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I decided to tear into the DRZ tonight to try and solve my oil leak mystery...you'd think I had run the Exxon Valdez into an iceberg the way the oil was running out of her I dropped the skid plate from the bike and while laying on my back examining the bottom of the engine I didn't find any oil leaks....but I did find my water pump is leaking...WOOHOO! I moved around to the left side of the engine and noticed the shift lever was damp with oil. I fired up the engine and oil was just running out behind the countershaft sprocket....official diagnosis: I have a blown output shaft seal. It didn't take me very long to work the old seal out with a high quality, skinny screwdriver and a heat gun. Then I spent the next hour and a half removing the shift shaft seal with a dental pick, same screwdriver and my trusty heat gun...that one sucks without splitting the engine I didn't know if I made the right decision trying to remove that shift shaft seal until I finally got it out and found it to be hard as a rock. Now I have to wait on parts.
I remember reading a post somewhere about a Leaky DRZ Water Pump fix, if anyone remembers where to find that, please shoot me a link to it. I think it was simply to add silicone for a better seal??

I found this on TT


http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showth ... light=pump

Thanks Hank! that's exactly what I needed. I may as well do the water pump fix and slip in a new thermostat while I'm at it....I want a NEW bike.

KC wrote:Thanks Hank! that's exactly what I needed. I may as well do the water pump fix and slip in a new thermostat while I'm at it....I want a NEW bike.

Let me help you out again, Halls has a new TE 450, TE 510 for sale. Also if you don't want street legal there is TXC 450

http://www.halls-cycles.com/Bike%20Inve ... 0BIKES.htm

Amazing that the seal "dried out" in the month between rides and went from no leak to puking.

I'm just glad I spotted the oil puking as we sat and idled as a mile into School Creek your engine would have been dry and not happy.

Another thing that is bothering me: In first month of riding my DRZ, I noticed a "chattering" sound from the engine/transmission area that was escpecially noticeble while riding next to something (like a retainer wall, parked cars, or even another motorcycle. That turned out to be a loose countershaft sprocket nut...another known issue on DRZs. Ever since, I have been meticulous about tightening the nut before every ride. With hammer and old screwdriver in hand, I was ready to bend back the retainer washer to remove the sprocket nut when I realized it was loose as a goose I put down the tools, grabbed the nut, and it came off in my hand with less than a turn I thought I checked it after Colorado, but now I'm not sure. Point is, I'm not sure if the sprocket being loose caused the seal failure or if the hot oil from said seal failure caused the sprocket to come loose.
To the few people that still ride DRZs in this Forum: Keep that nut tight There aren't many of us left, now that Slimtrader contracted the Orange Fever.

DRZ's are good bikes. It's just too bad you ran into a string of problems but we will all be wrenching on our bikes sooner or later. Luckily doesn't sound like it's anything too expensive to fix, just a bunch of time that you could have used to ride.

Had the same loose counter sprocket nut on my KLX400. If someone in AK hadn't warned me I probably would have rode it right off the bike. The solution suggested to me was to make sure the end of the shaft is really clean. After everything is tightened down, put black RTV silicone on the end of the shaft/nut. Seems to work like heavy duty loctite.
I keep hearing about a loose primary nut issue on DRZs. It's located on the right side of the bike, have to remove the case cover to get to it. Bacsically isn't tightened down properly on initial assembly.

MacWildcat wrote:Had the same loose counter sprocket nut on my KLX400. If someone in AK hadn't warned me I probably would have rode it right off the bike. The solution suggested to me was to make sure the end of the shaft is really clean. After everything is tightened down, put black RTV silicone on the end of the shaft/nut. Seems to work like heavy duty loctite.
I keep hearing about a loose primary nut issue on DRZs. It's located on the right side of the bike, have to remove the case cover to get to it. Bacsically isn't tightened down properly on initial assembly.

Thanks for the tip, I will be in there soon so I will be sure to check that nut Haven't done the research yet, but do you know how much end play the output shaft should have With the counter sprocket off, I can move the output shaft in and out about a half inch...seems like a lot to me.

I know on the LC4s Kyle that if the Counter Shaft Sprocket is loose the seal will leak. Its the sprocket that keeps it sealed and inplace.

T

Hayden wrote:I know on the LC4s Kyle that if the Counter Shaft Sprocket is loose the seal will leak. Its the sprocket that keeps it sealed and inplace.

T

I don't want to entertain the possibility that I could have just tightened the sprocket nut and been ok! The seals I removed were NOT in good shape so I will have good piece of mind for the future having replaced them....probably won't have the parts until end of the week.

KC wrote: Haven't done the research yet, but do you know how much end play the output shaft should have With the counter sprocket off, I can move the output shaft in and out about a half inch...seems like a lot to me.

I would put the CS sprocket on and then check for axial play. Shouldn't be much, if any.

As Hayden posted, on the KTM LC4s the sprocket actually puts an oring under pressure to make a seal, although I haven't heard it desribed as near the oil leak that your bike had. More of an automatic chain oiler.

As Hayden posted, on the KTM LC4s the sprocket actually puts an oring under pressure to make a seal, although I haven't heard it desribed as near the oil leak that your bike had. More of an automatic chain oiler.

Nice feature

The DRZ has a thin metal bracket and two screws behind the sprocket that hold the seal in place.

Sounds like you have got it under controle!! I am just glad it happened on a local trip that you had to bail on anyway!! Much better there than day 1 on a CO ride you are smart to replace as many seals as needed while you are in there!! As for a lose nut, I always find a good hit with a rock will keep that thing on