Multiple oil leaks at front right of motor

[Gavin675-08]

Had discovered an oil leak around the right hand engine bolt. Cleaned it all up as part of major service where I did a valve clearance check. Cleaned cam cover gasket and used a little RTV silicone as sealant when doing the re-install. The first pic is from under the engine mount after running the bike for around 5 mins or so until it came up to temperature (had changed the coolant as well so this was the first run up).

Had a good look around the cam cover gasket and could not find anything to indicate the origin of this leak.

The other pics show a more worrying leak from what looks like a weep hole?? at the cylinder head-block interface, under #3 exhaust header. Oil seems to leak from this hole and collect on the head gasket tab at a rate of around one drop every 5 minutes. It was leaking onto the exhaust pipes and was I I stopped the bike running.

Any help with these two would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Noodles]

Replace your cam cover gasket with a new one, don't use any silicone, make sure all the seals are in place. The weep hole is to allow any water to drain from the spark plug hole in the head... if oil is coming from there, that means you don't have a proper seal around the spark plug hole (cam cover gasket).

Nuno!

[Scottyyy]

Mine's been leaking pretty bad. I have a new cam cover gasket on the way because I'm afraid mine's pinched or something.

[Duc Hunter 675]

I agree with Noodles. Had a similar problem cam cover gasket fixed it. Cheap and ez to do. There is a thread on here that shows how ez it is. Good luck.

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[Gavin675-08]

Thanks for the tips guys. After seeing what Noodles said the weep holes are for, I reckon that may be my problem. Had a bit of trouble getting the cam cover back on after the valve clearance check. Was a bit concerned with the seal around #1 spark plug at the time to be honest, but interestingly my weep is from under #3.

Thinking more about this, should I fit the new gasket to the top of the head first, then place the cam cover on it?

I had the gasket on the cam cover and tried carefully placing the two together on the head, which was a fair juggle and I thought at the time that there had to be a better way. But since I had already put some RTV silcone between the gasket and the cam cover, I continued on.......

[Noodles]

It's best and easiest to put the gasket on the cover first, as you did. Another thing to help a bit is to install the 3 dowels for the air injection on the cover as well (it'll keep the centre section of the gasket from flopping). Make sure all surfaces are free of oil/dirt. Good luck.

Nuno!

[Gavin675-08]

Thanks. Good tip about putting the dowels in the cover first. I actually them in the head as was worried that I would drop one as part of the cam cover re-install. Like you said having them in the cover would help support that section of the gasket.

Had a good read on my Haynes manual last night and interestingly it says to install the gasket with the flat side up, and on the motor first. My gasket had been installed the opposite way (flat side down) with the "bead" side up so that it can fit into the recess of the cam cover. I am off to my local Triumph dealer this morning to get a new gasket and bolt seals so will be interested to see if it is exactly the same (in shape) as the original.

[Noodles]

Don't remember beadside up or down, but I don't think you can put it on upside down. It should only fit one way.

Nuno!