Author Topic: Driveshaft boot leak  (Read 3296 times)

Offline Andrew

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Driveshaft boot leak
« on: May 14, 2011, 09:03:49 PM »
My 03 appears to be leaking oil from the driveshaft boot. Is this final drive oil or engine oil? The engine oil appears to be maintaining its level.

I have a 300-mile round trip scheduled for tomorrow that I could do with one of the other bikes - but the Connie would be best and by far most fun...am I gonna smoke something? I'm putting it in shop on Monday either way...Thanks for the wisdom.

Offline Steve in Sunny Fla

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Re: Driveshaft boot leak
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2011, 09:16:20 PM »
It's most likely coming from the final drive. If you look at the splines of the final drive you'll find that there's an O ring at the back of the splines. It's designed to seal the slip joint in the driveshaft. it's pretty easy to nick or cut it when putting the final drive on after a rear tire swap.

  Another place you may also want to look at is from the Pcv vent under the airbox. it'll drip down onto the boot area. It also could be coming from a bevel drive gasket, or more likely, a water pump . HTh, Steve

Offline Andrew

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Re: Driveshaft boot leak
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2011, 09:19:28 PM »
Thx Steve. Speaking of water pump, there's rusty residue on the forward most shield on the left exhaust pipe, right at the aft edge of the lower fairing. Water pump?

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Driveshaft boot leak
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2011, 09:20:54 PM »
How much oil are we talking about a couple of drops here and there? This can very well be considered normal as the rear seal may weep a drop or too over time as can a drop or two of gear oil find its way up the drive shaft tube if the bike was parked in a downhill manner. Even grease flung from the U-Joints can turn to liquid and find its way out or just a combine of all the above.

Take the bike don't worry about a few drops of oil but do keep and eye on it. My Russian Ural marks its territory no matter where I park it.
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline Andrew

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Re: Driveshaft boot leak
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2011, 09:27:57 PM »
I'd imagine a teaspoon or so of fresh oil on the ground (new engine oil and final drive oil just before the leak became noticeable). There's enough that it sticks dust to the license plate. The oil filter had a thicker o-ring with the K&N filter I took than the one that came with the Fram that went in - everything is snug tho. A drop or two of black oil falls at the aft end of the pipes, but I feel like it's cooking under the heat shields and "all" is largely well.

Engine oil is Rotella Triple-T 15-40, and final drive is, um, cheap GL-5 80w-90.