GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (Solved, If Not Fixed)

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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#46

Post by Lucien Harpress »

It's really odd to me. My first GL1000 held up reasonably okay. This one has always leaked like the Exxon Valdez, and seems to get worse every time I do anything to it. The points housing leak was a new one, though.

Everything is OEM- covers, gaskets, grommets. I haven't put a glass plate to it, but visually the covers seemed okay as well. I don't even mind a bit of seepage if I can't stop it 100%, but puking out and ruining my shoes is another matter.

I'm hoping a new cover will help things. And I'll be getting a fresh gasket, just for good measure.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#47

Post by redglbx »

How about running it a bit w/o the points cover on to verify that it is indeed leaking from the cam seal. Of course you can’t ride it like that for a long time or in the weather but you might get an idea of where it’s leaking for sure.

It seems to me that if it was leaking oil into the points housing that it would contaminate the points and cause it to run poorly. My .02
Red 1976 oe owner
1976 LTD restored
1980 CBX , in the que, to fix the ignorant heavy handed owner
1981 CBX
1977 CB750 K7
2014 FJR OE owner, sold
1980 GL1100
1984 GL1200 naked
1969 CL350, in the que
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#48

Post by Lucien Harpress »

I actually did this in my second-to-last run. It didn't leak in that instance, so I buttoned it up.

That said, "points housing" is mostly so people know what area I'm talking about- it's been converted to electronic pickups, which would probably work just fine covered in oil, but I don't care to ruin my shoes.

Still, I may do one more long run with my current setup, to see if I CAN differentiate between a cam seal or a valve cover seal. The amount of oil makes it REALLY hard to tell.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Sidecar Bob
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#49

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I don't remember if it has been mentioned in this thread but clean the area well and coat it with a fine powder (flour, talcum - anything fine will work) then go for a short ride and when you get home look for tracks in the powder to lead you back to where the leak really is.

BTW: A few years ago someone posted pics on cx500forum of a bike he had bought that the PO had added a nipple to the weep hole with a hose that ran back to the coolant recovery tank. Of course, everyone posted back that the real fix would be to replace the leaking water pump mechanical seal but if your concern is only about keeping oil off your boots maybe you could add a drain to the timing housing with a line to a catch can.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#50

Post by gltriker »

BOB !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: an oil leak CATCH CAN lolol

wait for it... I can see it now. Go for it Mike... :lol:
Last edited by gltriker on Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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'75 GL1000 home built trike; http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=39996
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#51

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Sometimes if a leak isn't too bad it isn't worth fixing so other measures may be called for.

It's no worse than the time I tied an old bandana around a fork leg with a leaking seal to keep the oil off of the brake pads until the new seals arrived...
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#52

Post by Whiskerfish »

My Father, Love him dearly but a mechanic he is not. He rode the 78 for years with a hunk of rag tucked down around the tach drive. At the time a tach seal was about $1.80
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#53

Post by Lucien Harpress »

Ah, the good ol' "EJ Potter" method. Don't think I haven't considered it. :lol:

Thing is, if I could 100% confirm it to a valve cover leak, I'd probably be okay with it. I'd just get a new gasket for the points housing and crank it down a little harder. I did just get back from another run around the block, and while there's nothing conclusive, I'm still getting a LOT more oil around the valve cover than I am anywhere near the cam seal.

Or it could be that my replacement radiator (that I got because I thought my old radiator had a hole in it, but turned out to be a bad cap) got an ACTUAL hole in it, that started leaking instead, and this bike can only have one bad leak at a time?

I've learned the universe has a sense of humor.

(Still runs like a scalded pig, though. So... silver linings?)
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Sidecar Bob
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#54

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Do the powder thing. It never lies.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
redglbx
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#55

Post by redglbx »

The powder thing works! While I was working I used to use the white developer for the spray on crack detector. I would use just the spray on white developer to identify where the leak was specially was coming from.

The only thing is that you do need to clean the area of any residual oil so you can identify for sure where it’s coming from.

As you said, I don’t think the “Dyna” would much care if it was submerged in oil since it’s a potted deal & the bottom of the points housing does have the wire access opening in it that is not completely water tight. Do the powder thing !

Also let me say that “cranking down” on the fasteners really isn’t a good thing, it can & does create cracks, stripped threads & broken fasteners. The valve cover fasteners do net benefit from any additional “cranking” once they hit the stops, it’s not uncommon to break the threads off in the head when they are over torqued and that’s another problem of it’s own. Do the powder thing !
Red 1976 oe owner
1976 LTD restored
1980 CBX , in the que, to fix the ignorant heavy handed owner
1981 CBX
1977 CB750 K7
2014 FJR OE owner, sold
1980 GL1100
1984 GL1200 naked
1969 CL350, in the que
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#56

Post by Whiskerfish »

Yea we used zyglo for to set up for magnaflux to find cracks on the helo's all the time.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (At My Wit's End)

#57

Post by Gowing »

gltriker wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 4:29 pm BOB !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: an oil leak CATCH CAN lolol

wait for it... I can see it now. Go for it Mike... :lol:
Cliff, just now read this. 😳😳😳 😭😭😭
Dave

1975 GL 1000
1980 XS650
1981 ct110
1972 F7 KAW 175
2000 moby blaze 40cc
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (Solved, If Not Fixed)

#58

Post by Lucien Harpress »

Putting a final nail in this, as I think I finally figured out what's going on, if not necessarily how to fix it.

As I was working through the saga of my leaky radiator, I inadvertently may have discovered what my oil leak problem was at the same time. Because my radiator cap only leaked when it got warm, I had to run my bike in the garage long enough for it to get to temperature. A couple days later I had to pull the points housing to change the back gasket, and found out that running the bike as long as I did was JUST long enough to leak enough oil to see where it was coming from, but not so much that it would get caught by the ignition advance and fling it all around the interior of the housing.

That said? 100% my valve cover gasket. That, combined with a very thin aftermarket points housing gasket meant that oil leaking from the valve cover was able to collect on the points housing, leak into it, and collect behind the ignition pickups. I had quite a puddle of oil in the housing, but every part of the cam seal was dry.

So yeah. I figured out what my problem is, if not necessarily how to fix it yet. I've got a new valve cover and OEM gasket, so we'll start there and see where we end up.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Sidecar Bob
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (Solved, If Not Fixed)

#59

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I can't remember if I mentioned it in this thread but the only way I've been able to stop my valve cover gaskets from leaking is to glue the seals into the covers with Yamabond (Three Bond) and then apply a thin coat to the faces of the seals before installing the covers.
I've found that it isn't significantly harder to remove the covers when needed and the sealant peels off of the seals and heads easily.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Left Rear Cam Seal? (Solved, If Not Fixed)

#60

Post by Lucien Harpress »

That might be my final "That's It, I'm Done" solution. Short of replacing the head and cam holder, I've done literally EVERYTHING else.

Oh well. At least the fact I know it's not the cam seal makes me feel a bit better.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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