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I've fitted the older type breather at the rear of the 1979 R80 crankcase I'm using, originaly the engine would have breathed through a channel cast into the top of the crankcase to the front and back to the air filter box via a hose and I've left the other openings uncovered. I'm now getting oil dripping from the starting motor cover - so my question is :- is this cast channel open to the crancase innards- can the crankcase vent into it - does it have a drain hole for collected oil?

I have the galley in question on my '78 /7. When I replaced the breather with the new reed type, I made sure that the small hole in the galley was open. This hole is just forward of where the exit is for the breather valve. The hole sits in the bottom of a small well, which is supposed to let condensed oil mist go back into the top of the engine compartment. If the hole were plugged, and you have the output of the breather routed to the carbs, then you must have a leak somewhere else. But the hole could be a source your leak.

Kurt in S.A.

The breather vents via a longer hose into the fresh air. I wonder if what with larger pistons and rings that haven't bedded in pressurising the crankcase that oil is squirting up through that little hole then?

Nourish wrote:I wonder if what with larger pistons and rings that haven't bedded in pressurising the crankcase that oil is squirting up through that little hole then?

Isn't that what the breather is supposed to be doing? Why would the pressure be relieved through the very small hole and not out the large hole created when the breather opens?

Have you removed the starter cover to see where most of the oil seems to be? That might give an idea where the problem is. Are you confident that the breather is installed tightly on the case?

Kurt in S.A.

If I remember right it's a bloody tight fit in the crankcase! There is air pumping out the breather when it's running but yes that is the next step to take the tank off, take the frame brace off , take the coils off and then the starter cover off again and have a peak.

...howdy folks, remember a while back Tim advised me I must check the piston rings for my excessive oil in the filter box, and yes they were the culprit.

Well, not a cheap fix, but at least it's good to know what the problem is.