Leak from bottom of cases

[99rmRACER]

ok while i was out riding today i saw a a few drops of something drip from the bottom of the cases a little in front of the drain plug. i rode home as soon as i could and looked at it more and its not oil and its coming from where the cases split and there is the gasket there. its not oil and it look almost like water? but its not green like coolant? and i checked when the bike cooled down and my coolant level was still the same? anyone know what this could be? thanks!

just washed the bike yesterdaY but its impossible it could be left over water? could it be some type of persperation? i am really stuck with this one?

 

[RM_guy]

Did you ride through any water? :debil:

Could it be gas from the carb overflow tubes? Without actually seeing , it's hard to diagnose

 

[dkortje]

I had a somewhat similar problem, and it came from a blown water pump seal. Did you try smelling the fluid to see what it is ie: water gas coolant?

 

[yz250roost]

Yeah I had the same problem as Dkortje, my water pump seal was blown and coolant was coming out of the little seep hole underneath the waterpump cover. Even though it was coolant, it didn't look as green as it usually does because is was just a little bit seeping out, depending on the shape of the cases, the water could run along the case and then drip off in the center, you'll have to look closely because it's a very thin and hard to see vein of water running from the seep hole to the area where it drips off. Have a friend kick over the bike while you are under it, to see if that's where it's coming from, because it won't leak when the bike isn't being turned over. hope that helps.

 

[ericlachance]

I had a similar problem with my bike.It turned out to be water coming out of my magneto cover. the gasket was finished and was letting water in and out. I got a new boyesen ignition cover and gasket, and everything's fine now.

Eric

 

[99rmRACER]

yeah i looked closer today and its definitly not coolant cause there was some coming out of the vent hose and the stuff coming out of the cases is water its totally clear and is not oily at all. sorry im new to this stuff but where is the water pump is it inside the cases? also like right next to the gasket it almost looks like a pin size hole? is this some type of vent hole for the water pump or somethin? just wonderin how i could of put a hole in there that small and that exact, it looks like it is supposed to be there? please help! also, as the bike cools down the dripping eventually comes to a hault and then when i start it back up and ride for like 2 min, it comes back. is this a sign that it might be the water pump? thanks for your help!

 

[99rmRACER]

okay just picked up my service manual and talked to my local dealer, he said that my water pump is going bad and needs to be replaced. he said that right before it goes, it leaks water out a that little hole. he said that itll be about 5-6 hours of labor time and that is like 330$! has anyone else here ever replaced thier water pump that can give me some advice? me and my dad are going to tackle this project in about a week or so. also in my manual i can find nothing about the water pump? and body have some info or a link to a site where i can get some>? thanks a lot!

 

[cr25096er]

is that water pump inbetween the cases or something, like needing the cases to be split to replace it? If not i think you need a new dealer.

 

[RM_guy]

If you are mechanically incline you can easily change the seals yourself. you'll will need new seal and the pump shaft (it usually gets scored) and a clutch cover gasket. I've done them in a couple of hours but if pushed could do it in an hour. 5-6 hours labor is a major rip off.

 

[99rmRACER]

alright so i only need the shaft and the seals? i dont need to replace the bearing? also will i have to take the clutch basket off in order to split the cases cause i really dont feel like drilling out those rivets. thanks for help! also to rm guy who has done this before....any tips or words of advice or things to look out for before me and my dad tackle this project? o yeah ....do i really need that special case sperator tool they say i need to order from suzuki in the service manual? thanks!

 

[490Dave]

I may be wrong here but i dont think you need to split the cases to replace the shaft and seal.......anybody?

If you do, then the case seperator tool would be invaluable! but check around with riding buddies to see if somebody already has one.

 

[RM_guy]

I don't think you need to split the case either, just remove the clutch side cover while the engine is still in the frame. I don't even think you have to remove the clutch basket. The pump should be in the side case. I'm not as familiar with that year bike but I know they kept moving the water pump around but honestly don't know where it is for your year. The manual should help.

And yes, It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the bearing too.

 

[99rmRACER]

in my manual it says you need to split the cases but ill remove the clutch side cover and look if there is any access to the water pump.

 

[bigc]

what kind of bike?your water pump is not inside your cases.radiator hose goes to your water pump,5 or 6 hours seems like a lot of labor i can replace the water pump on my yz in about a half hour.just buy a rebuild kit impeller and seals not too difficult to do.

 

[bigc]

nevermind i see 99rm now.I am not to familar with the rm but i think the only thing you should be taking off is the water pump it self possibly the clutch cover case ,splitting the cases would be getting into the transmission no water pump in there.I agree a new bearing cant hurt also.

 

[99rmRACER]

yeah now that i look in the manual i will be able to change the shaft and seals without splitting the cases. but i still can get this darn kickstart off!@ any ideas?

 

[99rmRACER]

okay i finally got that kickstart off and got off the clutch side cover and i see the water pump shaft, the 2 bearings and the circlip. where are the seals? are they past the bearing where the impeller is? how should i go about getting this bearing out? thanks

 

[darringer]

I still think you need to split the cases to do the job right. If the seals are gone, then the bearings are probably shot also. It is possible to split the cases without the separator tool, but easier with it. Since you have to go in that deep anyway, you might also want to check the transmission bearings, shift forks, and the gears too. It looks alot harder than it really is. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[99rmRACER]

no the seals arent gone there still there but they are behind a bearing which leads into the case. i was just wondering if there is anyway to get the bearing out without splitting the case?

 

[99rmRACER]

hey rm guy what procedure did you go through when youve changed water pumps on rm's? or has anyone else here ever changed a water pump here on an rm 97-99?

 

[darringer]

You need to split the cases. When the bearings get a little play in them it causes the water pump shaft to wobble slightly, causing the seals to fail. To do the job right split the cases and check the impeller also, as they can wear and reduce cooling. It is time consuming, but not that difficult. In the end, you will be confident the water pump is working 100%. As I said in a previous post, check the tranny while you are in there. When it's all back together, you will know that your bike is in good condition.

 

[RM_guy]

OK. I finally got an exploded picture of the parts and you do not need to slip the cases. The seal and bearing are inside the water pump cover. You will still need to remove the clutch cover but it is a simple job.

Here's a picture of it all apart. It should be the same picture that you have in the OEM manual.

 

[yz250roost]

Ok well I'm glad you are doing the job 100%, I was actually going to say that when I had my problem, All I did was replace the front most seal, I just had to remove the water pump cover, take off the impeller, take out the old seal, put in the new and that's that, nothing more. I just figured that the hole on my bike (about 1/4 inch hole) was large enough to drip out all the water and not get back into the other seal and then to the bearing. The impeller shaft wasn't scored at all. But as long as you have the clutch cover off, then you should do it all at once.

 

[99rmRACER]

unfortunately that must be only on 92-94 rm's cause on my 99 there is no water pump cover, there is only the clutch side cover and ignition cover. not sure why the heck they took it off but they did so i guess im going to have to split the cases, but do i have to take off the clutch BASKEt too? cause it doesnt say anything about drilling out and rivets in the manual?

 

[darringer]

Unfortunately, the water pump on that model is in front of the crank, so you have to split the cases. And yes, you have to take the basket off. After you take the clutch plate off and remove the clutch plates, only the center nut holds the basket on. If you have no way to hold the basket while removing the nut, either use an impact gun or wedge a penny between the primary gear and the clutch gear to hold it while loosening. I believe the manual has a step-by-step procedure for this, but I can't remember. It's been over a year since I had my 99 RM125.