The RustyValkyrie, Part Duh.

[RustyValkry]

I'm contemplating the coming spring.  Thinking I'll put the Valk on the jack and do some of the things that I didn't get to when I resurrected it in Daytona Beach.  I can't put it off any more because of the two pictures below.  It now marks it's territory more than both my 40+ year old Harleys put together.  I'm thinking it's the rocker cover gasket though I haven't even leaned the bike up since I dropped it on it's stand last December for the winter so can't tell exactly where it's getting out.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have a couple pictures of the pond of oil under it but I wasn't able to get them to load.  I'll add them when I remember how to do it.

[RustyValkry]

Well, trying again with the pictures.  I added pictures with smaller file sizes but didn't put any text in and it didn't like that -- SO PICKY!!!

AH, THERE THEY ARE.  One upside down and one sideways, ever inventive software.

The top one was taken in mid December, the second in mid February.  I think I'll name the resulting body of oil, Lake Oleo.  Oh well, I won't have to change oil this spring, just add.

[Chrisj CMA]

Well, trying again with the pictures.  I added pictures with smaller file sizes but didn't put any text in and it didn't like that -- SO PICKY!!!

AH, THERE THEY ARE.  One upside down and one sideways, ever inventive software.

The top one was taken in mid December, the second in mid February.  I think I'll name the resulting body of oil, Lake Oleo.  Oh well, I won't have to change oil this spring, just add.

With such degraded pictures it’s hard to tell because zooming in is so blurry. Could it be just the oil filter not tight?

Post images lets you post pics without shrinking them

[hubcapsc]

No Valkyrie in the history of the universe has ever leaked any oil, except from
the seal where the shifter goes into the case.

I can't really see your pictures either...



-Mike

[RustyValkry]

It's not coming from the oil filter, it's somewhere on the left side of the bike.  The bike is so close to the side of the trailer that I'll have to crawl in somehow to see what's right above the patch and I'm going to wait for warm weather to do that.  Hadn't thought of the shifter shaft, thanks. 

[Chrisj CMA]

It's not coming from the oil filter, it's somewhere on the left side of the bike.  The bike is so close to the side of the trailer that I'll have to crawl in somehow to see what's right above the patch and I'm going to wait for warm weather to do that.  Hadn't thought of the shifter shaft, thanks. 

The shifter shaft would not make an oil slick that large

[Speedy Coop]

How about the O-ring on the back of the water pump where it goes into the engine block? I had one that was bad and made a mess on the bottom of the engine.

[Jess from VA]

Do not clean the bike at all.

Then, in the dark, use a flashlight to carefully follow the shiny stuff upward.

[..]

I have a couple pictures of the pond of oil under it but I wasn't able to get them to load.  I'll add them when I remember how to do it.

https://postimages.org/

Create an account using the SIGN UP box top right.

Create a new gallery by clicking on the box towards the top left

Upload photos. Do a max of up to 8 at a time or it can take too long.

Once uploaded put your cursor on the image you want to put on the VRCC forum

Now move your cursor to the symbol to left of the trash bin symbol
Click on it
Now copy the "Hotlink" for forums.

Now go to the VRCC post you want the photo to appear in and right click and paste.

Once you then post your comment the photo should appear for all to see.

[Jims99]

Check and make sure your gas didn’t fill the engine and overflow the oil. I would definitely pull the plugs before trying to turn it over after sitting that long.

[RustyValkry]

Here are the pics again.

[dago mooserider]

No Valkyrie in the history of the universe has ever leaked any oil, except from
the seal where the shifter goes into the case.

I can't really see your pictures either...



-Mike

Haha, I was about to say: no Valkyrie in history has ever leaked that much oil! Is the drain plug missing?! Lol. Seriously though something is amiss. Like others have said, make sure the cylinders are not full of gas before turning it over.

[Speedy Coop]

Use a mirror and a light.

[RustyValkry]

Yesterday I squzzed (that's a technical term and the past, future participle of 'got myself into a space I almost couldn't get out of without a hoist) myself in beside the Valk and was able to get one eye to focus on the left underside of the engine.

From this different perspective it became apparent that there were 2 fluids that had accumulated on the cardboard.  One was water, the other oil.  The water was the majority of the wet spot on the cardboard and it is condensation dripping down the side of the engine, it's not a concern from the perspective of leak detection.

The oil constituted a small stain in the center of the large water stain and I think (not positive) that it's coming from the shifter shaft.  Once it's actually spring, I'm going to get the Valk on my jack and I'll be able to get a better look at it.

I took pictures but they're so dark as to useless.

[..]

Yesterday I squzzed (that's a technical term and the past, future participle of 'got myself into a space I almost couldn't get out of without a hoist) myself in beside the Valk and was able to get one eye to focus on the left underside of the engine.

