oil leaks and silicone... to open or not that is the question!

[cmejia1978]

hi! well me again, after finding all the possible leaks on the lower part of the motor of my 620ie 2002 I would like to know what should I do? I mean, I have the special silicone for high temps, so do I apply it out side the motor or do I have to open the motor to apply it like just between the gaps of the motor areas affected by leaks or what? Help before I start unscrewing things  since I am going to change the oil, I should drain all the oil first, at least that is what my common sense tell me, or?

Thank you! 

[Ddan]

Applying sealant to the outside of the motor won't do anything to help you

[FrankenDuc]

How bad are the leaks?

If they're just sort of quietly seeping, I tend to leave them, clean them off frequently and just keep an eye on them...  They're a good indicator of if I need to add oil, the drips stop, I'm out of oil and need to add some  

[Jarvicious]

What he said ^^^

It depends on which part of the motor.  I'm a shade tree mechanic just because I enjoy electronic and mechanical repair, but I'm always exceedingly apprehensive before undertaking something major: right up until I do it.

I just had the side cover of my motor off to replace my fried stator, and pulling it can easily be done in a day with about $30 in parts.  If it's a severe leak that's going to cause issues on longer trips, just bite the bullet and do it.  If it's the occasional drip, you're probably ok but I personally don't like putting it off. 

[cmejia1978]

Actually is a drop every-time I park the bike, I assume on the way I might drop 1 or 2 too, but not more than 1 drop been parked! so do I or don't I ?

Thank you! 

[zooom]

1st...I assume you have already exercised the idea of just taking an allen wrench and trying to just generally check/retighten all of the casing hardware?

if so...and if you feel adventurous...then your next step is to take the casing off, and clean all of the old gasket material off, and then while it is drying...you take a trip to your local VW or Audi dealer and pick up some sealant pt# D-176-404-A2 which MSRP's for $27.50, which is alot, but should be enough to reseal several motors...apply the sealant and then reinstall the casing and the leak will be fixed!

[Speeddog]

1st...I assume you have already exercised the idea of just taking an allen wrench and trying to just generally check/retighten all of the casing hardware?

+1, that's the first thing to do.

if so...and if you feel adventurous...then your next step is to take the casing off, and clean all of the old gasket material off, and then while it is drying...you take a trip to your local VW or Audi dealer and pick up some sealant pt# D-176-404-A2 which MSRP's for $27.50, which is alot, but should be enough to reseal several motors...apply the sealant and then reinstall the casing and the leak will be fixed!

I use Threebond 1194, works very well.

[lazylightnin717]

Just some stuff to consider....

I had to replace a base gasket last winter. I used Yamabond or the equivalent of. After I applied it to the base gasket I realized something was wrong and fixed it. I then proceeded to put everything together only to find that I had a leak at the base gasket.

I went out and got another one, cleaned the area very well and buttoned everything up dry. No leak this time around.

The moral of this story is that the sealant can be finicky so if you decide to use it, make sure you do your research.

Not trying to scare anybody away from doing their own work. Just make sure that you have a plan and a thorough understanding of what you are doing.

Have fun.

[Dirty Duc]

I use Threebond 1194, works very well.

+1, and I work in my garage...

[cmejia1978]

ok, the big question is: what if... what if I need to open the main case... ? any detailed posts around on this? 

[Dirty Duc]

ok, the big question is: what if... what if I need to open the main case... ? any detailed posts around on this? 

The engine has to come out of the frame and come nearly completely apart.  Assuming you mean your bike is leaking along the centerline...

[FrankenDuc]

So...
Just exactly how bad is the leak?

If it is real bad (i.e. you can't make a 100mi ride cause you'll run out of oil..). then, you'll need to split the case and reseal it with some of those products you and all have mentioned...  In that case, many have mentioned some very fine products...   pick any, and use it well

Otherwise...
Tell me how bad you want to ride, and I'll tell you just how much oil I've left on the side of the road over the past season...

Go ride the snot out of it...

[Howie]

Before anything else, clean the whole engine real well and confirm exactly where the leak is coming from.  Clean, ride, inspect.  Still can't tell?  Clean, spray with aerosol foot powder, ride, inspect.  It would be a shame to split the cases to find the problem was a leaking valve inspection cover.

[Dirty Duc]

What howie and frank said is good advice... a dot on the ground isn't that big of a deal, and certainly not worth splitting the cases over.  Just check the oil before you ride and top off as necessary.  Synthetic sure spreads out pretty far on the ground.