Is this a crack in the casing?

[Ursa]

I just got back from a first decent run out since the service the other week, and am a bit worried. There's been the odd spot of oil the past week, but today there was this.

https://flic.kr/p/rCRKMF

Does this look like a crack in the casing or something sinister and expensive like that? Should I be looking at selling an organ to get it fixed? Am already speaking with Rosso Corse about replacing the clutch :eyepopping:

Am hoping it might be a bizarre road deposit!

[Yorkie]

Take off the sprocket cover, clean and de-grease the area then check really carefully in a good light.

It should be reasonably obvious if there is a crack.

Yorkie

[Ursa]

Thanks, I will have a proper clean and look tomorrow :)

[Dookbob]

What Yorkie says, It does look like gunge from the front sprocket.

[Ursa]

Great, thanks guys, am still quite new to all this, so I really appreciate the advice :)

[chris.p]

You say that it has just been serviced, maybe they overdid the chain lube ?

[Ursa]

Yep just serviced, with new chain and sprocket, about 3 weeks ago. I'd only done town running until today, when I got to go a proper run out up the motorway. Since last Wednesday, there's been the odd spot of black oil from under there on the floor, hence being a bit worried.

So I will give it a good clean tomorrow, then re-grease it I guess? Unless there's some crack showing.

[Nickj]

A crack would leak oil, runny and it would drip on the floor, you'd notice that... Chain lube is thick sticky stuff and tends to end up around the engine sprocket.


It's chain lube... No cracks... try a chain oiler

http://www.loobman.co.uk/index.asp
or
Scott oiler

[Ursa]

Ok thanks, I will have a look at those. I've had the odd spot of oil (black and runny) on the floor since Wednesday, then seeing the rest of that stuff today made me panic.

[chris.p]

One last question, how tight is the chain???

[bluestoesonnose]

Would suggest you have the same problem we have with our M750, either the NS cam cover is leaking or the base gasket on the rear pot is leaking, as you have the same amount of oil welling on the top of the case.

[Dukedesmo]

Hard to know when it's covered in chain gunk but there are two 'O' rings near the end of the clutch pushrod which, if they're shot will allow a small amount of oil to leak out of the pushrod behind the clutch slave cylinder.

A good clean would help...

[utopia]

Largely repeating what others have already said, but ......

How often do you lube the chain, and what with ?
Too much lube, or too often, or lube that's too thin, and it will accumulate behind the sprocket cover (it gets flung off the sprocket as it goes round).
My bike has a Scottoiler fitted, which does lube the chain rather freely, and I regularly need to remove the sprocket cover to clean out the accumulation of oil-drenched grit.
Better to have too much chain lube than not enough though.

The best, cheapest thing to clean that kind of oily gunge off with is paraffin, applied with a kids bristle paintbrush. Or use something like WD40 or GT85.
But scrape the worst out first with an old knife or something.
And a roll of cheap kitchen paper towels is dead handy for such jobs.

And, since you're new, are you aware of the importance of not over-tensioning the chain ?
As the suspension compresses, the chain is "stretched" slightly (because the swingarm pivot and the front sprocket are not on the same axis).
At least it would be stretched if there wasn't sufficient slack in it to allow for this.
And that would strain the bearing behind the sprocket, and ultimately it would fail, along with the oil seal.
I assume that this is what Chris is getting at.

[Ursa]

Thanks all. It's a new chain and sprocket fitted a month ago at Rosso Corse, along with the big service (belts etc). I did the "chain" lesson on my course last week, and know not to overtighten it and that there needs to be an amount of "play" halfway between the sprockets. I was told to clean and re-lube the chain if I had been out in the wet. Is this incorrect? Is there a mileage interval?

I am going to get the marigolds and kitchen towel out tonight and give it a good clean up, and see if there's anything obvious causing the other leak.

Again, thanks all for your assistance, I really do appreciate it :)

[Ursa]

I have just bought a tin of Muc Off chain lube, is this ok?

[slob]

Not familiar with that particular chain lube (but I have used their degreaser in the past)
Many of us have personal favourites but remember...
Almost any lube is better than no lube!

