2002 r1150r leaking rear wheel drive

[algee101]

I have a leak of oil coming out of the vent. i contacted a local dealer and the service tech stated to check under the final drive boot and see it it has oil, and if it did its coming from the fwd seal in the transmission. I looked and the oil was purple and real thick, i then checke the oil in the rear drive and it was low, and the oil was dark gray, but not burned not smelly. I then check the transmission, and the oil was just shy of normal with the color of purple and it appeared to be clean, but it looked like the oil under the final drive boot, but it was not thick.

Here are the questions: is there normaly oil under the boot, and is it the same as the trans? If it is oil from the transmission, is it coming from the fwd seal? Also the vent on the rear wheel drive (final drive) has a plastic cap and oring as well as a screen, what caused the oil to vent out when the bike was sitting still and shut down over night?

Someone respond and assist.

[awagnon]

It isn't uncommon to find a little oil in the boot, usually coming from the forward seal of the final drive assembly. Unless it's a lot, many just monitor it because it's a difficult seal to replace. Keep an eye on the level of the oil in FD and periodically pull the boot to see how much oil is there. Some feel using synthetic makes the leaking worse as does over filling the FD.

If the oil is coming from the seal around the output shaft of the tranny, you might be able to see oil tracking down the bottom inside of the paralever. That seal is relatively easy to replace, I believe.

I can't explain the oil coming out of the vent. Was the FD really hot to touch?

[algee101]

Thanks for your input...what about the thickness of the oils, as well as the color that I stated earlier, also i want to make sure i understand... is the "FD" final drive the same as the (rear wheel drive assembly)?, because the vent at the top was leaking and this is why i got involved in this that oil was thin and gray and the oil in the boot was purple and thick, also the oil inside the boot was about 2 to 3 oz's.

[awagnon]

Thanks for your input...what about the thickness of the oils, as well as the color that I stated earlier, also i want to make sure i understand... is the "FD" final drive the same as the (rear wheel drive assembly)?, because the vent at the top was leaking and this is why i got involved in this that oil was thin and gray and the oil in the boot was purple and thick, also the oil inside the boot was about 2 to 3 oz's.

Yes, FD is shorthand for final drive or the rear wheel drive shaft connection to the bevel gear that drives the rear wheel. 2 to 3 oz's is a lot of oil in the boot. It sounds like the oil in the boot matches the color and viscosity of the oil in the transmission. However, the fact that oil was coming out of the vent port suggests a common link of some kind with the oil possibly coming out of the front seal of the final drive unit. I can't explain the oil coming out of the vent. In my previous post, I asked about whether the FD unit was hot. I was wondering if there may be a bad bearing which caused the FD to over heat causing the oil to break down and somehow cause the leaks.

You can see if the rear bearing is loose. Put the bike on the center stand, grab the wheel at 3:00 and 9:00 and see if there is any looseness. There should be none. Do the same at 12:00 and 6:00. If that's good, you can drain the oil from the FD and see if there are any metal flakes in the oil or stuck to the magnet in the drain plug. If both of these are OK, then you may have to disassemble the paralever to see where the oil is coming from into the boot.

Hopefully, someone who is a better wrench and knows more about this will chime in with some better suggestions.

[skidgillen]

I too have a 2002 R1150R that now has oil and dirt accumulating around the vent and the rear boot. I keep tabs on my final drive oil level and transmission oil level and never seen it come down. So I'm curious too what people have to say.

[iowabeakster]

I would not worry (too much) about the oil at the vent.

Do you ride at cold outside temps? What grade oil are you using? I've read some people who use the super heavy (75-140 Redline Shockproof heavy) oil find that, when COLD, the FD will spit-up out the vent. It also might get frothy (air bubbles) in that situation and not provide the lubrication that is desired. The FD does not get as hot as the tranny. That's why the 75-90 is normally recommended the FD.

Now, when that oil dribbles on to your tire or brake...

[CARTEEUSMC]

Iowa,
I had the same thing happen to mine. 15K. I found it in winter and had them drag it over to the dealer. The rear seal on her was leaking, along with a small leak around big friggin allen bolt (I do not know proper terms). They replaced the seals and even the spline! Under warranty. IMHO take her into the dealer. You never know!

Good Memorial Day