Oil Leak happening right now…

[bwdurham]

Happening right now… Got to work and oil starting draining off the bottom of my fairing. The hose pictured (tucked on the left side fairing) is what the oil is coming from. It looks like it was sheared off? Any ideas? Thanks in advance for your help (comments).

 

[RossKean]

Sure its not fuel?

 

[bwdurham]

Sure its not fuel?

I don’t think so. It’s brown and doesn’t have a gasoline smell. There’s a sponge attached to the left fairing under the oil filter. It was saturated with oil.

 

[RossKean]

I don’t think so. It’s brown and doesn’t have a gasoline smell. There’s a sponge attached to the left fairing under the oil filter. It was saturated with oil.

Looks like a tank vent or tank overflow. Can't really tell where it comes from. No chance that oil is coming from that hose. The sponge on the left often gets saturated when oil changes are done if the mechanic isn't careful. One possibility is that the oil filter wasn't tightened properly or the wrong one was used. Common issue for some Bosch, Purolator or other brand filters not sealing properly due to a redesign. The baseplate on some of these is convex rather than concave and the plate makes contact before the gasket seals fully. A leak is common in these instances.

 

[harper]

That hose is the radiator overflow line. Oil is not coming out of it, it's dripping off of it. I wonder if it's coming from the oil filter or oil filter gasket. I try my best to keep oil off that line and the little sponge when I replace the oil filter but never seem to succeed. See that the oil filter is at least hand tight.

 

[Ignacio]

Really hard to guess from a picture that isn't of the actual oil source. It's going to require inspection, looking for obvious sources of the leak, wiping off oil, etc. I agree that it's more likely an obvious thing like a loose oil filter, plug, or cap and would start there.

 

[Rogue]

If it was coming from that hose the outside of the hose probably wouldn't be wet, it looks like it is leaking from somewhere else onto that hose.

 

[bwdurham]

Looks like a tank vent or tank overflow. Can't really tell where it comes from. No chance that oil is coming from that hose. The sponge on the left often gets saturated when oil changes are done if the mechanic isn't careful. One possibility is that the oil filter wasn't tightened properly or the wrong one was used. Common issue for some Bosch, Purolator or other brand filters not sealing properly due to a redesign. The baseplate on some of these is convex rather than concave and the plate makes contact before the gasket seals fully. A leak is common in these instances.

Got the left fairings off. The hose is definitely coming from the coolant tank overflow. Guessing I need to change out the radiator coolant… Curious what would cause it to overflow that tank overflow?

 

[bwdurham]

This is the hose that was discharging. I think @RossKean got it right that the sponge was already saturated with oil from a previous service. There is literally not a leak anywhere else on the engine.

 

[Oldjeep]

Looks to me like your oil filter is leaking.

 

[Panman]

I was wondering if it has an outie instead of an innie oil filter mount?

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Firstly clean the area well and have a look around there from where this liquid comes Also it is easy to comfirm what liquid is,coolant or oil...

 

[harper]

I was wondering if it has an outie instead of an innie oil filter mount?

This is an excellent point. I thought, however, that outies start to leak immediately after installing them.

 

[Whooshka]

BTW that hose was not "sheared off". Overflow and vent hoses are usually cut at angles to produce a venturi effect to aid scavenging.

 

[bwdurham]

Looks like a tank vent or tank overflow. Can't really tell where it comes from. No chance that oil is coming from that hose. The sponge on the left often gets saturated when oil changes are done if the mechanic isn't careful. One possibility is that the oil filter wasn't tightened properly or the wrong one was used. Common issue for some Bosch, Purolator or other brand filters not sealing properly due to a redesign. The baseplate on some of these is convex rather than concave and the plate makes contact before the gasket seals fully. A leak is common in these instances.

So I emptied the radiator and it was brown and smelled like burnt soy sauce. No telling how long it’s been in there. I poured 4 gallons of distilled water through it until it came out clear. I’ve replaced the drain bolt, filled it with coolant and ran it until the fans came on. Currently waiting for it to cool off so I can check the coolant level and top it off if necessary (learned that on a 2wheel obsession YouTube video).

 

[Whooshka]

So it wasn't oil leaking on the ground?

 

[bwdurham]

So it wasn't oil leaking on the ground?

No, it was burned up coolant that boiled out. The bike is 17 years old and that’s about how old the coolant looked.

 

[Whooshka]

Wow!!!! I've never seen coolant like that before. Good job getting it all figured out.

 

[Oldjeep]

I wonder what that type of coolant is? Both my FZ1 and FJR had some weird smelling brown coolant in them when I bought them - soy sauce sounds about right. Always figured that it was one of those oddball things like water wetter or some other overpriced thing since both PO's were people who putzed with the bikes more than they rode them.

 

[Earlofcrankcase]

Hard to believe from the pics. Then again my puddle of vintage coolant wasn't sitting in the sun when I found it. (the next day.)
Yes, you're not the only idiot that's done this!
Tell me, did this happen right after some sustained recreational speeding?
My guess is the leak is from a hose to the water pump that's more directly accessed from the starboard side.
If it's not too late, buy some new hose before you ruin that pricey Yamaha hose clamp trying to stop a leak that will not stop.
Then again I read you had it up to temp and have not returned.
PS. Where you buy that new hose is up to you? My auto parts store worked out fine for me and this fix is only temporary anyway. Right?