[v12]

I've been facing this problem for quite sometime. Oil leaks from the clutch side onto the chain, side stand and main stand. It gets quite messy at times, apart from the fact that its dangerously losing oil from the clutch casing.

Had shown this to my mechanic quite a number of times. He kept saying that its normal for the oil to drip onto the chain to keep it lubricated. (But this much oil was too much!) He said that I may have to replace the oil seal.

A year later (two days back) I took it to PR Enterprises, who replaced the oil seal inside the clutch casing. I think its called an O ring oil seal. Anyways, I reach back home, and there it is - a nice pool of oil building up quickly!



Questions questions!

• Is there any other area apart from the oil seal inside the clutch casing from where oil can leak?!
• Some say that I'd need to use MSeal or 3Bond to seal the oil from leaking?!
• I've also checked the clutch cover. It isn't damaged in anyway.
• Is there any packing for the clutch casing?! Because I haven't seen any.
• I've also checked that small container beside the battery. There is a breather pipe that goes directly to the air filter box and that is not leaking either.
• I'm stumped, just like my mechanic and probably all the guys at Enfield.

POST BY GORDON - Damn always forget to log him out!

[renamo]

Hey, I thought oil leak is not considered a problem on bullets, but infact it is a FEATURE. The macho bike would like to mark its territory. You don't have much options, but accept that its the alpha male, and just use it with the issue/feature.

[Sankar]

In your AVL oil can leak only from two places and fall on the chain. 1) One is clutch oil seal.2) Is gearbox countershaft oil seal.

You might want to take a look at the kicker oil seal on the inside clutch cover.

[bblost]

I had a similar problem with my tb.
My mechanic stuck some light brown coloured paper like a gasket along the inside.
4 years and no leaks.

[nickoo]

hey V12, first find out the exact location from where the oil is leaking. Only then you can go ahead with the remedy. If the clutch case is loose, then add a gasket to the cover. Dont use Mseal or something else without knowing the real culprit.Are you sure its the oil..else the pipe that connects to the small black cylindrical box that collects the oil discharge can be leaking too. Check tht also.

@renamo: gone are the days when bullet used to leak more oil than it used to consume. it no longer marks its territory if taken of !!
Rest it has a mind of its own, if it wants to take a leak you can not stop it from doing so !!

[kuttapan]

Change the rubber beading that seals the cover to it's case. maybe it's become warped and not sealing well. If this was the culprit, you can know instantly.

First clean the complete area(including underside of the clutch case). Then leave the bike for a few hours, run your finger underneath the clutch case, at the join where the cover meets the case. If you fingers come out wet, you know.

Another culprit is the fiber/metal washer that sits behind the single bolt for the clutch case. This can leak too. Solution is to use some gasket sealant paste. Do not attempt to overtighten this bolt, can lead to disastrous consequences. Ask me how I know.

lastly, check the oil level screw to see if there are any signs of leak there. If so, tighten it little more.

Let's know how it goes.

As renamo said, oil leak is a feature RE provides free of cost, they even considered a name change to Royal Oilfield at one point, I hear. Irritating feature, nevertheless, but one finds his way around this, somehow.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Originally Posted by v12

He kept saying that its normal for the oil to drip onto the chain to keep it lubricated. (But this much oil was too much!) He said that I may have to replace the oil seal.

A sachha Bullet mechanic. He should be nominated for the most ingenuous explanation award. As someone here said, oil leak is indeed a Bullet feature. The more experienced the mechanic, more authentic he sounds with these explanations.

Very soon you will realise falling parts is also another feature of a Bullet. You are meant to give the old horse a rest while you go back on foot picking up the parts and come back.

Smokers also find that the Bullet is sympathetic towards their needs while on the road. She stops for no rhyme or reason. You smoke a cigarette by the side of the road. Start again. She is fine.

On a more serious note, please understand that the Bullet's design may be old but it is more than adequate. However, what makes it unreliable is that it is a very poorly manufactured product here in India.

Welcome to the confusion anyway.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

A sachha Bullet mechanic. He should be nominated for the most ingenuous explanation award. As someone here said, oil leak is indeed a Bullet feature. The more experienced the mechanic, more authentic he sounds with these explanations.

