeehair]

I've never worked on the XL350 models, but often on the XL250 version.
That 'O' ring between the clutch operating arm and casing looks wrong, I think somebody has messed with this before.

Should be a small 'O' ring that fits on the shaft in a groove out of sight and of course a small oil seal at the other end.

Looks an interesting project.

Good luck.

Looking at the parts diagram you are correct, I can’t see any o ring there

[Bryanj]

Two possible reasons i can think of for that O ring

1 attemping to cure the oil leak

2 spacing the operating part upwards for some reason

[Craizeehair]

I think you’re right about trying to cure the leak Bryan, I’m just trying to figure out if sorting the oil leak is gong to be too much to warrant the purchase. There doesn’t seem to be much info out there about these?

[Skoti]

Could be the clutch push rod oil seal, easy fix and costs about a fiver.

https://www.cmsnl.com/products/oil-seal-8x34x8_91203292005/

[Craizeehair]

Thanks for that, I did read that could be a possibility but would be a splitting the engine job, sounds as though that’s not the case hopefully?

[Skoti]

If I remember correctly (from working on 2 valve XL250's) all you have to do is remove the front sprocket cover and alternator casing to get access to the clutch push rod oil seal.

 

[Craizeehair]

Thank you

[Bryanj]

Its a rare enough and fun bike that the oil leak would not stop me, worst i can think of is finding the parts, maybe pushrod, seal, gaskets and maybe some of the operating mechanism