Rubber Grommetts Oil Leak Repair Question

I have the supplies and just about ready to try to repair an oil leak that requires removal of exhaust side engine engine cover.
I will try to do it without removing exhaust pipes from the head....MY QUESTION...how to remove the outer piece of metal that bolts to the swingarm with two torx bolts...after the bolts are removed....does it just slide out or do i pry it or what? any help and tips are appreciated. the pic below is the part that i am inquiring.

what is that you are using to point with? looks a little long to be a finger.

lol...well despite what it looks like it is my finger.....wouldve used another pointer but though it might get moderated ....hehehehe.

x

thanx big bird, i am aware that the exhaust will likely need to come off, but if i see a way around it i will definitely share it here. its ashamed such a dependable bike made by a well revered name has such a notorious leak.

i got the crankcase cover off....but two gears fell out....any ideas where they go?

very top of picture are your bits you have in your hand

thanks for that parts sheet....i think ive got them back in place....they are the starter gears....got the crankcase cover gasketed and bolted up so it can dry....will continue reassembly tommorrow......

Now I know what the Honda dealer was talking about back when I was looking at a couple of used one he had and their worksheet had something bout repairing the oil leak, gaskets, and stuff. I didn't pay much attention at the time but now that I have a SW, I like to know these things. Question: how often does this occur? Can you put a ballpark milage figure on it?

ulflyer....i bought my swing with 8000 miles on the clock and i had the leak then.....the dealership assured me they fixed it but it was a lie....reasons like that is why im not taking to a dealer to fix it.....YOUR QUESTION...i think some people never have that problem while there are many that do.....its not a reason to not buy a swing...its a great bike....the leak is just a quirk that happens sometimes.

I have the bike back together except for the passenger footrest....left it off to view the situation for now.....the engine fired right up as always.....let the engine idle up to operating temp while viewing for leaks.....then rode about one mile and l will let it cool and check the oil level.....no leaks so far...but i havent tested hard yet......will keep you posted.

Flyingwing: thanks for good info. Just for future ref, does it just take a new gasket, with appropriate cement? Also, since you didn't mention it again, I take it you had to pull the exhaust?

ulflyer......Negatory.....no gasket only gasket maker....i used permatex rtv gasketmaker red(high heat)....and yes had to pull the exhaust....but that was the easiest part of the job....reinstalling exhaust was a breeze to....BTW.....I rode 50 miles later today and still no leak.

FW: thanks for feedback. I'll be more knowledgable if mine starts to leak as thats the kind of work I 'm able to do.

At last someone with the same problem as me.
I have just read through your post and have 2 questions for you.
1 Was it the side engine gasket for the cover that failed? or the gromits for the 2 sensors?
2 Did you remove the whole exhaust to the manifold?, and if so how? ( just need to know about the front half ).
I am surprised there isn't any more info on this subject, as its a common fault with this bike.

Your help is most appreciated, and needed

x

bigbird wrote:

liamwalshski wrote:

1 Was it the side engine gasket for the cover that failed? or the gromits for the 2 sensors?
2 Did you remove the whole exhaust to the manifold?, and if so how? ( just need to know about the front half ).
I am surprised there isn't any more info on this subject, as its a common fault with this bike.

Your help is most appreciated, and needed

Liam, I think I can help you if the OP is unavailable:
1) The rubber grommet was leaking. Check the title of this topic.
2) The whole exhaust has to be removed from the cylinder head back. The 2 head pipes to the collector that connects to the muffler is one solid piece. The collector is downstream of the right engine case. That's why the pipes have to come off at the head. If you have a later model ('08 on) with O2 sensor in the exhaust, that sensor must be disconnected (not removed) from the wiring harness. That's easy to do, but watch the way the clips separate. Don't force it.
If you don't have a service manual (sounds like you don't if you're asking how to remove exhaust pipes from the head), I strongly suggest you get one. Each pipe is held on by two bolts. There is a gasket at each that is a wear item. They suggest you replace the gasket on removal. Watch your torque on reinstalling the bolts to the head. They don't require much torquing (9 ft.lbs) and there is a sequence to their torquing. If you pull the muffler from the collector, there's a bushing in there that can be ruined. If you don't smash it up, you can reuse it.
Get a service manual!

PS:
It will be much easier to do this if you lay the Swing down onto its left side. The stator and rotor have a strong magnetic attraction. If you try to reinstall the pieces with the bike vertical, the magnetism will try to misalign the pieces and you'll end up smearing the new sealant all over the mating surfaces. If you lay the bike down and just drop the case over the engine, it will line up much easier and you won't smear that nice bead of RTV sealant.

were the grommets replaced and how long for process?

For those of us who would rather not tackle this job, I checked with my Honda dealer today which has done a bunch of these procedures and they said it was an hour job and would cost $70.

x

Bigbird: I did see a statement that was posted on a used one they had for sale sitting on floor. It outlined all the things they had done to the SW and the repair in question said "muffler/exhaust pulled, cover resealed, total cost $70." I asked and they said that figure was correct. I didn't know enough about the procedure to query further and what you say surely sounds reasonable.

If mine ever starts leaking I'll ask for an estimate. At my tender age I can no longer spend much time on knees doing such work like I used to. Did that a month ago on the Can Am changing out the grease fittings and ended up at orthopedic doc having fluid drawn out and steriods put in...which he referred to as changing my oil!

x

Thanks Bigbird, you have explained very very well. I'm going to lay it down on its left side and get started on the exhaust, cover, and gromit replacements. You have answered questions I didn't even think to ask yet. I have found one though.How did you get to the exhaust manifold for removal. Your write I havn't got the workshop manual yet.
Are you it the uk? if so can you recommend a parts supplier for gromits and exhaust gaskets?
Thank you in advance.

x

just added stop leak hope that works before tearing things apart

Assuming I lay the SWing on it's left side as noted in this thread, do I have to drain the oil first?

no

tankyuong wrote:

no

Yes, you need to drain the oil if you're taking off the crankcase cover. Why do you think oil is leaking out from the grommet? Because there's oil behind the crankcase cover.

The oil has been drained!

sorry thought you meant my method of using stop leak first

tankyuong wrote:

sorry thought you meant my method of using stop leak first

Tanyuong, Thanks for the clarification.

Did your 'stopleak' actually succeed in stoping the leak? I don't have a leak yet - but I may. I did notice on disassembly that there must have been some oil weeping down on the lower park of my case (after 25k on an '08) - but not enough to actually drop any oil onto my gargage floor. It seem that when the leak is small, the oil picks up dirt and it sticks to the case - until you wash the bike, go through some wet weather, or it otherwise somehow drops off. I have had two SWing - with each one having some very minor weeping - but not enough to see a drop hit the floor.

Works for me no more leaks,got it from Walmart

tankyuong wrote:

Works for me no more leaks,got it from Walmart

Thanks for this handy tip!

Tankyuong,
What brand of stop leak did you use? Anyone else use this to stop the leak?

I think Theres only one brand at Walmart.its been a while since I used it and your suppose to keep it in your crancase for 200 miles. It's suppose to recondition your seals.I left it in my crancase until the next oil change