[jobe05]

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So after putting a couple hundred miles on this bike, little things are going to start popping up as I suspected.

It's an 85 GL1200 LTD with 8500 miles when I got her. The guy I bought her from had it sitting in his temperature controlled family room for most of the 26 years he owned her. Since I have been riding it, it has developed a small oil leak right were the gear shifter goes through the casing. When it's running, maybe a small droplet ever couple of minutes. Last night I put a dry towel underneath it, and this morning the spot was about the the size of a dime, so I am guessing maybe a dozen drops over night.

Would this be Normal? Or just normal for a bike sitting around for so many years? To fix, would I have to tear the whole thing down to get to the inside, or is it something that pops out from the outside (like a seal). Or should I just get some type of "Stop Leak" additive and put it in before my next oil change?

 

[wingnzj]

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Never use stop leak as a mechanic all I have ever seen it do is swell the seals and then the leak gets worse.

You change the seal from the outside, pull the shifter I use a hook shaped tool to pull the seal then use a deep socket the same size as the seal and tap the new seal back in.

 

[ceasefire49]

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Common problem the shifter seal..Very easy to change out.
Grab your self a manual if you don't know how to do it. Very little effort takes about an hour to do it right. pick yourself up some Exhaust gaskets and some anti seize for the reinstall of exhaust nuts and the back bolt. You will have to double nut that one to get it off. I used one of the nuts from the exhaust on it. I got my exhaust gaskets off e-bay for about 6 bucks and come in a pack of four.Got the seal from western Honda. Drop the pipes undo the pinch bolt on the shifter and remove the seal clean everything up good. If you have not changed the oil it would be a good time to do it or you will have a mess when you pull the seal. Get yourself one of those little pic sets at Harbor freight to reach up and get the gaskets out. Real easy to do. Neo racer explained it to me on the phone and it didn't take long at all. You can download a manual over at Goldwingdocs.com:waving: Make sure you put the anti-sieze on the studs and bolts when reinstalling the exhaust.

 

[jobe05]

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Thats Awesome news, Thanks wingnzj. I hate anything that says "Stop Leak", but as a last resort........ Well..... I probably would have lived with the leak. But I'll look for a new seal. The Mechanics books that I have are nice for most things but don't cover things like this very well. Appreciate the input.

 

[jobe05]

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You lost me on the "double nut" thing? What do you mean by that?

Will it explain it in the manuals? I have the repair manual for the bike and the Clymer manual.

 

[ceasefire49]

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since it is a new to you bike check around on the do it yourself section and do the solenoid and Stator remodel.
Just generally give it a good going over. Hell I did not know anything about these things and after owning my 84 for 2 years I have installed a Factory Radio and CB, Changed the belts..If you haven't done that I would certainly do it. Not that hard.check all of your fluids I bled my Brakes and clutch fluids and cleaned all my connectors and just generally checked them all out. Got all the info from folks here. All kinds of good how to posts on this forum and lots of folks willing to help a fellow Goldwinger.:11black:

 

[ceasefire49]

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Okay the back stud on the exhaust manifold needs to come off if you take a nut and run it up to the bottom of the existing head and then use the existing bolt to loosen the stud the entire stud will come off and thats what you want. Then you can take the nut off and use it again for your exhaust. Three of those exhaust dealies are studs and just need the nuts to come off.. The back one is a bolt.

 

[jobe05]

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I did some reading after getting the bike and yes, I have changed the timing belts (first thing i did), changed the radiator hoses and antifreeze, Oil, filter and air filter along with rear tire, lubed drive splines with Molly 60 and fresh gear oil in final drive. Just waiting in the front tire to show up to get that changed. Also just got my Dyna Beads in, interested to see how they are going to work.

A mechanic by trade I am not, but the good Lord made sure that I had a decent mechanical ability and enough tools to either keep me out of trouble, or put me in more trouble...... Not sure which yet.....

 

[ceasefire49]

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Yea if you have the repair manual you will see what I am talking about.

