'86 Big Red oil leak - need some advice

[Worden18]

The screw slightly above the plug boot is leaking. Enough to make a mess of the motor (see second pic). I'm not real fond of oil leaks. And yes, I have tried to tighten it up. Can I remove this screw without any worries? There must be an "O" ring behind it? What is this screw for? Should I put some hi-temp silicone on it to seal it up? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/gorfmaster/3%20wheelers/BRoilleak2_zps2fc6c108.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/gorfmaster/media/3%20wheelers/BRoilleak2_zps2fc6c108.jpg.html)

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/gorfmaster/3%20wheelers/BRoilleak1_zpsebc348e8.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/gorfmaster/media/3%20wheelers/BRoilleak1_zpsebc348e8.jpg.html)

[Flyingw]

That screw retains the exhaust rocker arm. You cannot remove the screw with the rocker cover installed on the engine. The rocker cover needs to come off to asses the problem. There is an oring (#7) on the screw (shaft #7). That oring is bad.

http://www.servicehondapsn.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=2461532&category=ATVs&make=Honda&year=1985&fveh=131334

[dougspcs]

John and I were talking about this in PM. There is your answer John..I knew someone could give you a direct response. I couldn't..

I didn't know if the screw could be removed without the pin coming out and dropping the rocker inside..now we both know.

Good on you FlyingW

[El Camexican]

Silicon won't seal it for long due to the oil that will continue to seep out and get under it. Plus it would look total butch. Looks like it's time for a new plug wire as well.

[Worden18]

Thanks for the responses fellas. And Doug, thanks for being honest and suggesting I put up a post. I'll have to dig into the problem soon :)

[Flyingw]

Getting the shaft out isn't easy either. Typically they have never been removed and are corroded in place. The place to start is with a hand held impact leaving the rocker cover bolted to the motor. If you can get it to break loose then you would be fine but trying to break it loose off the motor will prove to be a big challenge.

[Worden18]

Getting the shaft out isn't easy either. Typically they have never been removed and are corroded in place. The place to start is with a hand held impact leaving the rocker cover bolted to the motor. If you can get it to break loose then you would be fine but trying to break it loose off the motor will prove to be a big challenge.

Thanks for the heads up. Nothing on this BR has been easy. A couple of weeks ago I noticed it was leaking oil out of the crankcase drainplug. Came to find out the previous owner put some kind of sealant in there to keep the plug in because the crankcase threads were stripped from someone crossthreading it. I ended up drilling and tapping it to 5/8-18; ordered a plug off ebay...that damn thing was .050 big on the O.D. so I had to run a die over that :lol: In the end it's fine now, no leaks.

[dougspcs]

Just a thought for you John, I like to hit every nut, bolt and fastener on the machines I get with WD40..

Slows down the dissimilar metal corrosion and makes for less knuckle bruising later as you take thing apart.

Especially after I clean up from every mud ride and before they get parked in the fall..

I see a lot of rusty peeking out there..

[Worden18]

Just a thought for you John, I like to hit every nut, bolt and fastener on the machines I get with WD40..

Slows down the dissimilar metal corrosion and makes for less knuckle bruising later as you take thing apart.

Especially after I clean up from every mud ride and before they get parked in the fall..

I see a lot of rusty peeking out there..

Yeah, I've been neglecting that Doug. Usually I don't spray things up until I need to remove a bolt, etc. :lol: This BR has a lot of issues; it was cobbled together from different machines. The frame is an 85, the motor 86, etc. The brakes are shot, I need to replace those next. I wanted to get the forks off, and I sprayed them up for weeks and they are just plain stuck. Unless I replace the whole front end there won't be no shock boots on it...ever :lol: All the rims are bent, I replaced the front one. The handlebars are bent. It was missing a TON of little parts, some of which I have collected from generous members here with things for sale. The oil filter looked like it had been in there for 25 years, same with the air cleaner. The tank has some rust inside, although not too bad. The front fender is cracked. The good things are the new rear plastics, the seat is nicely recovered, and the machine runs pretty darn good and doesn't burn any oil. The exhaust has been welded a million times, but is ok for now. I've learned so much about my machines in the last 6 months; if I had to do it all over again I probably would've held out for a nicer one that needed less work. I guess the upside of it all is that I'm learning a lot about how the machine works and how to replace parts, etc. I'll get it fixed up slowly but surely :)

[kb0nly]

And when you do get it fixed up you can be damn proud you did it yourself!! Stick to it, sounds like your doing good, and going slow and learning is the fun part honestly. I have brought back more than a few from the dead, its always a thrill to see them slowly come back to life.

Thats a pain the oil leak you got, been there done that and can't add much to the advice you got, other than this, make sure no kids are around when you work on it, cause trust me your gonna be speaking blue for a while... LOL Its a serious pain.

[dougspcs]

Yeah, I've been neglecting that Doug. Usually I don't spray things up until I need to remove a bolt, etc. :lol: This BR has a lot of issues; it was cobbled together from different machines. The frame is an 85, the motor 86, etc. The brakes are shot, I need to replace those next. I wanted to get the forks off, and I sprayed them up for weeks and they are just plain stuck. Unless I replace the whole front end there won't be no shock boots on it...ever :lol: All the rims are bent, I replaced the front one. The handlebars are bent. It was missing a TON of little parts, some of which I have collected from generous members here with things for sale. The oil filter looked like it had been in there for 25 years, same with the air cleaner. The tank has some rust inside, although not too bad. The front fender is cracked. The good things are the new rear plastics, the seat is nicely recovered, and the machine runs pretty darn good and doesn't burn any oil. The exhaust has been welded a million times, but is ok for now. I've learned so much about my machines in the last 6 months; if I had to do it all over again I probably would've held out for a nicer one that needed less work. I guess the upside of it all is that I'm learning a lot about how the machine works and how to replace parts, etc. I'll get it fixed up slowly but surely :)

I hit everything, on every machine I have..a can of WD is a staple item in my shop.

You're right about the journey to bring back a trike..it doesn't come cheap, and yes you would have saved money if you held out for a clean machine. A good deal on the curbside seldom ever ends up that way in what it'll cost to 'make it right'..

There is some satisfaction in it and the cheers you get from the peanut gallery as you go are cool..post up some pics and keep a log.