Yet another oil leak.

[Julio A.]

After not being ridden for 2 months, I tried starting up the R65.
It started at the second kick. Everything is looking good. Until I saw smoke!!!

NO problems anyways. I saw the smoke was coming from some drops of oil that found it's way to the exhaust pipes that dripped from under the cylinder heads. The oil thing is starting to tick me off. The oil level is ok. The breather pipe and air cleaner box is clean.
There are new sets of pushrod seals installed and I had a new oil sump gasket in place.  The places where oil would accumulate is at the following:

Bottom of oil sump
around the pushrods
under the cylinder
generally under the engine
some oil would make it on the crash bar.

I'm stumped.  

[Bob_Roller]

You need to clean the engine with an engine cleaner, then try to locate the leak .

When you replaced the push rod tube seals, did you replace the o-ring at the cylinder base, and the two o-rings around the cylinder studs, they supply oil under pressure to the rocker arms .

Have you checked the torque of the cylinder hold down nuts after you replaced the push rod tube seals ?

They may have loosened up a bit since reassembly .

[Justin B.]

As Bob suggests.  To help find the leak after thoroughly scrubbing and degreasing the engine go for a good ride then "dust" the suspected areas with talcum powder.  Wherever there is oil it will stick and show up darker than the aluminum and you can then track it back to the source...

[montmil]

Keep a weather eye on the neutral switch. The OEM switch has a plastic body with a crimp where it meets metal. A frequent leaker. It's a booger to get at.

Also, check the oil pressure switch. It's screwed into the left side of the engine block on a vertical line between the carb-to-head connector hose. Another not-too-rare leak source.

When riding, airflow can move the leaking oil to a drippy spot away from the actual problem item. A little detective work will turn up the usual suspects.

Monte

[Julio A.]

I'll clean it during the break, I do not know if the two o ring in the cylinder studs were replaced since I had a mechanic friend specializing on Airheads work on the engine stuff.

I tightened the cylinder hold down nuts yesterday and it seemed to be ok.
I do remember tightening them a while back since they were loose, seemed like the new gasket got compressed.

BTW, is there other possible sources of oils besides the engine oil itself? seems like the dripping oil is rather clean....

...The engine oil is never clean...  

[Bob_Roller]

Gear oil for the transmission and shaft drive, is the only other oil in the area of the engine, and it has a distinctive smell to it, as compared to engine oil .