got a leak somewhere, and (PROFANITY REMOVED) I'm gonna find it

Ok, first off, I'm a long time rider first time wrencher. I have no clue what I'm doing and I love it.

I got my bike, Kz750n Spectre, a few years ago and have since moved to college. I've had a few places over the years. But, currently I have a house with a little back poarch that I have claimed as "my shop." I wheeled in my bike and have been staring at it for weeks, thinking where to start. So yesterday I did it, I started. Within a half hour I had the seat and the gas tank off with hopes of removing the rear fender to possibly but on a new one I bought.

But as I started looking at my bike without a seat or tank it finally dawned on me. This thing isn's so complicated after all. I mean I understand that the engine is made up of so many parts that I will never understand. But other than that, a few wires here, a few tubes there, and bingo, you have a working motorbike. So, with this new insight I have now changed my course and I want to find where my bike has been leaking oil for the past 3 years.

I figured I should start to clean the engine (carb airfilter) to get a sence of where the mess is coming from. But before starting I have noticed that mainly the left side is covered in grease/black sticky crap. So, I think that that is where my leak may be. On the left side. And thats where I am today.

Also, I removed the filter and looked in my air box, and there is a little puddele of what I think is gasoline -is that normal? Is any kind of liquid supposed to be in there?

Bottom line, what I am looking for is a little guidance from you more technical guys laughing at me right now. Where does the gas and oil travel through a motorbike that could possibly be the source to my leak.

Remember that I am a newby so dont drown me with technical talk, speak in simple terms. I have a clymer manual to figure my way through. I'll try to get some pictures up as I move along - slowly. Ok, time for dinner yum yum!

squints - I took the opportunity to remove the profanity from the subject line. Please refrain from the use of profanity in the future. Thanks for your cooperation.
Post edited by: wiredgeorge, at: 2006/02/28 08:52

Post edited by: wiredgeorge, at: 2006/02/28 08:55

Hey squints, welcome to the site man!

A simple way to start to isolate an oil leak is to get some brake cleaner and rags and start cleaning the dirty oil grunged engine areas. Once you get it real clean you can start the bike and visually look for leaks in the general vicinity of the mess. You may have to ride the bike a few miles to get it leaking real good. Some baby or talcum powder can also help by dusting suspect areas and looking for wet spots to appear.

Good luck and let us know whatever else you might need.

PS - Oil leaks bug the heck out of me!

"You may have to ride the bike a few miles to get it leaking real good."

that just struck me as funny. No worry about that however, it will leak good no matter what its doin.

Yeah, if it's leaking that bad you should be able to pinpoint it quickly after you get it cleaned up.

With emission contols such as crankcase and valve cover breathers directed to airbox, you might get pooling of liquids. Is probably rain water with some gas and oil mixed in. Is a Specter shaft drive? Chains can collect alot of oils/greases around drive sprocket covers. May not be a leak but old chain gunk collecting. Then again may be a slightly leaky seal at countershaft sprocket.

Welcome to KZr squints.

I won't get to technical in my explanation of where I think your bikes oil leak might be originating from. I do tend to get overly detailed and a little winded in my explanations/suggestions, :ohmy: so please bear with me.

Now you say the leak is on the left side of the bike, but didn't state exactely where (top, bottom, or exactely where on the left side).

Top:
Directly underneath the air filter box on top of the engine is what's called the Breather Cover (ref# 14070 in the pic below).
You'll notice that behind the bolt that goes through that cover, that there is a round fitting pointing upwards.
There should be a hose (ref# 92059D in the picture in the next post) that fits over that fitting and attaches to a similar fitting on the bottom of the airbox.
That hose is designed to vent crankcase vapors back into the airbox, through the carbs, and into the engine to be burnt off. It's Kawasakis way of complying with the EPA in helping to keep emissions down.
Ocassionally a fine mist of oil might make it's way through that hose as well, and that's what the second (smaller diameter) hose (see ref# 702 in the picture in next post) coming from the bottom of the air filter box is for.
It should run downward towards the bottom of the engine itself, and is there to drain off any oil, water/condensation or gas that has flowed back into the box.

Now if the larger breather hose is cracked, disconnected or missing, then oil mist can end up being sprayed out onto the engine.
It would also be a good idea to ensure that the bolt holding the breather cover is secure, and that the o-ring beneath it (ref# 92055 in the pic below) is not damaged or missing.
Consequently, if the engine is overfilled with oil, it can be forced through that hose at a higher rate/volume and cause the apperance of an oil leak as well.
Now if an excessive amount of oil ended up being fed into the air filter box through that hose, some of it will eventually make it's way into the carbs.
Even in small amounts, oil can cause the float needle(s) in the carb(s) to stick open or closed, and either starve the carbs for fuel or flood them out...causing fuel to flow into the air filter box.

Breather cover picture:


Post edited by: RetroRiceRocketRider, at: 2006/02/24 17:36

Air filter box picture:

Retro Rider, thanks, that is really awesome. I liked that. I just learned so much. Do it again and again. I'm still cleaning away digging closer and closer.

Welcome to the sight. You can also find what 4R was showing you at buykawasaki.com/html/default_frame.asp?s...E.ASP?INTCATALOGID=2 You might have to search by model for your bike depending on whether you have an older 12 or the modern 17 digit VIN

A little talcum powder blown onto suspect area (I use a turkey baster) can help. They also sell a dye you dump in, ride awhile, then shine a blacklite on. Dye shows up as yellow. Of course you need someplace DARK to work in so lite shows the yellow, but it works good.
Good luck, and welcome aboard....

One piece of advice for a new guy , from a new guy- When you're taking the bike apart, work slowly and deliberately. Keep your work area clean so you can find the little bits you will drop. Label and bag sets of screws etc, as they come off. Watch out for different length screws or bolts on the same component, make sure they will go back the same way. Make notes or take digital pictures as you go. Even a few days later, I can forget how something was attached or in what sequence parts came off. You might as well clean every little piece as you remove it, because before long you will have the KZ sickness, and find yourself cleaning and buffing parts, even little nuts and bolts that nobody can see! Like I said before, work slowly and enjoy yourself. If you get in a bind, post a question here and a KZ guru will come to your rescue. And take pictures.

I would also recommend that, where you can, as you take off pieces, put the nuts or bolts back where they came from. Reduces the number of things to remember to get it back together.