Oil leak source

I just bought a 1980 KZ650 and I noticed I have an oil leak coming from a bolt that holds the cover for the chain sprocket. I attached a picture of the leak. Does anyone have any ideas on what might be causing it? It doesn't appear to be coming from some other area.

You've no leak!

I'll bet you've or someone else has just oiled the chain.

A newly oiled chain will fling off most any fluid while experiencing the centripetal acceleration that a chain does, particularly at the counter shaft sprocket.

Might be wrong, but it's not likely.

Bill

The chain is recently oiled, but I don't think its actually from the chain.

I didn't have the picture up by the time Bill posted his reply.

Any other ideas?

i agree with Bill.
u should just take the cover off and clean it up a bit, then see if it comes back.there is no oil source there .

neil1492 wrote:

I just bought a 1980 KZ650 and I noticed I have an oil leak coming from a bolt that holds the cover for the chain sprocket. I attached a picture of the leak. Does anyone have any ideas on what might be causing it? It doesn't appear to be coming from some other area.

Would concur with KZCSI about likelihood of being chain oil sling-off from the counter-shaft sprocket that escaped past the non-gasketed cover/case mating surface onto the bolt and then along the bolt through the cover.

Noticed absence of float bowl overflow hoses.
Might be that fuel overflow drizzle onto case has run down to find its way along this path, especially with bike parked on side-stand.

Would consider installing overflow hoses, regardless of any relevance to whatever's appearing on the cover.

Good Fortune!

Might also result from fuel leakage at float bowl drain screw(s), due to being loose or having a defective 0-ring.

Or maybe fuel leakage past the float bowl gasket, or from somewhere else, such as where fuel line attaches to the carb fuel intake nipple.

Good Fortune!

The black windshield wiper hoses make for good carb overflow lines. In the U.S. Pep Boys sell it by the foot in several diameters.

looks to me like a fuel leak check your fuel tap carb bowls etc. its not as bad as i have seen but it will get worse. more than likely show up when bike on side stand over a period of time.

Looks very similar to the engine casing on my 750. I can even see the flash of blue from the APE type manual cam chain adjuster. Same as I have

I cant be oil leaking from around the screw. Just cant be anything leaking from the screw hole. I have a very small oil seep from the base of the cylinders just under the cam chain tensioner. Not worth the bother of fixing. I just wipe with a kleenex now and then. It is difficult to see. If i forget to wipe it the oil will blow back with the wind and drip down in that exact same area and look exactly like in your photo. My suggestion is to get some clean paper towel and wipe between the starter motor cover and the cyclinder base and at the cyclider base below the cam chain tensioner. Examine the paper towel after every wipe.

Good luck. Hopefuly nothing to worry about.

Well I know for sure it's not fuel there. It feels like oil. I will be taking that cover off this week to see what might be causing it.

As far as the carb over flow lines, I haven't had an issue with them yet. I will put some line in. I did notice on carb had a missing drain hookup. So I can't get a hose on it. Do they generally all overflow at once or just one?