IBR Help! Leaking Rear Drive

[karstenp]

Need some urgent help! On my way out to the start of the IBR. Sometime in the last 140 miles my rear drive started leaking oil. Pictures below. The rear wheel was clean this morning and when I stopped at Iggy's, I noticed some oil drips on the rear wheel. Below are some pictures? Any idea what is leaking. Is this a fatal failure that will prevent me from starting in the IBR without repairs? Suggestions? Ideas? Recommendations? I am currently in Pasco, WA. The bike is an 07 with 28,000 miles.

Noticed an 05 in Iggy's gargage. Will a Gen 1 rear diff fit a Gen II?

 

[juniorfjr]

You are about 20 miles from Desert Valley Powersports, the difinitive answer could be found there. They are the best.

 

[Ignacio]

Picture's blocked from where I'm at, but my experience has been that leaks look worse than they are. But, starting out the IBR with a known dripper doesn't help one's stress level any.

I believe final drives bolt up fine, but I believe Gen 1 are geared one tooth different and would make your RPM 200-300 higher at cruise speed. Or was it in the engine they changed the ratio? And..now I'm thinking about it...did they lengthen the final drive between Gens? Hmm.

Just remember that my '05 FD has never been touched and has 135,000 on it. And it may have a tiny bit of a leak to it too...I've noticed a little oil patch on it over the past year. You want to swap you can.

 

[SkooterG]

Kerry, that doesn't look bad to me at all. Really. I know it's easy for me to say, but a little leaked oil goes a long way. It's not unusual for final drive oil to 'weep' past seals. I have ridden with weeping seals for tens of thousands of miles. And just got a dirty wheel. Mine would come and go. Sometimes would weep, most of the time it wouldn't. I can't say for certain that is your case, but is sure looks like it.

There are five potential places that can leak on an FJR's final drive. Four seals and one O-ring. Two seals are on the driveshaft side of things and result in oil weeping out through the weephole on the swingarm, and two seals and an O-ring that are on the center/ or hub side of things that would weep down the final drive where it connects to the wheel and gather at the bottom of the final drive. At this point it *may* be difficult to find parts in time to effect a repair.

Yes, final drives are interchangeable between ALL years of FJRs. Gen I and Gen IIs are geared the same as far as I know. The difference in the gearing between the two Gens are in the transmission.

For more info, Clicky Here.

Again, based on what I see and my experience, I really would not be too worried about it. Clean it up and see how it goes.

 

[ssfd110]

+1 on what Skoot said. My Gen 2 has been leaking for around 35K. Enjoy your ride!

 

[Warchild]

Normally, I would echo Skooter's comments here... however....

Me really no likee the amount of fluid I see on the lower pumpkin itself, *if* indeed that seepage is fresh from 40 miles ago.

If *all* of those dots of fluid on your rim, along with the visible fluid on the pumpkin, are truly only 40 miles old... this is excessive, IMO.

Don't **** around. Take Iggy's final drive. Do it tonight.... it'll take just 30 minutes tops. Dead serious. This is NOT something you need to fret about here over the next two weeks.

Word.

 

[mattster31]

I experienced a similar amount of seepage last year on my trip to the dragon. Mind you the temps were well above 100 at the time so I wrote it off to the high temps. It stopped as soon as I got home and has not done it since. But it's no fun to worry about it. Borrow Iggy's.......totally cool of him to offer. Props :clapping:

 

[DaJuice]

He is on his way to Desert Valley Power Sports to see what they can do. He cleaned it just before leaving the house to see what happens over the 30 mile ride to the dealer. We've been eyeballing Matt's Spare but not liking the comment about his potentially weeping too.

Warchild, he cleaned it last night and it was clean and he put 140 on this morning before he arrived, does 140 vs 40 change your opinion?

 

[SkooterG]

You know, Iggy may have a point about the difference in the length of the swingarms between the two Generations of FJRs. I think there is an excellent chance that they are NOT interchangeable.

Part #s are different also:

Gen I final drive assembly: 5JW-W4612-00-00

Gen II final drive assembly: 3P6-W4612-30-00

I would NOT assume they are interchangeable. I would lean towards them NOT being so at this point. So Iggy's would be out.

