Leaking final drive

[bluebaiyou]

I have an '05. Changed final drive oil this weekend and noticed my rear rim had small "splatters" on it after a ride and I felt some oil under the plug. Read some posts on it and looks like overfilling or using the wrong type of oil can cause a leak. I'm pretty sure I didn't overfill - the level is up to the first thread as it is supposed to be. The shop didn't have the Yamaha version of oil so I used Honda, which had very similar specs. There has been much said about using Yamaha vs. other types of oil, and not a lot of agreement. Anyone else had leakage issues? Recommendations of which oil to use if I can't find the Yamaha version? Also, are you supposed to change the gasket on the drain plug with each change?

 

[C&C]

The Service Manual says to change the crush washer, "if damaged"; that may be, in fact, your problem. At least that is the first place to start looking. Consequently, I've changed my reargear multiple times and haven't had to change washers; perhaps when you replaced the bolts you switched the bottom for the top (though the bottom has the magnet). I believe the torque value, to tighten, is 18 lb/ft; I would wipe everything clean, retorque and see if the leak persists.

 

[UHOH]

Changed final drive oil ... The shop didn't have the Yamaha version of oil

so I used Honda, which had very similar specs.

:questionmark: Similar specs? - guess I've been in ignorance of critical specs here.

been using Rotella 80W-90 gear oil from the auto parts store.

'04 model, too.

if your problem is a mechanical sealing problem / drain plug, it should be easy to tell now that you're going to look for source.

When you redo it, you could always apply teflon tape on the threads, well back from the magnet, if don't have new crush washer.

This works to stop leaks from every other threaded plug, never used it on oil sumps myself.

 

[Fred W]

Are you sure that the splatters came from a weepy drain bolt seal?

You should take a look under the interface of the pumpkin with the drive shaft housing as there is a small weep hole there that will spooge up your wheel up if the drive shaft seal is at all leaky. There have been a good number of folks that have found bad seals and / or scoring of the metal it is sealing to, there.

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PS - I've never heard that drain plug leaks are caused by the kind of final drive oil you have. Since that same crush washer works for the engine oil I think it will hold back just about anything you put inside the pumpkin just fine.

 

[phroenips]

clean the rim, and see if you continue to get splattering. It's probably coming from the weep hole

 

[zzzzip]

clean the rim, and see if you continue to get splattering. It's probably coming from the weep hole

What he says. My '04 and '06 used to do it sometimes after a change. Wiped the wheel down once and was never a problem from then on.