Help, What part is this leaking?

jeepinoutwest

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Hey Folks, can anyone tell me: 1. What part is this that seems to be leaking? 2. Is it serious? So far the leak hasn’t made it to the ground. 3. Is it an easy fix?

The part is located just under the tank on the left side. The bike operates perfectly and has 42,000 miles.

Thanks in advance. Rick

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steve68steve

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Without going to look at my bike, the hard plumbing implies it's either a fuel line or a brake line.

If there's any plumbing connecting it to the throttle bodies, it's fuel line. You'd be able to smell it.
If it runs up to the front of the frame, it's probably feeding the front brake calipers. It will feel oily and not smell like gas.

Neither case is good, but brakes is probably worse, for obvious reasons. If it leaks oil, it could be leaking air in, which will make your brake performance get worse to the point of eventually having none.

It looks like a compression fitting - make sure that nut hasn't backed itself off.
 

jeepinoutwest

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Thank you. Well I think it’s either brake or hydraulic clutch. It’s really hard to trace back. I’m 99% sure it’s not a fuel line. The nut was slightly loose and I was able to give it a quarter turn. Maybe it was just loose. What parts do I need to change? The brake fluid levels are fine. There is no sight hole for the hydraulic clutch fluid.
 

Xclimation

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Brake or clutch line....but something to double check: The airbox gets oil in it and that bulb on the bottom left side where the oil collects is not on that tight. Could possibly also be a little oil getting past the bulb and dripping down.
But if that fitting was loose...more than likely (that.) Be sure not to over tighten that fitting.
 

jeepinoutwest

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Wow X, you just caused something profound to dawn on me. I noticed this leak after picking it up from dealer service where they checked my valves, but ALSO changed my air filter. It’s very possible the “tech” wasn’t tidy when draining that oil catch bulb. I’ll have to go home and check the location of the bulb in relation to the alleged leak. Hmm tech carelessness vs. Yamaha part failure? FYI this is the same tech that didn’t properly plug in my fuel pump connector after this same service which cause a no start issue. He forgot to push the plug in until it clicks to lock.
 

MFP

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Wow X, you just caused something profound to dawn on me. I noticed this leak after picking it up from dealer service where they checked my valves, but ALSO changed my air filter. It’s very possible the “tech” wasn’t tidy when draining that oil catch bulb. I’ll have to go home and check the location of the bulb in relation to the alleged leak. Hmm tech carelessness vs. Yamaha part failure? FYI this is the same tech that didn’t properly plug in my fuel pump connector after this same service which cause a no start issue. He forgot to push the plug in until it clicks to lock.
That particular tech should be banned from ever touching your S10 again.
 

jeepinoutwest

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Bingo. The tech never reinstalled the air filter oil catch bulb which is directly above this wet line. Now it is slightly possible that line is still leaking but not probable. The line is wet all the way back to the fitting which goes slightly uphill, but I think acceleration inertia would cause that line to get wet the entire way back to the fitting. I’ve done 300 miles since the service with outside air bypassing the air filter and being sucked straight into the engine. Thanks Yamaha tech.

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MFP

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Bingo. The tech never reinstalled the air filter oil catch bulb which is directly above this wet line. Now it is slightly possible that line is still leaking but not probable. The line is wet all the way back to the fitting which goes slightly uphill, but I think acceleration inertia would cause that line to get wet the entire way back to the fitting. I’ve done 300 miles since the service with outside air bypassing the air filter and being sucked straight into the engine. Thanks Yamaha tech.

View attachment 53546
That's a Charlie Foxtrot for sure.
You should definitely use the pics for both SNAFUs (fuel pump connector and the air filter catch) and bring it to the attention of the dealership/service dept. that is responsible for these oversights.
At the very least you should get an apology and either a full or partial refund for the service that was performed or some kind of
store credit.
 

Don in Lodi

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Left side is the clutch. If you got a quarter turn out of it you fixed it. Shouldn't have been loose to begin with though. Put the bike on the centerstand, level the rez as much as you can, put a couple layers of towel below the rez and open it up. It's a tiny volume, you'll need a tiny shot of fluid. That air box drain is on the dirty side of the filter, you're ok. I doubt very much anything in your airbox made that mess.
 
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jeepinoutwest

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Good point. The hydraulic clutch also uses brake fluid as well, so it's almost guaranteed this is the blowby oil that dripping down from the airbox. I must say I was surprised when I checked the air filter for the first time and the amount of oil that collects in that catch bulb was a visible amount. My oil catch bulb was full and a little pool of oil had started forming in the base of the airbox. This was at 20,000 miles. Moral of the story, empty that oil catch bulb every 5000 miles or so.
 
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jeepinoutwest

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When I get a chance, after replacing the oil catch bulb and cleaning off the oily substance on that line, I can better access if there is still any issue at all. Clutch feels the same as always. Anyone ever install a longer plastic line on the air filter to make draining that blowby oil easier. I think a nice 4" line with a plug in the end would make a 2 second job out of it.

P.S. Thanks and credit to Xclimation to alerting me to the air box oil catch bulb!
 
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Xclimation

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And to think I debated with myself even mentioning this because the fitting was loose.....but.....can't tell you how many times throughout life I thought something was leaking only turned out to be something else dripping or running. I've had an oil leak on the front of an engine work it's way to the transmission area of a truck and I swore up and down it was a transmission leak (even thought ATF fluid is a different color!)
And yes, there is a thread somewhere that someone uses a clear longer plastic hose to drain that oil catch. I need to put one on myself!
 
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