Re-baking my ST1300 (Almost full redoing)

[leondante]

Hello. My name is Dante and I'm a 36 YO dude from Spain with a never-ridden-by-me ST1300 that I bought for 500€ with the alternator cooked up. I bought the new alternator from Honda at such painful 800€, and I'm redoing my motorcycle almost completely. I need it for daily use (80 kms per day at least) so I'm focusing on mechanical condition more than aesthetic stuff.

I'm taking suggestions and I'm documenting the thing to show people how to do some kind of stuff. I'll detail the processes you tell me you want to know, so if you tell me something in particular you want to see how it's done or how it is inside, after looking the workshop manual, you can tell me to show it.

I also have had an ST1100 that I sold some months ago, and this one it's the one taking its place. I love motorcycles but cannot have all those I would love to have. I already have 6 motorcycles, only one working properly and that needs attention too because has the frame bended and I'm fixing that I hope next year. (You can check it out here: https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/my-chasis-is-bended-any-ideas.54232/ )

Can you tell me something about oil leaks in the ST1300? As you can see mine was fully caked of mudded oil and It's taking me a couple liters of gasoline for cleaning by the moment and I'm almost done with it. (I use carbon masks and a good air extractor in my place, along other precautions). It seems to come out from the head gasket, but I'm not fully sure. It's not any head cover leaking. As you can see in the pictures ALL THE THING was fully covered in greased oil. After cleaning it all I'm uploading more pictures of it clean. It's hard to say where can it be leaking. Also because using gasoline I'm sure I damaged the gasket sealant everywhere, so I'm even considering tearing apart all the engine in order to get a very well done sealing in all the engine, but I'm not fully sure about doing that. Yes, I have almost everything I need to do it. I'm just out of a couple tools I can create myself as I've seen in the workshop manual. The only thing is the time and some bucks for gaskets and sealant and a couple more things I need. I also thought about putting only a nice sealant strip along the engine after cleaning deeply the outside of the matching zone. Not sure what to do about it, but most probably will be that I'm not doing nothing until getting a nice, long ridding days to check out for leaks.

Have a nice ride.

 

[motornut]

Oil leaks?

 

[woodybelle]

Most oil leaks on the 1300 come from the valve covers leaking into the V and out the oil drain hole. Do an oil leak search on this forum. Also I don't believe that the gasoline has hurt your gaskets. Remember that proper diagnosis is the way to start every job.

 

[leondante]

Oil leaks?

Yes, did you see the pictures? It has to be that the reason the engine was almost invisible under that greasy black coat. I almost mistook the neutral swtich for a rock stuck in the black and shiny goo. The longer I think about it, the more convinced I am about the head gasket leaking oil. Everything under it was coated in dirty as black oil, and the zone around the head gasket was kind of clearly stained with "newer" oil than the rest. The oil pan was the most dirty and gooey thing. Maybe tomorrow I'm putting new pictures of it clean.

 

[leondante]

Most oil leaks on the 1300 come from the valve covers leaking into the V and out the oil drain hole. Do an oil leak search on this forum. Also I don't believe that the gasoline has hurt your gaskets. Remember that proper diagnosis is the way to start every job.

Check the pictures to see the amount of oil. I would be really happy if only was that. Almost all of the engine was completely covered in black goo, caused by the mixture of oil and dust. Also that drainage in front of the alternator was stuck for a screw that fell there for some reason. There was just a bit of oil, almost nothing, but a lot of sand and small rocks.

As I see all the covers of the engine were done with ONLY gasket sealant, not a real gasket. Also the middle union of the engine, the one that fix the crankshaft, pushed out some of the sealant it had. Gasoline expands silicone sealant by 10x or more, so is not unreal to think about it getting destroyed by the process (a lot of hours wet in gasoline). Outside the engine's joints something came out and was removed, but inside would be normal to have it all messed up. Gasoline is very agressive with silicone things and rubber in general. But the situation required such a measure to be rescued from that greasy burial. I don't mind so much to open the engine only for sealing it if necessary, if I don't find another reasonable way to stop leaks that matter. I'm doing the other simpler gaskets with that generic thick gasket paper (don't know the name in english).

I'm not doing anything until I'm pretty sure that is needed. I agree about a good diagnosis as the main step for anything to be fixed properly.

 

[STumped]

Where is the rest of the bike? Did you tear it down yourself or is that all you got?

Gonna follow this one for sure since I'd love to see how it turns out in the end!

 

[Mellow]

There's only a couple places where oil leaks occur on a st1300.

Waterpump - when the waterpump fails there will be coolant and/or oil seep out of the small round or square hole at the bottom-front-right side of the engine and air flow will typically push that all over the engine. It might also leak out of the waterpump housing section.

Hose connections - there are several in the top valley of the engine that, if loose, can also mimic a waterpump failure and again, airflow will make it look like the entire engine is leaking.

Valve checks - sometimes someone will get the rubber flap that covers the top of the engine between the valve cover gasket and engine and that can cause a major leak quickly - that isn't a mechanical failure and simply a user error and happens fast enough it's usually fixed quickly.

I would clean the engine, get it all together and get it running and THEN see if it leaks. You can't tell much from a non-running bike.

 

[Nashcat]

I have heard of several valve cover gaskets leaking, but never heard of a head gasket leaking on one of these engines. Get it clean and running before splitting the cases.

 

[W0QNX]

ST1300 also leaks out of the shifter shaft seal and the drive shaft output seal after many many miles of use. The oil gets blown all over the engine somehow. My shifter shaft seal oil actually put an oil mist on my saddlebag during a 4,000 mile trip.