Every few hundred miles (weekly?) or when it rains, helps to lube the chain when you get back from a ride.
Firstly the chain is warm an the lube gets into it more efectively.
Secondly it gives the lube time to 'set', if you spray it on and then ride half of it ends up on the wheel rim.

[chris.p]

And, since you're new, are you aware of the importance of not over-tensioning the chain ?
As the suspension compresses, the chain is "stretched" slightly (because the swingarm pivot and the front sprocket are not on the same axis).
At least it would be stretched if there wasn't sufficient slack in it to allow for this.
And that would strain the bearing behind the sprocket, and ultimately it would fail, along with the oil seal.
I assume that this is what Chris is getting at.


Spot on utopia,
Many years ago I had some work done on my race CBR400, did not check it properly when I got ut back, after a race it felt odd, lo and behold, drive shaft bearing screwed, and leaking a litlle oil ����, well peeved ����

As Slob said, always lube my chain after a hard ride, always use Wurth Dry Lube, damn goid stuff with very littke fling ��

[Nickj]

Spot on utopia,
Many years ago I had some work done on my race CBR400, did not check it properly when I got ut back, after a race it felt odd, lo and behold, drive shaft bearing screwed, and leaking a litlle oil ����, well peeved ����

As Slob said, always lube my chain after a hard ride, always use Wurth Dry Lube, damn goid stuff with very littke fling ��

Putoline do a similar dry lube. works nicely and like the wurth is pretty much messy aftermath free.
I always used to like the PJ1 blue.

[Dirty]

I never bother with lube beyond the odd spray of WD40, but then I never ride it in the rain either.

[DrD]

I use the PTFE Dry Lube on the Ducati and Aprilia, which are warmer months bikes now.
The Trail bike is used in ALL conditions so i use the Putoline Ceramic (+Scott Oiler on that)
Neither give a big mess if applied to warm (ie just back from a ride) clean chain.
I use paraffin to clean the chain with a mixture of those neat little Muck-off brushes and whatever rags I pull from the rag box.

btw, I thought WD40 was bad for O and X-ring chains.
Nice guide on chain cleaning at: http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/

[yellowjonboy]

while your there check the clutch slave cylinder is not leaking fluid,a good scrub up de greasing chain gunge and look behind the front sprocket

[Ursa]

Thanks all, I have been downstairs and given the bike a scrub, cleaned and lubed the chain, and removed all the goo. I've dried it all off, and left it to stand on some kitchen towel to see if there are any more oily drips.

When I was cleaning, the oily deposits from the front end of the gear selecting rod (is that what it's called?) looked most like the drips I've noticed since last week. I will take it to college on Wednesday and get it up on a ramp for a closer look.

[slob]

The caveat with dry lubes is they won't neccesarily protect the chain from corrosion.

I never bother with lube beyond the odd spray of WD40, but then I never ride it in the rain either.

.... is the wrong answer! what kind of mileage do you get out of a chain and sprockets?

[Dirty]

.... is the wrong answer! what kind of mileage do you get out of a chain and sprockets?

It's the right answer because it's true, it's what I do. A friend of mine who has owned pretty much every Ducati worth having since the 90s and has ridden bikes all his life (he's 60) advised me to not bother with lube. Now I'd agree if you do high mileage (neither of us do, hence his advice as he knows I ride for fun on nice days only, not for commutes) you probably need to lube up regularly but I don't. I've done 4k on mine in 3 years and it wasn't new when I got it, probably the orig chain and sprocket in fact. It was fine but I've just replaced the lot anyway, not because it needed it but because it's good practice and it cost consumable money. Actually mainly because I wanted a lighter sprocket and it seemed the sensible thing to replace the chain. I can't speak for the prior owners regimes but the bike has 14k on it now I think and the old chain was fine. I've certainly seen nothing to make me want to change my practice and start lubing up beyond a bit of a clean with WD40 every now and then. I'll probably get a new chain every few years anyway, like I get new cambelts.

