Friday afternoon @ the dealer for my oil change. And, now there's an oil leak.

[Greg H.]

Sure enough! Oil is dripping right under the engine below the drain plug. Very slowly... But, it's obviously leaking. I noticed yesterday afternoon there was a little puddle. I cleaned it up. Then; I fired up the Spyder to idle a few minutes. And, about 30 minutes later; a few drops appear.

Perfect! And, this morning, there is more. $130 for this! Gotta Love it! I'm thinking they probably didn't replace the seal. Who knows? But, it pisses me off! Now; I cannot possibly get back to the dealer until next Saturday. And, of course, that's weather permitting.

Oh well.

 

[bjt]

Similar situation happened to a friend of ours who rode to Valcourt with us last spring. He noticed the oil drip on the second day of our trip and wanted to take care of it rather than buy another quart of oil and checking / refilling at every stop. He ended up just tightening the oil drain plug just a touch more and the oil drip stopped. The larger allen wrench in the BRP toolkit fits the drain plugs. You'll probably need a small length of pipe to stick on the end of the allen wrench to get some more torque to tighten the drain plug a bit.

 

[Greg H.]

Similar situation happened to a friend of ours who rode to Valcourt with us last spring. He noticed the oil drip on the second day of our trip and wanted to take care of it rather than buy another quart of oil and checking / refilling at every stop. He ended up just tightening the oil drain plug just a touch more and the oil drip stopped. The larger allen wrench in the BRP toolkit fits the drain plugs. You'll probably need a small length of pipe to stick on the end of the allen wrench to get some more torque to tighten the drain plug a bit.

Yeah! I was thinking about putting a wrench on it myself. And, in fact; it was the day after... I'll let you know. Thanks for the input.

 

[NancysToy]

I'd certainly hold the dealer responsible, especially if he charged you for seals. Lean on him to make it right. Maybe he will learn the error of his ways! I'm betting on washer reuse, too. Mine had a ridge in it at the last oil change, and I replaced it. Be careful tightneing, especially if you choose to use a "cheater". Easy to strip out the crankcase threads, then you are screwed. Use of a torque wrench is best. The dealer may not have done so, and could have left it a bit loose. Best to check the tightness. Drips are not really serious things. Not like a continuous stream. You probably won't even notice a change in oil level in a week. If I worried about every time my vintage Triumph dribbled on the floor, I would be in a mental ward. You may consider accepting it for the moment, until the dealer makes amends. Monitor the oil level in the meantime.
-Scotty

 

[Questions]

Definetly going to be one of the copper drain plug gaskets. If they are not replaced, chances are good it's going to leak. Higher torque values are not the answer, it should seal at the specified torque, there is a problem.

 

[NancysToy]

Definetly going to be one of the copper drain plug gaskets. If they are not replaced, chances are good it's going to leak. Higher torque values are not the answer, it should seal at the specified torque, there is a problem.

:agree:

 

[Roaddog2]

:agree:also

:agree:

 

[Greg H.]

I'm trying to verify if the leak is still there after lightly putting the wrench to both plugs. I think it is.

And, I know they did not replace those crushable washers.

 

[NancysToy]

I'm trying to verify if the leak is still there after lightly putting the wrench to both plugs. I think it is.

And, I know they did not replace those crushable washers.

That is almost certainly your problem. You might want to remind the dealer that the factory specified procedure includes changing both washers and the O-ring. Reuse is sometimes possible, but not always, as you have found. Close inspection can often give you a better chance of reuse without a leak, but not always. Then it's too late. Another thing I have found is that if you are scheduling service at the dealer, have him order in both washers and the O-ring ahead of time. Very few seem to have all three in stock. My dealer has never once had everything needed! The copper washers are two different ones, BTW. Not the same part number for both. Also verify that a filter is available. Some dealers ran out early on. Good news is that this is a dry sump system. You can start the engine to pump the sump back to the tank, pull the drain plug, and replace the washer, without losing all the oil. Then you can top it off, instead of a complete oil change. Of course I would just let it dribble until my next change, but I ride leaky old Triumphs, so I'm used to that. Maybe you can pretend it's a Harley for a while.
-Scotty

 

[Greg H.]

no more leak. :thumbup: