Dr Gil Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I went out to get on the '02 Le Mans this morning and found fluid all over underfairing splash plate. I had taken the bike out yesterday and ridden it for 150 miles or so and noticed nothing then. I think this fluid appeared overnight. I have replaced the steering damper recently so that's probably not where it's coming from. Excuse the blurry photo but my camera won't handle this close of work...it's taken from inside the fairing and of the lower triple tree. That's the steering damper on the lower right. So what's happening here? I think I know that we have oil in our frames coming from the bottom pan but then where it goes I've no idea. Is this engine oil that has found its way up through frame and then is running through my steering head and down onto my forkbase? My oil level is fine but it kinda looks like oil and I know a little bit of leaked oil can look worse than it is. Has anyone got any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard100t Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Motor oil & fork oil look pretty similar so I dont think you'll be able to tell by the look of it. Theres been others here with the same problem that can walk you through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ratchethack Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Gil, weren't you bleeding brakes the other day? Didn't you say something about dripping brake fluid around? Could it be spilled & dripping brake fluid from your front brake reservior running down the brake line &/or wiring? With the bike on side-stand, gravity would tend to make this one potential source. If so, best do y'er best to thoroughly & carefully clean it all off ASAP, lest it have time enough to zip right thru y'er paint! (Oh yes it will!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy york Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 There is the possibility that that engine oil is leaking from the large banjo fitting at the top of the frame ( top left ) hidden by the gas tank.... when I had that situation my steering damper had blown its seal. I think you need to pull the tank or at least the plastic cover right there at the headstock and dig a little deeper as we say... let us know what happens. andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 Rachet...No, I don't believe it's brake fluid. All is dry around the brake lines and fittings...but your thought did send me scurrying out to the gargage to "de-grease" everything Andy...I will pull the tank tomorrow. It's just too tight a space to really see what's happening and fluids will "creep around." But since this mess seems to have developed overnight (I'll know better when I check it tomorrow) and there were no other forces involved like wind or the motion of the bike then gravity had to have been the only force determining where the fluid ran...if that's the case then wouldn't the fluid have had to climb uphill on the frame to run to where I found it? Or am I picturing the height of things wrong in my head? Believe me...I will most certainly keep everyone posted! Once again I feel I'm over my head. It's as if the Guzzi-gods want me to get intimately familiar with every aspect of the bike. Now I'm up in the front end, a place I swore I'd never go. If my theory is right then I'll probably be disassemblying my clutch and tranny next (knock wood) I think they are the only things I haven't taken apart yet...sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormsedge Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Gil, the fitting Andy described leaked a bit on mine as well, only I noticed the oil residue on the wiring harness under the tank first, while poking around at something else. Simple fix to tighten a bit when you get tank up. k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txrider Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Gil, has the front end been removed and steering stem bearings repacked? Some greases weep oil as they age and leave oil residue. That location looks close to the lower stem bearing. It's a long shot but worth considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 Gil, has the front end been removed and steering stem bearings repacked? Some greases weep oil as they age and leave oil residue. That location looks close to the lower stem bearing. It's a long shot but worth considering. 79713[/snapback] txrider, I'm not sure I understand. The front end has not been removed and the steering stem bearing has not been repacked. Does this free me up from worry about it weeping? As best I can suss at this juncture the first place I can spot the leak is VERY close to the lower stem bearing. I'll know more tomorrow when I remove the tank...I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 My thoughts were with txrider's, but if you haven't repacked the head bearings, don't worry about them. First off- smell it. Seriously. Different oils smell differently, and they have different 'slickness'. You might get a clue on it from that. Secondly, clean it off and keep an eye on it- you might be able to backtrack it to the source (the big banjo is sounding pretty good to me now). Oh- on that banjo fitting- check to see that the vent tube is still attached. One time, when I removed my starter, I managed to pinch the vent tube and then I subsequently blew it off at the top fitting. I didn't blow oil, but I could see it happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Jaap Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Wild guess: a blown up Bitubo steering damper? They are notorious bad quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 Wild guess: a blown up Bitubo steering damper? They are notorious bad quality 79757[/snapback] Nope I'm afraid not Jaap. I replaced my Bitubo with a Hyper Pro just a couple of weeks ago and I checked it over pretty carefully for leakage when I spotted this "fluid"...nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ratchethack Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Nope I'm afraid not Jaap. I replaced my Bitubo with a Hyper Pro just a couple of weeks ago and I checked it over pretty carefully for leakage when I spotted this "fluid"...nothing. 79767[/snapback] Say Gil! You've had some pretty good advice on this. IMHO, unless you've had August temp's there in the Pac NW part of our fair state this February, it ain't too likely that steering-head bearing grease will be likely to melt out. From personal experience, when the oil return banjo seeps, the oil goes in the opposite direction down the spine and/or oil return line. This one's a bit of a stumper. Now a good tracker will not only give the spoor of his quarry a good smell, as Jason suggested, but to determine how long it's been on the ground and therefore how far away it might be, he'll give it a good roll around on his tongue. This'll also tell him where his quarry last grazed, and what was for breakfast the day before. Just a thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txrider Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 txrider, I'm not sure I understand. The front end has not been removed and the steering stem bearing has not been repacked. Does this free me up from worry about it weeping? As best I can suss at this juncture the first place I can spot the leak is VERY close to the lower stem bearing. I'll know more tomorrow when I remove the tank...I hope. 79715[/snapback] Sometimes greases, particularly old, aged examples will show separation of the carrier/soap from oil contained and this will show as oily residue near the greased joint. Less expensive cheaper grades do this as they age and are affected by use environments. As I said that was a long shot guess due to the amount of oily residue but the location seemed to indicate something like that could be happening. Whatever it is let us know. Those oily spots can be tough to trace back to a source. Just ask the guys who are arguing about cause of oil residue in a troublesome alternator connector over at apriliaforum in the Futura section. It keeps reappearing but no one can quiet figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 Well I pulled off the fuel tank just now and poked around a bit tracking the "fluid flow." I think Andy nailed the problem with the culprit being that large banjo bolt on top of the frame. I snugged it up about 1/2 turn. The what I now know was oil (no, I didn't taste it) was seeping out of it and down that plastic cover that covers the frame up there and then running down the lower forkbrace and onto the underfairing splash plate. I hope the "snugging up" fixes the problem but even if it doesn't I know where it's coming from and can replace either the bolt, the washer or both. I'm going to take it out for a test ride now and see if anything develops. Thanks to all who contributed...I hope this is the last you hear of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ratchethack Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Good on ye, Gil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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