As title really, alot of oil is coming from the top of the engine - hard to see exactly but looks to be head gasket way. The only other thing I thought of was, Iv recently filled it up to full - now the oil coming out was fresh, really fresh. Have Fireblades got like an oil breather? Starts / runs / stops perfect. All the oil is from the back of the engine. Is this a known problem, bikes an 04 plate with 20k on. Also if it is someone has said its an engine out job? Joe
Cause it wouldn't leak oil out if it was head gasket. Rocker cover gasket leaking would cause what you have described. If you can, get the tank and airbox off, then you'll be able to see most of rocker cover and around it. Head gaskets don't go in that way, or if they do I've never heard of it happening!
I could be wrong so don't pull Apart just yet, I don't know much just though I would chuck the idea out for someone who knows their stuff to confirm or write off
They are usually rocker cover gasket as said have you recently took airbox off as there is a crank breather but I don't think you would get neat oil out ?
Cam cover gaskets are pretty reliable only seen one split when owner tampered with it during a rebuild. Look at the breather pipe from cover to air box if the retainer clip is not secured properly oil could spew to the left side which could confirm its the culprit. Front of the cam cover has the paired valve hoses unlikely to leak from there as its controlled by reed valves. Good luck Joe
In rare cases Ive seen head gaskets leak oil from the cam chain channel, but RARE sometimes the rocker cover gasket can leak oil down the plug hole and it drains from the water drain hole on the cylinder head often looking far worse than it is... As MasterB says poss that oil has been blown up into the catch tank area in the air box and draining free from a loose drain pipe from the bottom of the air box.
And............I've seen Cam Cover seals blown out due to the famous Alternator /stator burn out which as we all know is a common fault on 04/5 Blades.Fuel vapour should exit the engine via the breather/reburnt, however theres always a bit of vapour around, As the alternator fails (burns out the windings) it's possible for it to cause an arc which could cause a small explosion within the crankcase,the breather can not cope with this sudden pressure build up and the weakest seal happens to be the thin Cam cover seal......I,ve seen and repaired 1 and the local Mr Honda dealer had seen it too................Just a thought I'd share .
Not the air box or catch tank. If the oil is seeping on the left side its possible the breather pipe from cam cover has come off resulting oil from the sump is spewing out onto the top of the cover. Hope that makes better sense.
