Where does the oil go when the gearbox is overfilled?

[Big Lee]

Cos while my bike is brok I thought I`d do another fd oil change. I`ve found a drip of oil around my fd and flapped a bit thinking it`s goosed I dropped the fd and the oil came out a very dark grey colour but the leaked oil was that new oil colour When I popped the rubber gaiter from around the drive shaft I found a pool of oil sitting in the drive shaft housing the same colour as the leaked stuff. Earlier this year I had it serviced and a gearbox oil changed and have done about 5k miles but 4.5k of them have been loaded with camping gear so putting more weight on the back end thus levelling out the drive shaft tunnel more and I`m assuming now it`s a good 7 stone lighter and the ds is pointing down it`s where the leaked oil is running.
So is this where the gearbox oil goes if it`s overfilled, down the driveshaft tunnel? There was probably a good table spoon full of oil sitting there.

 

[RickG]

The gearbox gaiter is where the gearbox oil goes when the output shaft oil seal is goosed

 

[Big Lee]

Thanks for that, is it much of a job to replace?

 

[RickG]

I had mine done on warrenty and it took less than a day. The swinging arm needs to come out which is easy (take off wheel, FD, hang the brake caliper up out the way, swing arm, shaft) and then it must be possible to pull the oil seal out the back of the box without taking the engine out. A common technique is to screw a self tapper into the seal and pull on that with set of grips. The new seal will pop in with a bit of gentle tapping and the right size drift. Only tricky bit is setting the swing arm bearing pre-load and not moving it when you tighten the lock nut. Quite a bit of info' on this if you search (though you don't really need the special tools) and I think Steptoe has a 'how to' somewhere on the 11xx section. Heat the locknut on the swing arm pivot to loosen the loctite as it's v.tight and the socket easily slips.

 

[Big Lee]

I`ve just been on the phone to RGM and to do all the dodgy seals inc this one and a new clutch it`s about £500ish all in.


Hmmmm

 

[ianboydsnr]

you sure its not coming from the FD, there must be a seal in there like the 1100, my rt does that after lots of high speed work, usually if i overfill it slightly, and its was allways clean oil in there

 

[Big Lee]

No, the oil in the tunnel was nice clean stuff where the fd oil is a dark grey when I changed it.

 

[RickG]

If you are getting a new clutch as well, then given the engine has to come out for that, I reckon 500 quid isn't bad going. It is a lot of beer though.

 

[Big Lee]

Bugger it, I`m getting a 54 plate Yamaha R1 instead I`ll bin this dog slow old beemer for a bit of speed, power and good looks

 

[Steptoe]

How do you overfill the gearbox ??????

 

[ianboydsnr]

No, the oil in the tunnel was nice clean stuff where the fd oil is a dark grey when I changed it.

but it could have been there before the oil became dark grey, in fact its likely to have been there from just after the oilchange, as there would have been more in there, is there any oil in the shaft casing, there should be a film of oil, if its been running down the casing,but its easier to overfill the fd than the gearbox,
if its going to cost £500 then better to be sure, dry it out, change the oil and re check the boot in 500 miles

 

[Big Lee]

How do you overfill the gearbox ??????

Maybe when I filled it up on the sidestand nah! only joking I was just clutching at straws really

but it could have been there before the oil became dark grey, in fact its likely to have been there from just after the oilchange, as there would have been more in there, is there any oil in the shaft casing, there should be a film of oil, if its been running down the casing,but its easier to overfill the fd than the gearbox,
if its going to cost £500 then better to be sure, dry it out, change the oil and re check the boot in 500 miles

I doubt it`s been in there since I changed the fd oil a couple of years ago. I only noticed an oil drip in the last couple of weeks and the fine film of oil & dirt last week when I was out. I`ll just have to accept the fact that the gaskets and seals have finally given up the ghost after 5 years and 23k miles so I`ve probably done a good bit more than some folk on the oe seals