Hawk DLX oil leak, 800 miles

jimmy-futon · 09-29-2022, 05:10 PM

Hey everyone, got a DLX with around 850 miles on it. Left it sitting in a garage for around a year while I was overseas and when I get back have noticed it has a small oil leak (maybe a few drips a day). However when the bike is warm and running the leak does increase. Upon inspection, I originally thought the leak was coming from the seal around the gear shifter, but after cleaning it and sticking paper towels in certain places it appears the leak is higher up. Any ideas on some other common spots for a newish hawk to leak?

Thanks.

**JerryHawk250** · 09-29-2022, 05:23 PM

Might just be from the chain. Also check for cracks in the rubber on the crank case vent tube.

Badluck · 10-02-2022, 11:18 AM

The plug on the back of the valve cover had threads that were stripped out on my regular Hawk. I installed a helicoil to repair.

Thumper · 10-02-2022, 02:28 PM

It seems unlikely that much oil could come from the chain unless you oiled it, and then it would be a spray, not a leak. And oil shouldn't leak at all when parked if it was a threaded port on the valve cover since there is not oil getting pumped up there (when parked). And it would show up much higher on the cylinder.

The driveshaft seal is right above the gear shift lever. It is inside the front sprocket cover. Pull the cover and clean any residual oil up. Then, leave it off for a brief spin and see is it is dripping down from between the front sprocket and engine case.

If this is the leaking seal, you can replace the seal without cracking the engine apart. There are oil seal puller tools to get that bad seal out. Drain the oil, remove the sprocket, extract the seal, and push in the replacement.

The front sprocket is boxed in and there are no other possible leak sources in there. Wiring goin into the stator is out of there, and forward, and oil would probably end up farther forward of there.

BrokeAss · 10-03-2022, 11:17 AM

Mine leaked from the drain plug. Tightened it and, BOOM...fixed.

jimmy-futon · 10-03-2022, 09:49 PM

I believe I may have had too much oil in it. Drained and replaced with a lot less and I'm not noticing it leaking now. Before my circle was completely full when the bike was upright. Now it is about half.

Megadan · 10-03-2022, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumper

It seems unlikely that much oil could come from the chain unless you oiled it, and then it would be a spray, not a leak. And oil shouldn't leak at all when parked if it was a threaded port on the valve cover since there is not oil getting pumped up there. And it would show up much higher on the cylinder.

.

The spray from the chain collects on the inside of the cover and over time will run down and eventually drip as time and buildup occurs.

Oil does actually get pumped up into the valve cover on the cg engines. That is the main oil passages for the valves.

Thumper · 10-03-2022, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megadan

The spray from the chain collects on the inside of the cover and over time will run down and eventually drip as time and buildup occurs.

Oil does actually get pumped up into the valve cover on the cg engines. That is the main oil passages for the valves.

The dripping of accumulated oil inside the front sprocket cover makes sense if you use a liquid oil. Chain lube is usually much more viscous.

I know there is active oil pumping up to lubricate the valve rockers. But not when it isn't running. And I don't know how that oil would appear under the front sprocket cover (was my point). OP has not diagnosed or gotten back to us yet.

If he used motor oil to lube his chain, your theory makes the most sense
I suppose the drive shaft seal under the front sprocket could have been faulty or installed wrong. That's my back up theory. I suppose it could also come out through the seal around the stator wiring where it goes in just on front side of the sprocket cover. But that seems unlikely.

Megadan · 10-03-2022, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumper

The dripping of accumulated oil inside the front sprocket cover makes sense if you use a liquid oil. Chain lube is usually much more viscous.

I know there is active oil pumping up to lubricate the valve rockers. But not when it isn't running. And I don't know how that oil would appear under the front sprocket cover (was my point). OP has not diagnosed or gotten back to us yet.

If he used motor oil to lube his chain, your theory makes the most sense
I suppose the drive shaft seal under the front sprocket could have been faulty or installed wrong. That's my back up theory. I suppose it could also come out through the seal around the stator wiring where it goes in just on front side of the sprocket cover. But that seems unlikely.

Any liquid chain lube will do it over time. I do agree that the valve cover leak would have way more obvious signs higher up on the engine as well.

A bad countershaft seal (sprocket side) will leak while at rest with the motor too full when it's on the side stand and also fling seeping oil while running. The latter being harder to detect.

Thumper · 10-04-2022, 10:10 AM

Excessive oil pressure could easily push out through any of the shaft end seals. It could go out the crankshaft ventilation tube as well. I wonder where it was coming out?

The output shaft seal behind the front sprocket seems like a good candidate. But glad you fixed it!

09-29-2022, 05:10 PM	#1
jimmy-futon Join Date: Apr 2021 Posts: 15	Hawk DLX oil leak, 800 miles Hey everyone, got a DLX with around 850 miles on it. Left it sitting in a garage for around a year while I was overseas and when I get back have noticed it has a small oil leak (maybe a few drips a day). However when the bike is warm and running the leak does increase. Upon inspection, I originally thought the leak was coming from the seal around the gear shifter, but after cleaning it and sticking paper towels in certain places it appears the leak is higher up. Any ideas on some other common spots for a newish hawk to leak? Thanks.
	0

09-29-2022, 05:23 PM	#2
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,721	Might just be from the chain. Also check for cracks in the rubber on the crank case vent tube. __________________ 2024 Linhai 300 ATV 4x4 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S (Sold) 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
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10-02-2022, 02:28 PM	#4
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,748	It seems unlikely that much oil could come from the chain unless you oiled it, and then it would be a spray, not a leak. And oil shouldn't leak at all when parked if it was a threaded port on the valve cover since there is not oil getting pumped up there (when parked). And it would show up much higher on the cylinder. The driveshaft seal is right above the gear shift lever. It is inside the front sprocket cover. Pull the cover and clean any residual oil up. Then, leave it off for a brief spin and see is it is dripping down from between the front sprocket and engine case. If this is the leaking seal, you can replace the seal without cracking the engine apart. There are oil seal puller tools to get that bad seal out. Drain the oil, remove the sprocket, extract the seal, and push in the replacement. The front sprocket is boxed in and there are no other possible leak sources in there. Wiring goin into the stator is out of there, and forward, and oil would probably end up farther forward of there. Last edited by Thumper; 10-04-2022 at 02:56 PM.
	1

10-02-2022, 11:18 AM	#3
Badluck Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 80	The plug on the back of the valve cover had threads that were stripped out on my regular Hawk. I installed a helicoil to repair.
	0

10-03-2022, 11:17 AM	#5
BrokeAss Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Ohio Posts: 43	Mine leaked from the drain plug. Tightened it and, BOOM...fixed.
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10-03-2022, 09:49 PM	#6
jimmy-futon Join Date: Apr 2021 Posts: 15	I believe I may have had too much oil in it. Drained and replaced with a lot less and I'm not noticing it leaking now. Before my circle was completely full when the bike was upright. Now it is about half.
	0

10-04-2022, 10:10 AM	#10
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,748	Excessive oil pressure could easily push out through any of the shaft end seals. It could go out the crankshaft ventilation tube as well. I wonder where it was coming out? The output shaft seal behind the front sprocket seems like a good candidate. But glad you fixed it!
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