 

[jobe05]

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ceasefire49 wrote:

Okay the back stud on the exhaust manifold is actually a Bolt and hard to get off if you take a nut and run it up to the bottom of the existing head and then use the existing bolt to loosen the bolt the entire bolt will come off and thats what you want. Then you can take the nut off and use it again for your exhaust. Three of those exhaust dealies are studs. The back one is a bolt.

OK, I see what your saying, the nut will clean the threads up a bit before removing it?

 

[ceasefire49]

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Friend you have the right attitude and will be just fine. You have done everything right. Let me know how those dyna beads work as I am getting ready to throw some e-3's on and was considering those. Heard pros and cons but most of the cons I am discovering is from folks not putting the right amount in.

 

[ceasefire49]

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Yea it will do that but once that bottom second nut is run up on that back bolt you will be able to put your wrench or deep well on the top bolt and that will keep the back stud from spinning. I just thought of something. Boy Did I get ahead of myself. You can just take all the nuts off and leave all studs in. You only have to remove that back stud if you are removing your starter. Sorry about that.

 

[ceasefire49]

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By the way good looking bike..Nice to be the 2nd owner I am the third and the bike only had 46,000 on it when I got it and both PO's took good care of it.

 

[Ken Bergen]

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ceasefire49 wrote:

Okay the back stud on the exhaust manifold is actually a Bolt and hard to get off if you take a nut and run it up to the bottom of the existing head and then use the existing bolt to loosen the bolt the entire bolt will come off and thats what you want. Then you can take the nut off and use it again for your exhaust. Three of those exhaust dealies are studs. The back one is a bolt.

You've lost me. All mine are 6X43mm studs and that's what the parts book shows.

@jobe05 Before you drop the exhaust to change the seal clean out your crankcase ventilation system. That will often slow or stop small leaks.

 

[jobe05]

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The PCV and air lines (any rubber hose) was next on my list of replaceable items, cheap, simple to do and probably the root of a couple other issues Im having, like low RPM missing. Anything under 2000 RPM it seems to miss fire every now and then and run a little rough, it's hard to do a constant 20 MPH to 30MPH. Fuel filter is also on the list.

I like the fact of being the second owner of a bike with very few miles on it. Nothing on this bike has ever been Bastardized. When I look at something I find it right were it is suppose to be, exactly were the manufacturer put it.

 

[ceasefire49]

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Yep you are right they are all studs But I corrected myself..The back stud near the starter has to come out ONLY if you are pulling the starter. Thats where the double nut and removal of the stud comes in. Otherwise just remove the nuts from the stud and drop the exhaust manifold. Sorry about the confusion.

 

[ceasefire49]

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Yep you can buy the honda but steer away from the emgo one lots of bad stuff reported here. If you go to the section on the home page you will see a list of corresponding replacement parts you can get at NAPA and other places. I got my belts radiator hose and Filter at NAPA.Check your plugs do the seafoam trick to fuel and carbs..Do the carb Sync deal. Clean out your canister. Remember to check your Reservoir tank to radiator line . I had small leak now and then couldn't figure out where it was and the line from the tank to the radiator had become hard and brittle. Also do the and Fuel lines. Pretty cheap to do all that just takes time.

 

[sctrucker]

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first thing, seafoam will not help the carbs on that ltd,,, since it does not have anyt, second thing, dont go trying to replace the fuel lines unless you have a leak, and at the pressure of the fuel system if you ever have a leak you will know it, doing the sync is a good idea, cant hurt, but pay especially close attention to the vacum lines, they are known to cause headaches on the fuelies

 

[ceasefire49]

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sctrucker wrote:

first thing, seafoam will not help the carbs on that ltd,,, since it does not have anyt, second thing, dont go trying to replace the fuel lines unless you have a leak, and at the pressure of the fuel system if you ever have a leak you will know it, doing the sync is a good idea, cant hurt, but pay especially close attention to the vacum lines, they are known to cause headaches on the fuelies

Yep good point on the LTD deal didn't even notice that YUK,YUK. Used to the 1200 carbed version and I guess I don't even make that connection. The vacuum lines are another thing that I did.

 

[BobbydSp]

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Not at all necessary to drain the oil to do the seal. Put the bike on the centerstand. No oil will run out.
Bobby