final drive leak?** UPDATE with question! ***

[Dade22]

I see another person posted about their final drive so I figured I would post something quick quick.

I was on a long bike ride yesterday and this morning I noticed oil streaks on my rear rim.  It turned out to be gear lube.  Before we go into too many details can I have someone post the proper way to fill the rear drive so its not over filled?

Also does this mean the seal is shot or is it a fluke and its nothing to worry about.  I have less than 7000 on my 09 an hate to think the seal is bad already.

Thanks

Dade22

[IRULE]

I think every will be fine. One time, I overfilled the gear oil, and of course the oil was coming every which way.

Put the bike on the center stand, get the gear oil in the final drive, fill it until the oil is at the level as the hole you fill. If it starting to leak out, you put too much.

[jimmymac]

Give the oil a while to settle, and add a little more. Don't spin the tire.
As long as you don't spin the wheel, you can't overfill it.

[Dade22]

Well....thats what I did to fill it.  Is everyone sure use fill it on the center stand? 

I did just that and rode it for a while.   Let it sit in the garage for a day on the center stand.  I rechecked it and it was low...about 1/2 to 1 oz low.  I added it and thats the way its been since I changed the gear oil about 3 months ago.

I just went on a 200+ ride yesterday and noticed it this morning after I got home.

Just hope there isnt any damage.

I will put it on the center stand and check it again and take out a little if need be.

Thanks

Dade22

[lather]

The manual says check and fill with the bike level. If the bike is simply on the center stand it is NOT level, the rear wheel is off the ground. Put a board under the front wheel such that the rear wheel is touching the ground, then fill.

[Rowlander]

I just park it facing up a slight incline.

[IRULE]

The manual says check and fill with the bike level. If the bike is simply on the center stand it is NOT level, the rear wheel is off the ground. Put a board under the front wheel such that the rear wheel is touching the ground, then fill.

Let's split some hairs...the difference is like .2 of an oz. 

[Dade22]

can it be checked no on the center stand? 

I will just put a board under the front and check it again.   So you guys dont think the seals are damaged do you?

Thanks again...I get paranoid over the smallest things.  I have too many harley friends that seem to NEVER have any issues with their bikes.  Like to make mine seem lower maintenance and no problems.  LOL

Dade22

[jimmymac]

I'm pretty sure it's fine. If it's leaking, You'll have a big mess.
Clean it up and keep an eye on it.

Filling it with or without the front raised won't make much difference. Look at the difference at the engine oil level. There is none.

I'm also sure that running a bit low for two days won't hurt it.

[lather]

Let's split some hairs...the difference is like .2 of an oz.

How did you arrive at that quantity? Fill it without the board, then put the board under the front tire and watch how much comes out.

I don't care what the difference is. What matters to me is when I fill without the board I get lube leaked out all over my wheel. When I use the board no leak.

[lather]

I'm pretty sure it's fine. If it's leaking, You'll have a big mess.
Clean it up and keep an eye on it.

Filling it with or without the front raised won't make much difference. Look at the difference at the engine oil level. There is none.

This is certainly untrue with my C14. On mine it is the difference between no oil visible in the sight glass and oil at the bottom line.
Running a bit low will probably cause no harm but running a bit high may cause a leak, it does on mine.

[Dade22]

yeah...I checked it with the center stand and a board.  Not much different then when I filled it before.  I used a paper towel to soak up a little of the oil that came up on the treads of the fill hole.

Can it be checked when I hold it up off both stands while someone else checks it?

I did give it a bath when I was done checking it.  It looked like the embridge oil spill in my drive way.  I hope this isnt a sign that the seals are shot.

Oh well.

Thanks

Dade22

[lather]

yeah...I checked it with the center stand and a board.  Not much different then when I filled it before.  I used a paper towel to soak up a little of the oil that came up on the treads of the fill hole.

Can it be checked when I hold it up off both stands while someone else checks it?

I did give it a bath when I was done checking it.  It looked like the embridge oil spill in my drive way.  I hope this isnt a sign that the seals are shot.

Oh well.

Thanks

Dade22

Using a helper would be the ideal way to do it. If your oil leak IS from overfilling the drive I don't think it has anything to due with any seals. I think it is oil mist coming out of the breather and collecting on the rim. Mine did this after my first drive lube change due to overfilling. I learned how to do it right and 50,000 miles later it has never happend again.

[VirginiaJim]

I use the center stand to drain and fill.  I've drained it and then pushed the rear tire back onto the ground.  No more fluid comes out (at least for me).   So I don't do that anymore.  So I drain it on the center stand and then refill to about a 1/4 inch below the rim.  So far no leaks and no problems with it in 45k miles and I do change it every 5k miles.  The refill plug can be a PITA to remove so don't tighten it within an inch of it's life.  Also the drain plug will strip threads if overly tightened.  It doesn't take much.

[xKLR]

If you look in the final drive and think about it a little, the oil doesn't have to be right up to the lip to lubricate everything thoroughly. There's no good reason to overfill. Get it close to full and everything will be fine.

If it still spews oil onto the wheel, you've got a problem.

Has anyone come up with an acceptable torque value for the drain plug? Seems like the shop manual value is for dry threads.

-RC

[Dade22]

Anyone have a photo of what the final drive seal leak looks like?  (ie oil everywhere)

Im still getting a little spin off that may just be from an over fill.  Just not sure how long it takes for the excess to go away.  I have checked it and the drive oil is just at the first thread on the inside.

Dade22

[VirginiaJim]

You could just drain it and bring the level to about a 1/4 inch below the rim and see what happens then.  There isn't that much fluid in the rear drive to begin with.

[B.D.F.]

That is a relatively slow leak; some leak badly enough to leave a puddle on the wheel and spill down the tire onto the ground. My leak was caused by a failed inner seal.

Brian

Anyone have a photo of what the final drive seal leak looks like?  (ie oil everywhere)

Im still getting a little spin off that may just be from an over fill.  Just not sure how long it takes for the excess to go away.  I have checked it and the drive oil is just at the first thread on the inside.

Dade22

[lather]

Sorry I have no picture but I can describe what my overfill caused leak looked like in contrast to Brain's pic. There was no sign of oil on the wheel hub. Also the oil on the wheel rim was in a definete circumferential streak pattern as opposed to the splatter  pattern you see in the pic.

[Dade22]

That is a relatively slow leak; some leak badly enough to leave a puddle on the wheel and spill down the tire onto the ground. My leak was caused by a failed inner seal.

Brian

WOW...mine is no where close to what your photo shows.  Only a tiny few streaks from the hub area and tiny ones on the rim.   I dont think I over filled it but was wondering if you did would it push out the seals when heated up from driving it.

If so would the seals have to be changed out after that happened?


Dade22