Oil Leak - 96 M900

[dropstharockalot]

Two photos showing where the oil was coming from:






Brief recounting of the saga:
Rode to work Friday.  Topped oil off (just under Max Fill line on right-side crankcase window).
Washed Saturday (loooong overdue - runs much better when clean  ).
Took out Sunday for about 70 miles, ran like a top.  Wrung it out pretty good.  No oil leaks spotted during ride or after.
Rode to work Monday, no issues on ride in.
Rode to lunch Monday, no issues on ride out or back in.
Rode home Monday PM.  Opened it up once to merge, no other high rev action. Spotted the leak while riding (checked down at stoplight). 

The leak was enough to put a small pool on the top of the case above the oil filler cap.  Light streaks showed on the clutch cover from windblown oil, but most of the oil was running down the right side of the case.  Enough oil had gotten down to the bottom of the case that a few drops had blown back and struck the outside of the rear tire.  I toweled off the case and the small pool, and haven't been back out on it since.  I haven't noticed a leak since I parked - it has not been run, and has been leaning left on the sidestand.

I don't know if the oil was coming from where the nut torques down to the case, or from the plastic inside the boot.

Also, I do not believe oil is coming from anywhere else - the breather area is clean, the filter area is clean, nothing near the cylinders or heads, etc...

Please speculate as to causes, and share similar experiences and fixes.

Thanks in advance.

DTRAL

[ducpainter]

Replace the sender.

I've seen the plastic part blow right off.

[Speeddog]

Replace the sender.

I've seen the plastic part blow right off.

How high does the oil fly? 

[ducpainter]

How high does the oil fly? 

High enough to shut down Barber Motorsports park for several hours.

[dropstharockalot]

Replace the sender.

I've seen the plastic part blow right off.

Sounds like something I'd rather not experience...

Time to (further) reveal my ignorance - if I call the awesome parts guy at Indy Ducati, is he going to know what the "sender" is, or is there another, more-official name for that part?

Thanks again,

DTRAL

[ducpainter]

Sounds like something I'd rather not experience...

Time to (further) reveal my ignorance - if I call the awesome parts guy at Indy Ducati, is he going to know what the "sender" is, or is there another, more-official name for that part?

Thanks again,

DTRAL

That is the oil pressure sender...

he should be able to figure it out. AFAIK all Ducs use the same one.

[dropstharockalot]

Cool.

Pretty simple to swap out?

[ducpainter]

Cool.

Pretty simple to swap out?

To be honest I've never had to.

I can't imagine it being any more difficult than unscrew the old one and screw in the new one.

This sender uses a sealing washer rather than tapered threads. You might want to pick up a new washer also.

[dropstharockalot]

Sounds like good advice.

Stay tuned for results...

[Slide Panda]

To be honest I've never had to.

I can't imagine it being any more difficult than unscrew the old one and screw in the new one.

This sender uses a sealing washer rather than tapered threads. You might want to pick up a new washer also.

Yep - it's that simple.  The seal on my sender crapped out coming home from Deals gap late last year.  To remove it, just unhook the electrical lead and unscrew it.  Replacing it is as simple as reversing that - subbing in your new sealing washer.  I don't have my manual handy - but the torque speck is around 17 Nm *if* I remember correctly. 

When you talk to your parts guy - just be sure to mention the year of your bike.  The connection looks different than mine (2000 M 900)

[Speeddog]

I've seen 2 kinds on Monsters, yours appears to be the early style.

Later ones have a 'sealed' connector.

[ducpainter]

Looks just like mine...seein' as they're both 96s.

[Norm]

I throw those out and put a mechanical guage in it's place. Wanna free one?

[dropstharockalot]

Um, yes, please!  PM sent.

///what does that do to my electricals?  I just have an oil sensor light on the dash that never goes out?

[dropstharockalot]

Update:

Received a new part from Indy Ducati.  The box indicated that it was a "98 M900 Sensor," and it looked very different from my original:


New part left, old part right.

The metal base with the threaded end fit the existing hole perfectly (despite the longer threaded end), but the "chimney" part of the sensor was much taller, and the new part also had several smaller components, so I was apprehensive - the old part was a one-piece deal. 






I tried out the new part, and it screwed into the case just fine so I decided to assemble the whole thing.  I got it clipped together, slid the rubber boot down over the whole shebang.  Finished product:



I rode it to work, drip-free, Thursday.  On the ride home, I put it through the paces - no oil escaping.

I'm guessing I'm in the clear at this point.