[Dookbob]

2 metal parts rubbing together under load will perform a " little bit " better with some lubrication between them. Trust me.

[jonzi]

I dont lube my chain either.

Lifes too short to lube a chain

[Dukedesmo]

I dont lube my chain either.

Lifes too short to lube a chain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K63AVSCPcSI

[Dirty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K63AVSCPcSI

https://youtu.be/6gLMSf4afzo :)

[chris.p]

I dont lube my chain either.

Lifes too short to lube a chain

Mmmm, think you will come unstuck BIG TIME doing DD and not lubing your chain Jonzi.

As a chain is used on a race bike it heats up to a heat that if a race bike sheds it's chain and if a marshall went pick it up straight away, the chain will burn into there hand, not nice, but also when it gets that hot it sheds its lube as well and the heat will dry it out if it is not and O ring chain, and as it cools condensation forms and then it rusts.

An un lubed race chain could cost you dearly,

1/ loss of BHP even a couple of bhp on a race bike that only makes 54bhp (class B)

2/ Chain breaks, your out of the race.

3/ Chain breaks, your out of the race and it can smash your crank case, weekend over, fit a stainless steel crank case saver.


All this, just because you did not lube your chain or check if your rear wheel is aligned correctly.

If you think I am joking or taking the p##s, pop over and see Jim Brian this weekend at Brands, he is running a class A bike, just ask him if you can spin his rear wheel while it is on the paddock stand, and then do the same to yours ;-)

[Ursa]

So got the bike up on a ramp tonight, cleaned all the undersides again, and had a look with proper lighting. It looks like the gasket is going on the clutch casing, as there was a fragment poking out and it seemed to be where the drippy black oil was coming from. And unrelated to the build up of chain goo after Sunday's thrash up and down the motorway.

Hopefully it will be ok for a month or so until the clutch gets replaced?

[Mr Gazza]

Ursa, the clutch lives on the other side of the engine.
It's the Alternator cover on the chain side. As far as i know there is no paper gasket under that cover, just sealer is used, but you will need a simple puller to get the cover off.

It's a very simple job once you have the puller and some gasket goo.

[Ursa]

Ahh! Blonde error! :) Thanks for that, seems a lot less sinister than drippy clutch issue

[DrD]

You will be needing some ThreeBond 1215 - http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=467&p=370070&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Adhesives%20&%20Sealants&gclid=CjwKEAjwxKSoBRCZ5oyy87DimEcSJADiWsvgGQ-2-Zf8Q_Hwec6axNzv7AvkjfyRXevXcN_GAz_MsBoCzXXw_wcB
You pay £5 more for it to come in a Ducati Labelled Tube: http://www.mdinaitalia.co.uk/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=942470014

[gary tompkins]

Clean all the crap off properly and keep a close eye on it for a few days

You won't be able to identify any potential leaks with all that gunge on there

[gary tompkins]

Mmmm, think you will come unstuck BIG TIME doing DD and not lubing your chain Jonzi.

As a chain is used on a race bike it heats up to a heat that if a race bike sheds it's chain and if a marshall went pick it up straight away, the chain will burn into there hand, not nice, but also when it gets that hot it sheds its lube as well and the heat will dry it out if it is not and O ring chain, and as it cools condensation forms and then it rusts.

An un lubed race chain could cost you dearly,

1/ loss of BHP even a couple of bhp on a race bike that only makes 54bhp (class B)

2/ Chain breaks, your out of the race.

3/ Chain breaks, your out of the race and it can smash your crank case, weekend over, fit a stainless steel crank case saver.


All this, just because you did not lube your chain or check if your rear wheel is aligned correctly.

If you think I am joking or taking the p##s, pop over and see Jim Brian this weekend at Brands, he is running a class A bike, just ask him if you can spin his rear wheel while it is on the paddock stand, and then do the same to yours ;-)

Most of the above really depends on Dan staying out of the kitty litter

But... I personally also advocate properly lubed chains. My road bikes have a scottoiler, and the track bike gets Castrol synthetic chain lube. Buell doesn't need either for obvious reasons ;)