Get it running and see where it leaks. I've never heard of a head gasket leaking oil on a running bike.

 

[leondante]

There's only a couple places where oil leaks occur on a st1300.

Waterpump - when the waterpump fails there will be coolant and/or oil seep out of the small round or square hole at the bottom-front-right side of the engine and air flow will typically push that all over the engine. It might also leak out of the waterpump housing section.

Hose connections - there are several in the top valley of the engine that, if loose, can also mimic a waterpump failure and again, airflow will make it look like the entire engine is leaking.

Valve checks - sometimes someone will get the rubber flap that covers the top of the engine between the valve cover gasket and engine and that can cause a major leak quickly - that isn't a mechanical failure and simply a user error and happens fast enough it's usually fixed quickly.

I would clean the engine, get it all together and get it running and THEN see if it leaks. You can't tell much from a non-running bike.

Yeah, I'm doing that. I'll not start throwing parts like crazy without a reason. The thing is that it was so, SO gooooed up that I'm almost sure something's wrong somewhere. It cannot be that it gets like that without a major leak. I'm doing at least the covers gaskets, as they seem not to have gasket at all, just sealant. And hope that's enough. As I'm fixing it all, I'm doing some worthy improvements and corrections like that one. Having it this way is really worthy, is less work than finishing all and wait for leaks and take it all apart again.

 

[leondante]

ST1300 also leaks out of the shifter shaft seal and the drive shaft output seal after many many miles of use. The oil gets blown all over the engine somehow. My shifter shaft seal oil actually put an oil mist on my saddlebag during a 4,000 mile trip.

Get it running and see where it leaks. I've never heard of a head gasket leaking oil on a running bike.

Glad to hear that's not common a head gasket leaking more than once. The previous owner put an excess of a heat shield under the gas tank and over the intakes, at the point that it blew up the alternator because the heat. I wonder if that could damage also the cylinder heads. I'm changing that seal of the shifter shaft, as it's easy and accessible as it is the bike now. I thought about doing anyways because it has 100K already and it's a good time to do it. My previous ST1100 leaked there with 90K.

 

[SMSW]

Was this bike running when you got it?

 

[draser]

I would clean the engine, get it all together and get it running and THEN see if (and where) it leaks. You can't tell much from a non-running bike.

There... that's pretty much it...

 

[leondante]

Where is the rest of the bike? Did you tear it down yourself or is that all you got?

Gonna follow this one for sure since I'd love to see how it turns out in the end!

Yes, I tear it apart and I have everything, AFAIK. It was only opened to reach the alternator when I bought it. I don't missing out any parts by the moment.

 

[leondante]

Was this bike running when you got it?

No, it had the alternator broken and it was dissasembled in a workshop who lost a part of the alternator, making it impossible to fix it (the alternator). I wanted to fix the rotor, but without one of the halves of the alternator I couldn't do a thing. I didn't see it running ever, but I could turn on the ignition and crank the engine, but I didn't start it nor tested it.

 

[leondante]

Thing was nasty, but it got better. Today I finished cleaning the engine and tomorrow I'm doing the swingarm and final drive and with some luck the rear wheel, shock absorber and the subframe (is that the correct name for the part where you fix all the rear half of the motorcycle?).

I have to create the tool to hold the pivot locknut of the swingarm, and I need spare parts for my MIG welder that are on their way to do it, so I'm leaving that for later.

 

[OldMcClelland]

Very thorough!!

 

[CFL1300]

Greetings, I'll be attentive, I hope to contribute something within my possibilities.
Vsssssssssssssssssssss...

 

[leondante]

I finished cleaning the engine but didn't take pictures of it yet. I've cleaned the slave clutch cylinder, which had an old copper washer bended, pressed inside, a small leak of brake fluid, humidity... Long story short, if you don't clean periodically your cylinders, the humidity goes to the lowest points and corroes the aluminium there. So open your stuff, clean it well, put new brake fluid and also blinker fluid too, so your blinks do not comes too fast with time.

The piston and the cylinder were both scratched and a bit corroed, so smooth 500 sand paper and no too much of pressure make them again as new. The rubber seal was a bit marked, but new fluid and some use will make it again to the good shape, not my first experience with these seals. The pusher rod seal, intended only for storing some grease inside the piston, had a lip teared apart a bit. As is not important and it's not bearing any pressure, some gasket sealer did the trick so it last another 100K kilometers. Some steel wool with my favourite soup, WD40, and a new gasket made in 5 minutes was the cherry on top for cleaning the slave clutch cylinder hole and finish it nice and sweet.

I'm attatching some pictures about watta hell happens to the gasket sealer under gasoline. When it expands, by itself detatch from any surface it is, that's why I'm afraid I'm having some leaks, but I'll wait and test it to be fully sure before doing anything.

Next chapter, I found coal mines into the tunnels that go from the exhaust valve to the top cover and have there some steel one-way valves. I'm cleaning that now. AFAIK venting the oil gas can prevent dirtyness and excessive heat, so I'm fixing that too by now. I spent hours cleaning that thing and I'm still not finishing one side. What you see in the plastic cup is that coal I'm talking about, before I got tired of collecting it I get that amount. Used a wood bit, 20 cm long, without scratching the aluminium, of course.

I put the new oil filter, changed the rev sensor oil seal and the gear shaft oil seal too. And some minor other stuff.

 

[leondante]

Remember, if you want more details about something let me know it with time and I'm doing some good report about it. In the meantime I'm sharing just some pictures for entertainment.