Oil leak

I recently developed a slow weeping type of an oil leak. It is on the left side of the engine somewhere in the location of where the alternator is attached to the case. It drips directly on the header joint where the 2 pipes are joined into one.
I have looked with a mirror and cannot determine the location of the weep (leak).
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Vink

Well, this does sound like an alternator issue...
3 possible culprits:
- wiring exit stator
- stator O-ring
- O-ring at the alternator drive base (the least likely)
I suggest to remove the grey belly-pan and left side cover to get a better view at things...

+1 What my friend, Martin sez. If it's not obvious, clean up the area with a mild degreaser and run the bike a bit. Sometimes dusting the area with talcum powder or sumsuch helps a lot in determining a weep/seep/leak source. BTDT

BTW, this is not a isolated issue on these older ST1100s with the 28amp alternator.

Good luck. Let us know what you find.

John
via iPhone 4S

Had the exact same thing on my '95. It was the stator o-ring. Not a major concern, as it likely won't get much worse than a very slow drip. Just an annoyance at the smell of burning oil for a few minutes after starting a ride. Pulling the stator to replace the o-ring is a major job though.

Bush said:

Just an annoyance at the smell of burning oil for a few minutes after starting a ride.

Click to expand...

Yeah... during hot summer days a significant stench will unfold and wrap around you every time you idle at a red-light... ;-) <pffff!... couch!!>
My prev '92 suffered it too, ageing of stator O-ring seems a heat-caused issue due to the urban commuting I was torturing it with... no drips on the floor though, only the occasional acrid stink...

I get the picture, and thanks for the input.

Since it is just a weep I might just fasten a piece of sheet metal down below or perhaps one of those small cake tins to catch the weeping oil and direct the weeping away from the pipes for now.

How big of a job is the stator removal?

And if I am that deep into it would that be a good time to upgrade to a 40 amp alternator?

Or am I getting crazy again?

Vink

I removwd thw belly pan and there is a weeping around where the stator meets the case it looks like that is where it is coming from.

Thanks John

If you plan to keep the bike, might as well do the upgrade, if you are up to the task.

Confirm for sure what the source is. The stator connects to the alternator shaft assy and has an o-ring there. Then there's another o-ring between the alternator shaft assy and the engine case. Pulling the stator and the alt shaft assy requires swingarm removal. Upgrading to 40 amps is up to you. Just replacing the o-ring(s) is cheap, just a lot of labor. Add an onboard voltmeter to monitor that aging charging system if you haven't already, though.

Thank John,

What would you recommend for an on board volt meter?

Vink

A Datel red LED model that reads to a tenth of a volt. [-]I can look for a link if you can't find one.[/-] edit: http://bikemeters.com/

John

Thanks John,

I'll get one soon,

Vink

Thanks Bush,

I have been considering the upgrade for some time now, I would like a heated seat, and good driving lights too, oh yeah and heated gear of course...
I plan to hold on to it, Its just a dam good bike as anyone on the forum would attest to.
I have never had a bad ride because of the bike.

Vink

Well, it appears to be weeping at the stator O ring and thanks for pointing me in that direction.
Since it's a bit of a job to get to the stator I opted for the Pig mat wire tied to the bottom of the stator method.
That should collect any weeping fluid and I can replace it at oil changes.
The next job will be the valves and then sometime after that a new shock and maybe when I get into the shock I can remove the swing arm and deal with the $2.00 O ring.
I rode 100 miles today and no weep or burning oil so maybe it will hold the flow for now.
Also no noticeable change in the oil level.

Had a sweet ride today..

Cheers
Vink

Pig mat wire? Wazzat?

John OoSTerhuis said:

Pig mat wire? Wazzat?

Click to expand...

A pig mat is an absorbent pad. Industrial usage mostly.

John its this grey absorbing paper towel if you will. I just wire tied it to the underside of the stator to absorb the weeping oil.
cheap n dirty temp fix for now.

vink said:

...its this grey absorbing paper towel...

Click to expand...

Oils soaked paper near an exhaust?... hmmm...

Good point, I am going to re-think this one.
I was thinking the same thing and I will revisit this temporary repair.
Cheers