From this different perspective it became apparent that there were 2 fluids that had accumulated on the cardboard.  One was water, the other oil.  The water was the majority of the wet spot on the cardboard and it is condensation dripping down the side of the engine, it's not a concern from the perspective of leak detection.

The oil constituted a small stain in the center of the large water stain and I think (not positive) that it's coming from the shifter shaft.  Once it's actually spring, I'm going to get the Valk on my jack and I'll be able to get a better look at it.

I took pictures but they're so dark as to useless.

I had wondered how one fluid was on top of the other but I'm not a mechanic.

Shifter seal is very easy to do. Do you have one?

[RustyValkry]

Yesterday I squzzed (that's a technical term and the past, future participle of 'got myself into a space I almost couldn't get out of without a hoist) myself in beside the Valk and was able to get one eye to focus on the left underside of the engine.

From this different perspective it became apparent that there were 2 fluids that had accumulated on the cardboard.  One was water, the other oil.  The water was the majority of the wet spot on the cardboard and it is condensation dripping down the side of the engine, it's not a concern from the perspective of leak detection.

The oil constituted a small stain in the center of the large water stain and I think (not positive) that it's coming from the shifter shaft.  Once it's actually spring, I'm going to get the Valk on my jack and I'll be able to get a better look at it.

I took pictures but they're so dark as to useless.

I had wondered how one fluid was on top of the other but I'm not a mechanic.

Shifter seal is very easy to do. Do you have one?

I'm not a mechanic either but I play one in my own mind.  No, I'll have to find a seal on Ebay I suppose.  I won't be sure that's what it is until I get the Valk shifted to my other shed and up on the jack. 

I expect I'll have the Valk on the jack for quite a while.  I want to change the thermosensor in the radiator, change the hoses and the thermostat.  I'm also going to pull the gas tank and have a close look at the coils.  I've had a consistent stumble that my neighbor heard (he actually IS a professional mechanic and also has grown up around bikes) and suggested was an ignition problem not a fuel problem.  He may be right so I'll go over the coils and wires.

I think I might also get the broken front exhaust stud replaced then put the TBR 6 into 6 pipes on in place of the stock pipes - why?  Because they're there.

Lastly I'm going to pull the slave cylinder, clean it out and, if necessary, rebuild it then flush the lines and switch to DOT 5 like I did on the brakes last winter.  I've had a shifting issue that I want to insure isn't related to the clutch and the slave cylinder is certainly questionable so it gets dealt with first.

[hubcapsc]

I recently did my slave cylinder. And looked at parts for the other cylinders.
Best be getting what you can get while you can get it. I think I remember
that everything for a rebuild on all of them is still available, but I bought
a nice shiny looking low-mileage master cylinder for one side or the other
cause I saw it on ebay and you can't buy the whole thing new anymore.

The shifter seal is probably easy to get. Seals and bearings most often
can be obtained generically through parts houses by just reading the
numbers off of them...

-Mike

[RustyValkry]

I recently did my slave cylinder. And looked at parts for the other cylinders.
Best be getting what you can get while you can get it. I think I remember
that everything for a rebuild on all of them is still available, but I bought
a nice shiny looking low-mileage master cylinder for one side or the other
cause I saw it on ebay and you can't buy the whole thing new anymore.

The shifter seal is probably easy to get. Seals and bearings most often
can be obtained generically through parts houses by just reading the
numbers off of them...

-Mike

Don't know if you recall my thread from last winter but I overhauled the entire brake system.  I noted that for the most part the 'rubber' parts were OK but I bought kits anyway.  This time I'm going to check the components and I'll reuse if they appear to be pliable.

LOL, I suddenly recall that at the point at which I had everything stripped off the bike I suddenly wondered if I'd be able to remember how to get everything back together again.

[Jess from VA]

LOL, I suddenly recall that at the point at which I had everything stripped off the bike I suddenly wondered if I'd be able to remember how to get everything back together again.


As I continue to age, it's not just motorcycles, it's ..... everything. 

The (or at least one) bane of existence is to put something back together and have one part left over. 

When I work on my bike (beyond the simple) I always lay things out the way they come off, in order (and where I would not kick them).

When I had an expert to my house to go through my bikes, I was horrified when he just threw every nut, bolt, spacer and widget in a big bucket. 

And amazed when he could just dig around in the bucket and come out with just what he wanted on reassembly. 

[RonW]

don't have a photographic memory, take pics. The iPhone get greasy though.

[rug_burn]

The way the oil is dripping out in that particular line of drips makes it look like the source of that drip could be under the timing cover...  You think?
    Like maybe that seal around the water pump, as mentioned above, or any  seal up u
nder that cover.