I am new to my 749 and was in today getting it knocked down to do the belts, service items and a few other jobs and have found it is leaking oil. The oil cooler fins are quite clogged with oil gunge but doesn't seem to be leaking itself. Obviously leaking from a long way forwards though. The engine is generally a bit oily but no really obvious dripping (with the engine off currently) Once i get the engine back together i can clean it and then run it up and see what i find in the way of leaks but i didn't know if it looked familiar to anyone in advance so i can pre-order the required spares. Have attached a picture below hopefully. It is giving me a cam cover gasket feeling or the sealing washers that seal its retaining bolts. Any thoughts gratefully received
The flanged nuts holding the cam cover down have seals underneath. All of them on my 999 were weeping when I got it and needed replacing. Worth checking the crankcase breather is not clogged too as it can cause a weep at any weak point.
I hope it is a simple as rocker covers or crankcase breather/crankcase breather tube connections, but for some reason I immediately thought of the capillary/siphon phenomenon that can happen with the alternator to regulator loom. you might be able to rule this out early because it's not in that vicinity and obviously this should be the last one on your checklist if all else fails.
Good thought Chris, I had this on my 999 too. It's unlikely as the Oil surfaces again at the White connector block which is under the horizontal cylinder to the Port side. Further back than the area shown. But could be misting and coming forward.
I’d wager it’s from the valve train cover to cylinder head interface, regardless of the fact there’s a gasket there. Take it apart, clean it up and apply a smear of 3Bond 1215 (or equivalent) to the gasket mating faces. That will prevent a reoccurrence.
The ‘stud’ circled should be a bolt. I have seen occasional oil weeps from this on my bike if it is not correctly tightened.
Just had a bit of a look and it’s really hard to tell as the air moving through the fairing has distributed it fairly evenly by the looks of things
good to know I think i should get a set as a matter of course so I can swap them when it is clean, ta
Ok, the mount for the ignition coil? It shows as a stud and nut on the exploded diagram, are you saying change it to a bolt to seal better? Thanks for feedback
Both my 749Rs have a bolt rather than a stud securing the coil. Not sure if that's standard but that's what they came with.
No, he means the flanged nuts that secure the valve train cover to the head. They have a green viton washer underneath. That washer perishes with age and can leak. Part 7 is the nut, part 8 is the washer.
I agree, I would be replacing the green viton washers and the gasket too (part#9) as it becomes stiff with age, mine leaked from there too, simple enough job to replace. Ps: I seem to remember it was tricky getting the gasket to seat correctly, so one to check...
its a bit weird though is the vert cylinder fine? are oil leaks from failing / failed gasket and orings that common? only @Nasher so far and quite a few have niners
I’ve not seen many of that style engine eg Teststretta and then Panigale leak from the viton washers but leaking from the gasket where the valve train cover and cylinder head meet is fairly common, I’d say 30-40% of bikes I’ve serviced over the past few years. It’s It’s almost always the H cylinder that’s the culprit (I dare the V cyl would too if pysics were different) as the oil pools, when the engine isn’t running, just behind the lowermost part of the gasket; any weakness and it finds its way out.
fair enough. i guess my personal experience is different. ive got 2 low milers (was 3) that dont get much use ie rubber stuff gets hard and the oldest is 2004 and the newest was 2007 and only the 06 track bike may have had its gasket replaced when replacing gaskets would you do both vert and horiz cylinders as a matter of course and the washers?
All the Vitron washers on both cam covers on my 999 were weeping rather than gushing when I got it, but I'm convinced somebody had not replaced them when they'd had the cover off previously. The rubber seal/gasket (part 9 above) was leaking inside the Cambelt tunnel on the Vertical cylinder and coming out lower down. I replaced everything with new, the main rubber seals were a little bit of a shock cost wise from memory, but have not leaked since. Note. When I brought my 999 as a crashed project it was leaking Oil from: All the cam cover fasteners Vertical cylinder cam cover seal Crankcase breather body Reg/Rec Connector Clutch Pushrod seal Sump Drain plug The previous owner had crashed it on a track day when it slid away from him. I'm convinced some of the Oil was finding it's way onto the rear tyre.
No, I do not mean those. My suggestion related to the coil attachment stud (Item 28 in your diagram) - both my bikes have a cap head bolt and washer attaching this, rather than the stud indicated.
