Troublesome oil leak

I have a 202 600 51 k miles. Ever since I chawed from regular oil to sun I have a small oil drip. I replaced the drain cap gasket and screen. Used a Honda oil filter. After I ride and place on side stand there is always a small drip under the bike. I find a small drip at front of skid plate. Is it coming from drain plug or paper seal on engine case? I have ordered new gasket and drain plug. any other thoughts.

Fresh new oil or a dirty left over from changing oil got some on the skid plate drippings? Go to the maintenance section enter oil drip in the search, clues abound.

Puff the general area with talcum powder bud, you will soon see where the leak is forming from.

Leak could be coming from the stator wires exiting the crack case on the right side next to the oil fill cap. Or from a bad water pump seal on the bottom left.

I usually pack paper towels between the skid plate and the crack case to absorb the oil when changing it. Don't forget to remove the paper towels when done.

"I usually pack paper towels between the skid plate and the crack case to absorb the oil when changing it."

That is a nifty idea. The skid plate makes changing the oil an unholy mess. Have you (or anyone) ever taken the skid plate off for an oil change? Looks like there are four bolts and it drops off.

Delray wrote:

[Snip] Have you (or anyone) ever taken the skid plate off for an oil change? Looks like there are four bolts and it drops off.

IIRC it’s only two bolts. They’re thru bolts. And yes, I remove the bash plate for oil changes. Got tired of hearing about the oil spots on the driveway. If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody gonna be happy.

Good to know, thanks. There is a 100% chance I will remove the plate next time I change the oil. Sure beats spending 10 minutes trying to clean it out of the crevices down there. Plus I always end up getting on my hands and knees and washing the area. A couple bolts sounds way better.

Delray wrote:

Good to know, thanks. There is a 100% chance I will remove the plate next time I change the oil. Sure beats spending 10 minutes trying to clean it out of the crevices down there. Plus I always end up getting on my hands and knees and washing the area. A couple bolts sounds way better.

There you go. With the plate removed you're going to be spending a lot more time cleaning the under side of the crankcase. I have OCD and don't know when to stop.

"With the plate removed you're going to be spending a lot more time cleaning the under side of the crankcase. I have OCD and don't know when to stop."

Did you mean "less" time cleaning? Less sounds logical and that's the reason I'd remove the plate.

I'm with you on the OCD. That's why I end up washing underneath the bike every time I change the oil. My Wing is showroom-ready every time I start a new ride (and I enjoy it that way).

Ah, I think maybe I just understood your meaning. Plate removed = new areas accessible to clean?

And yep, I'll clean them.

That's one reason I have a Harbor Freight bike lift. Sure makes that kind of work easier. Right now I'm working to reduce the rattling, of the scooter not me. One offender is some fender rattling. I got one of my previous Silverwings pretty quiet and rattle free but it took a goodly amount of time and effort to stop it. That's my main OCD affliction. I like a quiet bike at least one free of rattles.

"That's my main OCD affliction. I like a quiet bike at least one free of rattles."

We all have our OCD afflictions. I'm with you on the rattles. I like quiet rides. Good ol' Walgreen's foam ear plugs are great because they make the Wing so quiet it sounds like it's electric.

I had a small leak from the water pump not coolant. Pump is driven from inside engine case and oil can leak from pump. It has 2 weep holes on the bottom. Just a drip after longer rides. Very hard to locate had to lay under and use flash light to find it. From right side locate pump on left case found just a bit of oil on bottom of WP. ????

"It has 2 weep holes on the bottom. Just a drip after longer rides."

Sounds familiar. I'm guessing you may know there is also a weep hole under the clutch housing next to the rear tire.

After longer rides (45 minutes plus it's always hot where I live), I sometimes get a drip or two of oil from this weep hole. Nothing if I do short runs for errands. It's barely discernible splatter on the rear rim, blown there by wind from the rear tire.

I'm sure I haven't overfilled engine or gear oil. Any ideas? I'm wondering why it would only happen after nearly an hour of riding and not for short runs. Isn't a leak a leak?

I think (not sure) my style of riding may affect it. If I ride aggressively the little bit of splatter seems more likely to appear.

I'm not terribly concerned because I can wipe it off with a paper towel. But if it's a seal or gasket maybe it will get worse and I should think about having it replaced?

exavid wrote:

That's one reason I have a Harbor Freight bike lift. Sure makes that kind of work easier. Right now I'm working to reduce the rattling, of the scooter not me. One offender is some fender rattling. I got one of my previous Silverwings pretty quiet and rattle free but it took a goodly amount of time and effort to stop it. That's my main OCD affliction. I like a quiet bike at least one free of rattles.

HF wanted to charge me $600 for shipping the motorcycle lift to Hawaii. I DIY'ed a lift from a YT video. Have not used it yet. Afraid I may tip the bike over getting it onto the center stand. Thinking of a way to make a side rail to prevent tipping the bike over.

Weep holes are there to show when a seal is leaking. If it's showing drops of oil or coolant it would be a very good idea to order the seals or take it to a bike shop before it gets worse.

Easy fix for oil that gathers on skid plate after oil change (poor design) Gunk or degreaser sprayed on hosed off. No old time riders here?

john grinsel wrote:

Easy fix for oil that gathers on skid plate after oil change (poor design)  Gunk or degreaser sprayed on hosed off.  No old time riders here?

Must make a dirty mess spraying degreaser.

Using the degreaser right leaves no mess---it is water hosed off. underside of bike is left clean, no oil drips. This is the way it used to be done.

John,
I was referring to the ground getting messy.

On Goldwings, especially the older models, when a coolant pump seal goes it's possible that coolant can leak into the crankcase. When I had my shop I used see GWs with a coolant leak at the weep hole on the pump along with condensation on the dipstick indicating the pump was leaking coolant into the crankcase. It was easy to see on the dipstick, kinda fudgy looking stuff on the stick which was a mix of oil and coolant. The only cure in that case was a new coolant pump or seals.

It's not a good idea to let it go for long if you do find signs of coolant in the oil when you drain it. Water in the oil can do nasty things to bearings and crankshafts.