Oil leak/Seapage

[darrell]

I still hope I'm wrong but it appears to be leaking at the head gasket on the rear of the motor. Everything above the head gasket is dry. Moist around the head gasket and appears to be seeping downward from there and pooling on a flat spot on the right side of crankcase behind exhaust manifold. See attrached fuzzy photos. Sorry 'bout the poor photo quality. All I own is a cheap digital camera.

The only "tube" I saw was a rubber hose running from crankcase to the airbox that appears to be a crankcase breather tube. My airbox & filter are dry. No oil inside there.
a couple of questions.....
1) Is there an issue with the head gakets on R3T's ?
2) Will it damage anything else to continue to ride the bike ?

3,000 miles so far. I followed the "break in" procedure.
I'm gettin' a little bummed out over this.

 

[darrell]

Just want to clarify that this is not a big leak. Just enough to cause the rear of the motor to be a bit moist with oil. It doesn't appear to have affected oil level and has never left a puddle under bike. But it is leaking. I've wiped it off twice and it's returned both times.

 

[RocketDaryl]

Yeah, I'd say that's a head gasket. I'd get it to the dealer and put that warranty to work.

 

[ahpd1992]

The hose in your photo is the one that was leaking on mine. I am assuming its a to/from for the oil pan to the engine. The dealer told me the oil returns from the engine back to the oil pan. If you notice the hose is female and the receptacle for the oil pan is male. This seems to me that is would be pre-disposed to leaking, but Im no engineer. Im not mechanical enough to know if its the head gasket.


weather wont permit me taking the bike to the dealer until at least friday so I wont know. Get yours checked n let me know

 

[alan robert]

Is there a engine crankcase breather hose on the R3? The oil level is not going down, but there is film of oil, after use?

I am curious myself, about this leak.

I love the R3 motor, but there is always something to learn about it.

 

[MikeM]

Sounds like a head gasket to me.

Do you really mean head gasket or cam cover gasket? Everything that I've owned that had a leaking head gasket blew white smoke (coolant) out the exhaust.

 

[Pig9r]

That hose is the crankcase breather. Nothing but oil vapor travels in that to the air box. I removed mine and fitted a K&N breather element after gutting the air box and it doesn't leak any oil.

Triumph used to soak the bikes in cosmoline prior to shipping. As it would heat up and melt it would look like there is an oil leak, but I they recently went away from it.

However, some bikes had issues with the o-ring on the oil tank pipe connection not being fitted or installed properly at the factory causing a leak. #43 in this schmatic.

2006 Triumph Motorcycle Parts for ROCKET III, Engine & Exhaust - LUBRICATION SYSTEM

 

[Molinoman]

Pig9r, I had that problem while I was on the Nashville RAAII. It looked worse than it actually was, I don't think the oil level in the oil tank went down at all. When I returned to Florida I took my Rocket to my dealership where it was fixed. Have not had the problem since. I hope the problem these guys are having can be cured that easily.

Dennis

71 dtg Dubai
72 dtg Home

 

[darrell]

To all....
Thanks for the replies. Can't speak for the other gentleman but mine for sure is not leaking anything from the crank vent breather hose. I'll take a closer look in the morning before I call the dealer. I'm still hoping it is not a head gasket. I printed out the lube system schematic and have a better idea now what I'm looking at. If it is a leaky line coming out of the oil tank, it does seem odd that my oil is showing up on right side of the motor when the oil tank is on left side. I suppose it could be running along the edge of the head and seeping down on the right. Stranger things have happened.
I'm not quite ready to panic yet. Will take a closer look when I get up in the morning.

Thanks Again !!!

 

[darrell]

Is there a engine crankcase breather hose on the R3? The oil level is not going down, but there is film of oil, after use?

Yes there is a breather hose on the back of the crankcase going to the airbox but mine is not leaking there. I have no oil on that hose and the inside of the airbox is dry. On mine, I noticed oil on the right side of the motor that had appeared to have flowed down the back of the motor from the juncture where the head meets the block and accumulated on a flat area of the block behind the exhaust manifold. The head gasket does protrude out a small amount all the way around the edge. It's possible that this oil has traveled along the edge of the gasket around to the right side before finally running down and accumulating where I initially discovered it. Everything above the head gasket on the back and the right side of the motor is dry. I need to take a closer look at the left side in the morning to try to determine where the leak is originating. It's never been a lot of oil....the level in the tank has not dropped any. Hopefully it's a minor issue that can be resolved easily.

again...THANKS FOR THE REPLIES.

I'm fairly new to this forum and it has been very helpful on this and other issues.
CHEERS !