Galley Plug Leak and Fix

First of all I'd like to thank everyone who takes the time to post helpful information on this site. I'm a new member with my first bike '03 ST1300 at age 54. I can fix lots of stuff, but auto/moto mechanics is my least favorite.
I bought this bike about 3 months ago. I knew there was some oily stuff on the engine, but I was hoping (ignoring) that it was from a brake cylinder that was replaced. I cleaned up the engine, took it for a 1000 mile ride (that's another story with only 500 miles riding experience) got back home and the engine/oil pan was covered with oil. There was no oil reaching the ground, and the site glass read very little loss. I could not live with an oil leak on
my new bike! I dove into ST-Owners.com and the factory manual I downloaded. I pulled all the tupperware, I cleaned up the engine again. Started it up on the stand and in 1 minute saw oil dripping down from the square hole.
I saw and smelled no coolant. Nothing was dripping from the round hole. I read everything I could find about leaks and with info from "playfair" "Igofar" "dduelin" and others I thought odds are the oil is leaking from the Mystery Plug or Galley plug.I ruled out water pump seals because I figured there would have to be coolant or coolant/oil mix leaking from somewhere. I pulled the radiator (no oil in coolant). I pushed the thermostat aside and saw and felt the oily "V"! I could not comfortably get to the Galley Plug from the front. I pulled the gas tank, air box, and throttle body, which was probably the toughest and most nerve wracking part of the job. thanks to
dduelin for the pic with the pry bar. I used this method with a 2x4 and lubed the rubber with teflon (o-ring safe) spray. WOW still stuck on there good! No way I would have kept trying without the help of you guys.:bow1: I pulled back the mat and got a look at the Oily "V". I saw no oil on the valve covers, so I ruled out a pinched mat in the gaskets. I was aware that it could also be the alternator O-ring or the Oil pressure sensor switch threads. I agonized a bit and considered pulling and repairing that stuff too. I decide I did not want dig any deeper and I'd go with the odds, seal the mystery plug and get the hell out of there.Why would Honda screw in an oil plug without sealing it or adding a gasket!!! Do all the ST1300's suffer from this or maybe just the earlier models. I used Permatex Black maximum oil resistance sealant. Not sure if that was the best choice, but the leak is NO MORE!!! SEE pics if your interested.

Thanks again
ST Owners.com
I guess I need to make a donation!!

In case you haven't done it yet, may be a good time to also take care the hose clamps while you are in there.

Thanks, I tightened every hose clamp I could find. If I need to pull it all apart again down the road, I hope it will be easier.

todddra said:

Thanks, I tightened every hose clamp I could find. If I need to pull it all apart again down the road, I hope it will be easier.

Click to expand...

Great pictures

Good job! I'm in the same boat with just purchasing my steed. No real issues that I have found , but I've done some preventative and basic maintenance over the winter. It feels good to go over the bike and get familiar with it and catch at issues before they become serious or cause a break down. I also agree this site is very , very helpful!

Great photos thanks for sharing.
With all the coolant puddled everywhere, its a good idea that you tightened all the loose clamps.
For anyone else who finds they need to seal the mystery plug, you can do so without having to remove the tank or throttle bodies. You simply go in from the front after removing the radiator, remove a couple hoses, prop the T-stat housing up out of the way with a deep well socket, and take a allen socket, wrap some gaffers tape around it, attach a long nylon tie for removal if needed, and use a long box end wrench.
Hope this helps the next person who needs to do this.
Igofar

todddra said:

Do all the ST1300's suffer from this or maybe just the earlier models.

Click to expand...

As far as I know, it was a small number of early-production 2003s. Does yours have a low serial number (last five digits of the VIN)?

--Mark

Blrfl said:

As far as I know, it was a small number of early-production 2003s. Does yours have a low serial number (last five digits of the VIN)?

--Mark

Click to expand...

So this is only a 2003 problem, did Honda make a better seal or block it off altogether?

Blrfl said:

As far as I know, it was a small number of early-production 2003s. Does yours have a low serial number (last five digits of the VIN)?

--Mark

Click to expand...

Have not heard of problems with the early-production 03's, however, I have found them loose and leaking on a couple 07's (mine included) and a few on 04's.
Its amazing that Honda would plug such a large hole (even though they used fine threads) without using an kind of sealant/washer/o-ring/gasket.

Igofar said:

Have not heard of problems with the early-production 03's...

Click to expand...

I was around for that, and it was a thing. All of the threads about it are long gone, and I think that even predates the articles section, so none of it was preserved.

Its amazing that Honda would plug such a large hole (even though they used fine threads) without using an kind of sealant/washer/o-ring/gasket.

Click to expand...

If remember correctly, the mistake was that the plug was supposed to have a sealing washer and didn't. Maybe someone who's been through that remembers; mine's a 2004 and didn't have that problem.

--Mark

Thanks,
My 1K ride was much tougher than I thought it would be. I was on I-10 heading east towards Blythe, only because I took a wrong turn at the Salton Sea.
The plan was to go South around the SS. The wind started kicking up and I almost got blown off the road by a couple SUV's racing each other. I was never so happy
to get to my hotel in Blythe. Definitely trial by fire.

Todd

Igofar said:

Great photos thanks for sharing.
With all the coolant puddled everywhere, its a good idea that you tightened all the loose clamps.
For anyone else who finds they need to seal the mystery plug, you can do so without having to remove the tank or throttle bodies. You simply go in from the front after removing the radiator, remove a couple hoses, prop the T-stat housing up out of the way with a deep well socket, and take a allen socket, wrap some gaffers tape around it, attach a long nylon tie for removal if needed, and use a long box end wrench.
Hope this helps the next person who needs to do this.
Igofar

Click to expand...

I did consider trying to remove the galley plug without removing tank and throttle body. When I looked at the room I had to work with, I did not think I could get in there with the tools I was planning on using.
Also, I wanted to try to see the oil in the valley to determine if the leak could be coming from alternator O-ring or the Oil pressure sensor switch. It would have been a lot less work to get to it from the front.
I gained some valuable experience and confidence for the next inevitable issue!
Todd

Blrfl said:

As far as I know, it was a small number of early-production 2003s. Does yours have a low serial number (last five digits of the VIN)?

--Mark

Click to expand...

The last 5 digits of my VIN are 01070.
Todd

Were you able to discriminate between the oil sender, the alternator seal, and the galley plug as a source of the leak, or was it a case of oil/grime just covered everything in the "V" and there was no telling where the leak was comiong from?

Odds are the OP fixed the leak when he reassembled everything and tightened the hose clamps. No way of knowing different.

Blrfl said:

If remember correctly, the mistake was that the plug was supposed to have a sealing washer and didn't.

Click to expand...

Hi Mark:

I removed, inspected, and sealed up (with high temperature RTV sealant) the galley plug on my 2012 ST 1300 when I was carrying out coolant hose replacements. I don't recall seeing a sealing washer on the plug, but I can't be 100% sure of that - only about 98% sure).

Below is a close-up picture of the galley plug.

Michael

Galley Plug

marlonsaint said:

Were you able to discriminate between the oil sender, the alternator seal, and the galley plug as a source of the leak, or was it a case of oil/grime just covered everything in the "V" and there was no telling where the leak was comiong from?

Click to expand...

I know that after I sealed the Galley plug, the oil leak stopped from the square hole. The areas around the oil sender and alternator seal looked pretty clean, so I did not mess with them.