ticker ride home

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Well after the snowfall in the upper hillls around the Bay Area of San Francisco the day was sunny. So I ran over and picked up the repaired ticker. Sounded good, got on the road lots more acceleration and power. I guess riding it for about 18 months and 14,000 miles after tick was noticed takes it toll. Real happy with the dealer and the way it was repaired after go through the hassle of authorization to fix it.

Got it home, parked it for a couple of hours on the side stand. Went back in the garage and noticed some oil on the floor under the big round side cover. Looked into the fairing over the front of the headers and could see a film of oil on the front of the motor. WTF!!!! Being on the side stand the oil probably found a way down. Don't know where it is comimg from. So either I wait for more oil to drip or take it as whatever and wait and see if it keeps leaking. Damn! But it felt good on the road. I guess it will get a return trip to the dealer. You would think they would have run it long enough to notice the oil under the bike or look for gasket leaks. Probably put all the plastic on before checking.

Any clues or theories.

 

[TheAxeman]

They didn't use Harley parts did they??

Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. I would DEFINITELY bring it back to the dealer immediately and have them nip it in the bud, as TWN would say, before you end up having another headache.

 

[Bugnatr]

Oil? ouch, that bites. Which dealer did you use? Five star? Good shop should make it right. Good luck. PS the snow is still falling in the hills around Grass Valley.

 

[Toecutter]

Real happy with the dealer and the way it was repaired...noticed some oil on the floor under the big round side cover. Looked into the fairing over the front of the headers and could see a film of oil on the front of the motor. WTF!!!!

You're pretty easy to please.

But seriously, sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, Yamaha probably won't be reimbursing them to get it right from this point, which means they'll be losing money to work on it more. Sounds like you're in for some more headaches. Again, sorry...bummer.

 

[madmike2]

It could be something as simple as an oil line tht isnt tight enough (think banjo copper) or a pincehd valve cover gasket. Sorry, bud, but it goes back to be made right. It looks like you'll be on the Honda next Saturday?

 

[FlyingLow]

Here it is again: "The dealership mechanics screwed it up!"

There's just no end to this.

So hopefully it's only a valve cover gasket that wasn't seated properly. Very likely something like this that could be caught after a test ride before releasing the bike back to the customer.

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

So I started it up in the garage again on the center stand. Put some blue paper shop towels under the bike and let it get warm with some throttle blips etc for a bout 10 minutes. Checked engine parts for oil, no fresh oil. Put it on the side stand and left it overnight. No oil on the paper towel, nada, not one drip. What's up? Supposed to be decent weather tomorrow so I will take it back and have the dealer take the plastic off and look at it. More wasted time.

Could it have just been some excess oil? Guess I will find out tomorrow.

 

[MCRIDER007]

  Could it have just been some excess oil? Guess I will find out tomorrow.

It could have been some oil that was the result of the taking the head off or there may have been a leak that the dealership caught and fixed. It sounds like you need to take another ride and check it out before you take it back to the dealership.

 

[Bugnatr]

Test ride again before going back to dealer. If no leaks - party on!

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Took it out again for about 15 minutes and got it home and more drips. Without taking off the plastic if I look just above the header on 1 and to the right I can see a film of fresh oil. So I would take it it is coming from the head gasket on that side. back to the dealer tomorrow. Drats! You would think I would be more upset but I have come this far with the ticker so a few more little details ain't that bad. I guess?

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Called the dealer today. He thinks its a valve cover gasket on the left side. Said they are a rubber oring type. Any input to what it could be beside a head gasket of valve cover gasket. Will take it back in tomorrow.

 

[Toecutter]

Called the dealer today. He thinks its a valve cover gasket on the left side. Said they are a rubber oring type. Any input to what it could be beside a head gasket of valve cover gasket. Will take it back in tomorrow.

They should damn well know what it was when they give it back to you, again. It shouldn't be leaking now. I guess subpar has become the accepted norm lately. How many bikes are leaky straight out of the crate? (Yamaha's, that is...) I sure hope mine gets put back together without extra parts or new oil vents, but I'm not real confident.

 

[Warchild]

Called the dealer today. He thinks its a valve cover gasket on the left side. Said they are a rubber oring type. Any input to what it could be beside a head gasket of valve cover gasket. Will take it back in tomorrow.

Probably unlikely that the head gasket is the problem. My suspicion is that the dealer is correct; most likely, the valve cover gasket is the culprit.

The leak could be anywhere along the valve cover where they inadvertantly "rolled" the o-ring style gasket when it was installed. Sadly, it is not uncommon that the rubber portion that is not aligned properly gets "pinched" when they tighten the cover to spec, typically resulting in the gasket getting ruined. Replacement is the only real option at that point.

If this turns out to be the case, let's hope the gasket isn't on back order.

Also - there are two little rubber "half-moons" at the end of the valve cover gasket that sometimes don't get seated correctly during installation, so that might be the problem here.

Good luck.... please keep us appraised of the outcome.

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Well the problem has been diagnosed and fixed. Valve cover was seeping. Said the gasket didnt look like it has been crucshed or misaligned but replaced anyway. I am leaving to pick it up now.

 

[Toecutter]

Well the problem has been diagnosed and fixed. Valve cover was seeping. Said the gasket didnt look like it has been crucshed or misaligned but replaced anyway.

So, IF they used a new gasket the first time (shouldn't they have?) and didn't screw it up, what makes them think it will stop leaking now? Sounds like a good way to save face without admitting fault, but I'm just cynical these days.

Just put in my weekly pathetic call to the service manager where my bike has been for 5 weeks now. The latest- The machine shop broke the special valve guide seating tool they had on hand for FJR valve guides so they had to get another. I sure hope THOSE aren't on backorder as well. Bottom line- no bike this week. Maybe by next weekend. :***: :***:

You'd think I'd eventually quit getting my hopes up and just wait until they call me to come get it. I guess I'm just hopelessly optomistic that way. Or, maybe I feel that they won't just forget about working on it if I keep lovingly bugging them. Yeah, that's it. Where's that confounded Ambien?

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Sorry to hear it. Mine took five weeks and one return trip. By nowI am happy to just get er done. Just a question. How many valves? Exhaust side? Intake side? Was looking over the parts list on the tick repair. Inquiring mind would like to see what they really did. I am clueless but it seems to me there are some intake items on the list. Is there anyway to scan and load the part and labor list? I will put it up if someone can tell me how.

 

[fretbender]

Toecutter/fjrvtx1300s,

Where are/did you guys get/ting your repair done?

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

G.P. Sports in Santa Clara, Ca. One is also being done for the scond time in a year or so at G.P. sports in Cambell. Owned by the same just different locations. Except for the leaky valve cover gasket they were real accomadating. After getting the iniatial o.k. to fix it , it went real smooth. Recommended to me by a well known LD rider from the area.

 

[Toecutter]

Toecutter/fjrvtx1300s,Where are/did you guys get/ting your repair done?

Mine's getting done at Wilson's in Fresno CA. Great service department from what I can tell so far. The delays have not been their fault and the process with diagnosing and getting authorization every step of the way is just time consuming. I would imagine a record tick repair would be about three weeks, mine will take six at minimum. I figured about eight weeks when I took it in, which is why I did it when I did it, before the best weather and group riding season gets into high gear. It just sucks major ass to have to wait again and be without the bike I have been on for the last 14,000 wide-ass grinnin' miles. Every little new surprise (delay) is like a dagger into my anticipation. If mine leaks when I get it home I am going to go [SIZE=21pt]OFF![/SIZE] Luckily, Wilson's has a track record of a previous trouble-free tick repair .