2009 RMK 600 fresh oil leak bottom rear of block

[SaskRMK]

Hey guys at the end of last season I put a fresh top end in my machine, did some light break in riding with a mixed tank and then parked it for the summer in my shop. Over the summer it has developed a good oil leak from the back lower portion of the block near the oil pump.

I have pulled the air box, throttle bodies, clutch and can to get the best possible look with my mirror and led snake light. After noticing the rear was pretty saturated I spray everything with brake clean hoping to make pinpointing the leak easier once its clean. I came back the next day and I had probably lost another 400ml of oil onto the board I had underneath and it was evident there were drips coming off the belly pan.

My reservoir is not dropping enough to notice and there are no air bubbles in any of the lines leaving the pump including the feed entering the pump. None of the lines have residue besides the feed. I have double checked the bleed screw and its tight. There seams to be a drop coming off the nut where the linkage arm attaches to the pump as well as a drip coming off the Steering joint beneath the pump. Is this starting to sounds like the seals on my pump shaft or where the pump body meets the block have gone?

Really hoping I can get this sorted out before the season starts.

Thanks in advance guys

Taylor

 

[sled_guy]

Did you pull the lines apart/off when you rebuilt the motor?

Unless the pump took a hit on the bulkhead or steering or something I wouldn't expect it to be leaking from any of the mating surfaces. I would start with the easy thing first, replace the feed line from the tank to the pump and make sure it fits tight.

sled_guy

 

[SaskRMK]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I didn't remove any of the lines for the rebuild but a few months before I had replaced the oil feed line from the reservoir to the feed inlet with some tygon tubing. The feed line does have a light sweat but its losing a fair amount of oil within a few days. I had drilled the oil cap for venting when I rebuilt because I believe the oil system locked causing air gaps in my feed line when I started to get lower compression in one cylinder.

I guess if there was a small leak at the feed and the cap was drilled for venting it would cause the leak to loose more fluid in a shorter period of time.

 

[SaskRMK]

a small hole drilled on the inside of the oil cap for venting wouldn't cause this in any way but I swapped caps from my friends rmk while they are in storage to see if it effects anything. I sprayed down the oil pump area with brake clean so hopefully I can identify what's actually leaking once it drains and dries.

 

[SaskRMK]

To The Top

 

[sled_guy]

The oil caps are vented already by the way. That's why the rattle when you shake them.

See what happens now with the cleaning. I've seen a pump leak where the cable mount (not the arm but the mount) bolts to the pump. That's the only place I've ever seen one leak and that was because it had taken a hit during a little misadventure.

sled_guy

 

[SaskRMK]

yes i am aware it vents already but if you put air through it and change the level of the lid in my opinion it does not vent near enough. I had air bubbles in my feed line as well as some of the smaller lines when my engine went down. I currently no longer have any air bubbles but the leak was there. I'm heading back to the shop this afternoon to check on it again, its been sitting for 30+ hours totally cleaned with a non modified oil cap on the reservoir so i'm hoping I'm no longing loosing oil.

 

[clamlake600]

Sounds like when it burned down it was due to lack of oil. Bubbles are from low oil it tank, air being syphoned by wrong line.. Only use factory line, tygone sucks, used it in the past ,only to let me down..did it use oil during brake in? Did you bleed pump after rebuild..pull the pump or run mixed until u figure it out. Good luck. I've seen pumps fail, but very rare.

 

[SaskRMK]

The sled never went down I just noticed lower compression in one cylinder and then decided to rebuild. I originally had air bubbles in the factory line and I replaced it with tygon and rode the rest of the season with no bubbles.

The oil is topped after ever ride and the pump is always bled when there was air and when the line was removed. I'm starting to think that the leak was the feed line because when I removed the line it was pretty stretched out from being over the barb on the pump. If the cap had additional venting this would just cause it to leak faster. My oil reservoir has never been below half so there is no way air got in from lack of oil in reservoir.

I believe the pump pulled air in from a leak at the feed line on the pump when there was inadequate venting and the oil system was under negative pressure so it pulled air in from the leak rather than oil from the reservoir. I had no air bubbles when I noticed the leak while the sled was stored over the summer. I replaced the line and assembled everything else so we'll have to see what happens.

 

[SaskRMK]

I'm still getting fresh oil puddling underneath my chain case side and its not chain case oil. The upper oil feed lines on the pump are not leaking and i have replaced my oil feed lines so it MUST be the lower lines and probably the reason my sled was starting to loose compression in the one cylinder last season. Can anyone explain where the two lines at the bottom of the pump run to and what they are lubricating.

I'm not looking forward to pulling my engine to access these lines

thanks in advance guys

 

[thefullmonte]

I'm guessing you have a line that has worn through on the bottom side of the motor. I noticed when I pulled my 800 that the lines were poorly routed and in some cases too short. Had to replace a couple of them due to being almost completely worn through in 700 miles. I even added protective covering to them.
I think you are on the right track. I apologize I don't remember exactly where they connect.

 

[diamonddave]

Oil cap vents ARE an issue on the IQ-RAW's. The cap sits at a 30 degree angle when the sled is flat. I can't tell you how many sleds I've taken off the oil supply line to the oil pump now and laugh when the oil only trickles. Loosen the cap and it's Valdez. I've seen this now on about 11 or 12 sleds in the last couple years. Some feel that it only needs to vent part of the time. I've never seen any vent system that needs only partial time venting.

I think you are going to need to replace the oil supply hose (from Polaris or the right type) and route it properly like Monte suggested. Some lines I've seen have gotten routed by the steering shaft and oil cable bracket and have chafed. Verify the clamp is good at the oil pump, make sure the oil pump primer bolt is tight. Not sure if yours has it but some of the motors have an oring behind the oil pump and the bolts that retain it have thread sealant (loctite).