 

[Ignacio]

Perry's back after talking to Mike at DVP at length. Mike had talked with Yamaha at length before about this and it's normal. Something about a small galley that oil does go out on, but when it mixes with water from heavy rains...then comes out when you get into a dry place...or something like that.

Regardless, Perry's calm and cool about it now.

 

[Warchild]

Warchild, he cleaned it last night and it was clean and he put 140 on this morning before he arrived, does 140 vs 40 change your opinion?

Not really.

Yamaha is right to a point; many of us see this type of issue on our final drive... but I still don't like the amount I see with a mere 140 miles.

 

[Patriot]

mine looks just like that

I used to try to get as much in with a slight bubble above the fill hole, and it would seep more

Now I don't sweat it, put in "enough" and button it up...I still get some seepage, but no effects as far as I have experienced

in the last 40k miles. I guess I change it maybe every 15k miles as it's really easy and is cheap because it takes so little gear oil

at each fill.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Need some urgent help!I noticed some oil drips on the rear wheel.

Suggestions? Ideas? Recommendations?

You are about 20 miles from Desert Valley Powersports, the difinitive answer could be found there. They are the best.

...Sometimes would weep, most of the time it wouldn't.

Perry's back after talking to Mike at DVP at length. Mike had talked with Yamaha at length before about this and it's normal.

It is a "weep" hole -- put there for 'weeping'.

One suggestion: maybe? use MamaYama's FJR-specified rear-drive oil (if you're not?) -- they may, actually, know something there...?

(and, don't over-fill the rear-drive)

Good luck.

 

[huron52]

Perry's back after talking to Mike at DVP at length. Mike had talked with Yamaha at length before about this and it's normal. Something about a small galley that oil does go out on, but when it mixes with water from heavy rains...then comes out when you get into a dry place...or something like that.

Regardless, Perry's calm and cool about it now.

When I talked to Perry yesterday he did mention that he rode through a LOT of rain.

As for Perry being calm and cool.... really? The Cool and calm is just about to start :lol:

 

[ChrisW]

I noticed some oil drips on the rear wheel. Below are some pictures? Any idea what is leaking. Is this a fatal failure that will prevent me from starting in the IBR without repairs? Suggestions? Ideas? Recommendations?

My Dad's an old Harley guy. He always told me "you don't need to worry about it 'til it STOPS leaking."

I'd run it, but I probably wouldn't have noticed it in the first place.

Whatever you decide to do, you've got a parts bike in Maine.

Good luck.

 

[karstenp]

Hey guys,

Apologize for not getting back to you all sooner. I spent this afternoon taking a run up to Desert Valley Power Sports and getting my tires/oil changed. At Desert Valley Power Sports I talked to a great mechanic named Mike. Mike assured me that all is ok. I cleaned the wheel before heading up to Desert Valley. It was about a 60 mile round trip and there was no apparent oil leakage onto the wheel after the ride. Makes no sense to me on what is going on..... At this point I have decided to ride to Seattle tomorrow and monitor the wheel and weep hole.

Thanks to all for responding. I will update tomorrow night from Seattle.

Perry

 

[Warchild]

It was about a 60 mile round trip and there was no apparent oil leakage onto the wheel after the ride.

Awesome, this is happy news.... if you had a significant issue, 60 miles would still show it.

I happen to be going to DVP this afternoon - I'll chat with Mike Luke, who is about the most experienced FJR tech in the Pacific Northwest... y'all are lucky to have him to consult with.

 

[karstenp]

It was about a 60 mile round trip and there was no apparent oil leakage onto the wheel after the ride.

Awesome, this is happy news.... if you had a significant issue, 60 miles would still show it.

I happen to be going to DVP this afternoon - I'll chat with Mike Luke, who is about the most experienced FJR tech in the Pacific Northwest... y'all are lucky to have him to consult with.

Appreciate you taking the time to further discuss with Mike.

I was blown away by Mike's knowledge. He spent some time with me and even opened up some manuals to show me the drive internals and explain why he was not concerned. You Washington guys are fortunate to have him.

Thoroughly cleaned the rear wheel/drive area for the ride to Seattle. The 200+ mile ride today should give me a feel for what I can expect going forward. After chatting with Mike, I am focusing my energy on "other" rally thoughts for the moment....

 

[huron52]

Go get them Perry! :yahoo: