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Hello. I have a 1987 Honda Shadow. It just sprung a somewhat significant oil leak (60-100 dpm). I first thought it was the filter so I took it off and replaced it but that was not the cause. It appears to be leaking out of a hole where a wire is penetrating the crank case. My only guess is that this is the neutral indicator switch wire. Its not in the clymer manual. Left side of the bike, on the bottom. I can't get at the grommet to push it back in because the engine is right on the frame at that point. I really don't want to break open the crank case until I am sure that is what is going on because it will undoubtedly lead to far more extensive repairs. My questions is 1) Is there a better way to do this? Also, it looks like I can't remove the crank case cover without removing the foot pegs. These appear to be pressed on meaning I can't remove them either. Any help is appreciated.
Answer -
Guess I will assume that we are discussing a VT1100 Shadow, not some other flavor Shadow.
http://www.powersportspro.com/partsfish/
Lots going on in the left side crankcase area...
Neutral switch is forward with a wire and the oil pressure switch is located behind that. Neutral wire is generally green with red stripe and oil pressure switch black with red (?) as I recall.
The kind of leak you describe sounds more like the pressure switch than the neutral switch.
Foot pegs seem to attach to the footpeg brackets, which bolt onto the frame.
If you have a way to lean the bike over on to the right side against a wall, sawhorse or something solid, so it wont' tip over or roll away, you can probably see better how to work on the left side.. remove the footpeg bracket, left side rear engine cover, then clean the area around the left side of the engine with some brake cleaner or similar, then see if you can remove the offending wire and then the switch unit for replacement. Put some teflon tape on the threads of the oil switch unit. If you can't get a suitable sender from Honda, just get one from an auto parts store that is the same thread pitch and size. Remember that there are sending units and switches to monitor oil pressure. You will need a switch...
Bill Silver
Bill,
Thanks for the quick response. It is not the oil pressure switch. That is located outside the crank case just forward of the filter so I can see that it is not leaking. It is wire grommet containing the neutral indicator and the overdrive indicator. Looks like I'll have to take the cover off regardless so only one more followup question. Is the crank case full of oil during normal operation in this area? I don't see any reason why it should be. This leads me to believe that if there is a lot of oil in this area, it is because something internal is leaking. I know there is an oil transfer pipe - though I'm not sure which side and my other thought is that the transmission switches themselves may be leaking into this area. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks again.
Alex
Answer -
You still didn't tell me what model it was... but from the overdrive comment, it wasn't a 1100 as they all have 4 speed gearboxes. Now I have to suppose that it is a VT700 instead, completely different machine. "HONDA SHADOW" can apply to several different models.
Back at the VT700 microfiche, I see that there are two neutral switches, so one must be for the O/D indicator.
Yes, they all run in oil, especially that low in the crankcase. There appear to be some kind of washer behind each one, so either they have loosened up or have washer failures of some kind or the switch has failed internally and is leaking out of the housing.
I see that there is a crankcase plug more forward and it is sealed with an o-ring, so that could be a migrating oil leak, too.
In the left cover image, the wiring harness for the pulser coil seems to come out, as well as the one for the stator windings. Perhaps that is what you are seeing and what is leaking. Definitely have to remove the left cover clean everything thoroughly, and reseal the grommet with some 3 BOND or similar oil proof sealant. Yes, all these parts are oil cooled, as well.
Buy all the gaskets, sealant and seals you need before you dive in, to shorten up your down time.
Bill Silver
Bill,
One more on my 1987 Honda Shadow VT700 (sorry about not specifying before) oil leak. I have removed the crank case cover and am getting the new gasket today. It could be that the gasket was the problem or it could be that either of the neutral/overdrive switches or the shift drum stopper (cylindrical plug with an o-ring) is leaking. The switches appear tight and undisturbed. The only way for me to check the stopper is to pull it out and inspect the o-ring. From my manual, I can't tell exactly what the stopper's function is (yes, I've thought of stopping the drum). My fear is that it is acting as a pivot/dowel for the shift drum and that if I remove it, the drum will move and I won't be able to get the stopper back in without disassembling the entire engine / transmission. Can I safely pull the plug out to inspect / replace the o-ring without worrying about the transmission moving internally?
Thanks,
Alex
Answer -
Alex, The item you describe is called a holder, with a small 10x1.6mm O-ring. The shift drum and forks are all part of the selection parts that are further back in the crankcases, I think. The shift drum is supported with a ball bearing on the other end, so it would seem to be okay to pull the plug and change the O-ring.
What I saw in the area of your switches is a crankcase plug with 35.3x 2.4mm O-ring, which looks like it will come right out by grabbing the little protrusions, I guess.
Bill Silver
Bill,
I replaced the crank case cover gasket and the o-ring on the shift drum holder and reassembled. Oil is still leaking. It must be one of the switches. What is killing me now is that the clutch doesn't work. It worked fine before I disassembled. It has absolutely no resistance when I squeeze the lever. I checked the hydraulic fluid and there is plenty there. When I reassembled, I did have to torque the bolts holding the slave cylinder which caused a backflow of hydraulic fluid but I do not understand why that would make the clutch ineffective. I can shift through the gears (with the bike off) but the clutch is gone. Any clue?
Thanks,
Alex
AnswerAlex, this has been quite an experience for you. Theoretically, the slave cylinder shouldn't have moved, unless you hit the clutch lever to move the slave cylinder piston forward. And backing it up when you installed it, shouldn't have caused it to stop working. Hydraulics on these bikes are funny things and sometimes they just don't cooperate with what should be an easy process.
Check the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Be sure that the reservoir is clean with no debris floating around in the bottom of the floor of the reservoir. There is a tiny bleed hole that can easily be plugged up, causing a pressure release problem.
Try to bleed the line at the fitting on the slave cylinder to get the pressure back up afterwards. Sometimes, you have to use a vacuum bleeder system to help get the air out of the lines on these bikes. There are a lot of little kinks in the line and connectors where air bubbles can form and stay.
Bill Silver
