86 VF500 Clutch Rod Connector Leaking Oil

Hello all. I'm new (6 months) to the whole motorcycle thing, and have been reading a lot in the forums. I am mechanically inclined, but not experienced, so please bear with me while I learn.

A few weeks ago I started seeing a couple drops of oil per day/night under my bike when I'd go out to it in the morning. I had thought that perhaps I over-oiled (I know I did) the chain (the drippage was coming from near the front-most part of the chain), and some was getting thrown off while riding, and continuing to drip a bit after parking it. With that in mind, I figured I'd give it a couple weeks and wait for the excess to drip off. The dripping continued, even after cleaning the chain and re-oiling it (with the right amount this time). Living in an apartment with no space to work and very few tools, I decided to take it around the corner to a maintenance/repairs place. They've told me (and shown) that the leak is coming from where the clutch rod (shaft?) goes into the rest of the engine. The guys there say that replacing that connector (gasket?) involved splitting the engine, and would take them 10-14 hours. With their rates(70/hour+parts), that's more than half of what I paid for the bike (1400). I have some questions for you all:

1. Is there a way to replace that part without taking the bike so far apart (making the process much cheaper)?

2. They've said it's a minor enough leak to not worry about, as long as I keep an eye on the oil level. Is that an alright idea?

3. If I do that, is there a way to keep the leaking oil from landing on the hot pipes (part of the exhaust system, I believe) below it, and subsequently burning/smoking/smelling terrible?

4. One of the mechanics said he's some people have success closing these leaks with o-rings. Is that reasonable? If so, how would I go about it? I know what an o-ring is, and how to get to the clutch rod, but is there a specific material o-ring to use, or certain lubricants or sealants I'd want to use?

I would include pictures, but the bike is at the shop right now, as they repair a cracked oil pan.

Thanks for your time!

 

Sorry for the double post. I guess my searching wasn't thorough enough. I just found a post from a couple years back regarding the o-ring thing. I now intend to give that a try, but would still appreciate any info on materials/lubes/sealants and stuff.

 

Sorry, I don't know much about the VF500F. But do you have a shop manual for it? Maybe the shop manual for the VF500C would help?
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/files/file/192-vf500-c-service-manual/

 

Update: The bike's leaking enough oil that I get weird looks from people who see the smoke at stoplights, and it's a bit unnerving. After a couple weeks of research and asking around, it seems that an option better than the o-ring is to use some heat-shrink tubing. I can measure how far from the end I should place the tubing, as well as what the shrunken diameter should be, but I'm not sure how long it should be. If anyone knows how thick the pushrod seal is, I imagine that's the length I want?

My plan at this point (please tell me if anything seems amiss):
1. Take the clutch system apart enough to get to the pushrod and remove it.
2. Bring the pushrod and any other loose bits inside, clean them, and measure the OD of the rod.
3. Buy heat-shrink tubing of correct size, cut it to length, and shrink in the oven (I don't have a heat gun).
4. A bit of grease on the tubing, replace rod into bike.
5. Close it all up, cross my fingers, and go around the block a couple times.


Edit: I have done all of the above steps. Went 2 miles to the gas station and back, now it is leaking more than before. I'm waiting for it all to cool off before I pull the rod back out to see if the tubing held. Should I just get over it and spend the 20 whatever hours it will take me to tear the whole thing apart and replace the seal? Should I attempt the dremel method? Any help would be great.

 

Sorry to necro this thread, but I've still got a bike leaking enough oil to keep me off of it. At this point, I've given up on the heat shrink tubing method (tried for the umpteenth time today) and am now leaning towards the dremel idea. I have heard mixed opinions on it, ranging from "yeah it works great" to "what the hell are you thinking?!" I move in a bit over a month, and if I find a place soon that has a garage or space to work on it (I'm currently using my parking spot at my apartment complex), then I might consider the full rebuild. Worst case scenario in either situation is I part it out, and save up for another bike.

That said, any info on the dremel method would be great, as well as a time estimate (so I know when I can start it). Also, where's the best place to buy a new seal? And should I also just buy a new rod with it?

 

Dremel idea worked great for me on my 1984 VF750F. Buy a clutch pushrod seal from BikeBandit or one of those places. When I replaced mine I turned the clutch pushrod end-for-end so the scuffed part of the rod wouldn't contact the new seal. At least that's what I think I did. It was awhile ago and memory fails.

By any chance did the beginning of the leak coincide with changing from synthetic to dinosaur oil? That happened to me.

 

Is the heat shrink melting, dissolving, or some such?

I recall reading a while back of a vendor selling a kit to fix this, involving a special higher temperature heat-shrink that could better withstand normal engine temperatures. Did you find this in your online research?

Careful measurement should tell you which part of the rod rides against the seal, given the travel of the slave piston. If the rod is actually damaged it may be possible to fill the irregularities with JB Weld, then polish it down with super fine sandpaper. I did this successfully on a shift spindle once upon a time. If it's an enlarged opening in the seal, it'll be either enlarge the rod (shrinkwrap, or maybe thicker JB Weld and a lathe) or bite the bullet and replace the seal.

 

I'll have free time again tomorrow to check if the shrink wrap survived (I can't imagine it melting, as it's made to tighten at up to 500F). That said, I am planning on doing the dremel thing. What exactly is that seal going to be called?

I think it's part 21 on this page, but I want to be sure, and that looks smaller than what I'm seeing... http://www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/1986-honda-interceptor-500-vf500f/o/m151673#sch544438

And should I also get a new bearing (the one that goes right behind it)?

My rod is in fine condition, it seems, smooth to the touch and rolls evenly on a flat surface.

 

Thomas, I admit I am puzzled. Is it 21 or 22? This exploded diagram looks different than my '84 VF750F. I defer to someone else rather than give you a bum steer.
If the rod doesn't look scored or visibly roughed-up, it's fine.
BTW, the dremel work is straightforward. Just plug the inside of the case with a towel and use the proper Loctite and don't push the new seal into the case too far. Use the socket size that won't over-insert the seal. And remember - if you screw it up, you aren't any worse off than you were before you started, really.