Very soon you will realise falling parts is also another feature of a Bullet. You are meant to give the old horse a rest while you go back on foot picking up the parts and come back.

This was a desirable side effect in the old cast iron engines where the oil spewed out of the breather and was directed onto the chain.

Falling parts is a feature too..LOL. I lost my silencer on the way(Know many other people too) once and was wondering why my bike suddenly started sounding louder......I lost couple of horns too...

[sriramv.iyer]

Thanks Guys! :-)

I think this thread did it for me! (I was looking forward to buying a bike and RE bullets were in contention too. I can now eliminate RE bullet from my list) - Looks like Bullet is not an easy bike. I think it may not suit me, based on the inputs from long term bullet'eers.

I borrowed my friend's bullet for a few days and it almost had a meditative effect on me. I felt no urge to overtake people when they overtook me! (I used to push my Karizma whenever someone tries to over take me) - Bullet kept me in 'Though shalt do anything - I am at peace with my road' zone.

The problems with the bike was that it used to stop while idling (one bullet expert pointed me to check the idle jet!) and some nasty hits on my leg while kick-starting the bike (it damn hurts!)

I can live with these, but not with oil leaks and missing parts. I am too impatient for these.

[hollywoodhogan]

don't worry about it. fierce jungle beasts have been known to mark their territories and the bull is no exception. hey but it can be fixed. take it to a decent mechanic and am sure he can rectify the issue albeit for a few hundred kms and the leak might start again!!!

[desideep]

I would like to say if the seals are fine and the bolts are tightened properly the bullet would not leak. but again there is a catch that the bolts should remain tight this means after some hundred km's just tighten some specific bolts. i have experienced only 1 time leakage from my bullet that was when the seal on the clutch moved from its place and thats all. anothing thing in the older types of the bullets the Breather Pipe would end rite over the Chain. if the oil is being pumped out from there. that means that there is oil over than what is needed.

[susan3004]

I have been using the AVL engine powered Bullet since almost a year now. The engine is dry from outside as it was when I got it out of the showroom. The earlier engines had these problems but not this one.

[Gordon]

Okay, I'm quite frustrated and disappointed with PR Enterprises. I got some parts changed from them. Important stuff were Oil Seal, Head Gasket and Rocket Gasket. They opened the head completely, cleant a few parts and shut it. They also opened the clutch casing completely and changed the oil seal.

Difference is, there is still oil leaking from the clutch casing. He may have changed the wrong oil seal. And now there is EXCESS and too much oil leaking from the cylinder head. I can see oil near the head bolts. Plus, there is oil just below the decomp.

Anyways I've given Sameer a call. He called me down on Monday. Will take the bike there. Damn I didn't take my bike to PR AND pay them to get this. I thought they'd do a good job. And its just the opposite.

Here are the pics:









I just don't understand why every mechanic tries their stunts on my bike. I don't see this happening to anyone else's bike. I've seen a lotttt of dry AVL's!

[Gordon]

Just gave the bike a basic wash and removed much of the oil on the engine. Also changed the silencer to the stock long one. Did it for a temporary change. Searching for a 110 main jet for the BS29 carb, but its quite difficult to source even thought its OEM.

Here are some pics after the wash. Will know soon the source of the leak.







P.S. Also a friend (who is learning professional photography) did a very good photo shoot for the cafe and the other red cafe. Will post the pics soon in a new thread. Yes the bike was equipped with the Goldstar silencer for the shoot!

[Sankar]

Head oil leak:

The oil leak on the head could be from one of the rocker covers. There's no photo of the right side so i assume that there is no leak from the rocker oil feed pipes.

Another possibility is that it could be from the sparkplug. It is not rare for oil to come from the spark plug threads on cast iron bullets. On AVLs it's rare. If that's the case then you might see smoke from the exhaust especially when you close the throttle after holding it wide open. In that case the piston rings might need a change. SInce AVLs have stem seal oil leaking in through the valve stems is only a rare possibility.

Decompressor oil leak:

There is an oil seal at the place where the shaft comes out of the tappet cover. Change it. You might need to change the tappet cover gasket also.