Oil Seepage Front of Motor

I have a 94 R1100RS and have found there is a collection of oil seepage in the front of the motor towards the front of the oil pan. See attached image and section in Yellow.

What might be causing this seepage?

Thanks

Is there any oil on the timing belt cover above the area you have marked? If yes, it could be the front crankshaft seal behind the Hall Sensor plate or, if equipped, the seals for the rotary breather vent tube. If its lower it could be that the timing chest/alternator support sealant has deteriorated and is leaking. Leaking head gaskets or oil sight glass could be a possibility too.

Clean it up, dust it with some baby powder, ride and then check for the source

[QUOTE=wvrocks;823369]Is there any oil on the timing belt cover above the area you have marked? If yes, it could be the front crankshaft seal behind the Hall Sensor plate or, if equipped, the seals for the rotary breather vent tube. If its lower it could be that the timing chest/alternator support sealant has deteriorated and is leaking. Leaking head gaskets or oil sight glass could be a possibility too.

Clean it up, dust it with some baby powder, ride and then check for the source[/QUOTE]

Definately not on the timing belt cover, around the site glass or the head gaskets.

There is a very thin layer of sealant between the timing chest cover and the engine block. I guess its possible that it could have sprung a leak at some point. Its not a lot of fun to take off everything needed to make the repair but its doable. Assuming of course that's the problem. The engine halves are sealed the same way.

There's a lot of air movement in that area so make sure its not running or blowing there from somewhere else.

3 levels of oil exiting its preferred location:
weepage, seepage and leakage, in progressive order of severity.
which would you call it?
[U]weepage[/U]- don't worry. it takes a long time to accumulate, and by the time you find it, its just sooty looking, never really wet. takes many thousands of miles before you can really even see it.
[U]seepage[/U]- don't worry too much, but keep an eye on it. might be barely damp with oil, takes a few thousand miles to accumulate an amount worth noticing.
[U]leakage[/U]- fix it, probably sooner than later. wet, all the time. leaves puddles under the bike. size of puddle tells you how soon it needs fixing.

[QUOTE=bikerfish1100;823406]3 levels of oil exiting its preferred location:
weepage, seepage and leakage, in progressive order of severity.
which would you call it?
[U]weepage[/U]- don't worry. it takes a long time to accumulate, and by the time you find it, its just sooty looking, never really wet. takes many thousands of miles before you can really even see it.
[U]seepage[/U]- don't worry too much, but keep an eye on it. might be barely damp with oil, takes a few thousand miles to accumulate an amount worth noticing.
[U]leakage[/U]- fix it, probably sooner than later. wet, all the time. leaves puddles under the bike. size of puddle tells you how soon it needs fixing.[/QUOTE]

I think it falls somewhere between seepage and leakage. No drips on the floor at all. After cleaning it up and taking a 100 mile it reappears.

100 miles?
yeah, i'd look to get that fixed. now, or maybe just this winter.

If it is indeed the timing chest cover, I've got a bunch of photos showing the repair process. I've been meaning to post them up but haven't had time.

[QUOTE=wvrocks;823637]If it is indeed the timing chest cover, I've got a bunch of photos showing the repair process. I've been meaning to post them up but haven't had time.[/QUOTE]

That would be great!! Seeing what I am in for would be great. I got a copy of the step by step instructions for the Spline lube and it was really helpful. Having photo steps would be great as well. More than likely, this will be an over the winter project. I plan to give the bike another good cleaning and see if I can isolate the issue.

Thanks

Check the tightness of the bottom bolts that hold the cover on just above the seep/leak. I have had that happen in the same area when removing one of those bolts and not getting it torqued correctly.

[QUOTE=rhyeks;823644]Check the tightness of the bottom bolts that hold the cover on just above the seep/leak. I have had that happen in the same area when removing one of those bolts and not getting it torqued correctly.[/QUOTE]

I agree, tightening the bolts properly is WAY less work than the teardown involved to redo the seal.

I've had 3 failures on my '95 R1100RS that caused oil in the area mentioned. The first was loose screws on the cover. The second was a sight glass that was due for replacement. The third was the oil pressure switch, but it made even more of a mess farther to the rear and had oil dripping from the side stand pivot. If there is any sign of seapage around the sight glass, change it sooner than later.