Honda VT500 help?

[Guest]

Hi All

This is my first post so all tips and info welcome.

I recently pick up an old Honda VT500E. A great cheep bike to play around on.

However it has an oil leak which is bugging me.

The leak is coming from the rubber boot between the engine and the drive shaft. Although

I suspect this is just where the leak is manifesting itself. Having looked through a number

of technical manuals this is a start and stop point is and I cannot find a decent explanation

or photo of what’s behind the boot.

I am trying to find out if this is a easy fix or a major strip down, (i.e I just live with the leak)

Any ideas?

[eastanglianbiker]

sounds like the output shaft seal could be leaking or the middle gearbox has blown a seal you will need to move the boot far enough back to try and see whats going on,failing that its either rear wheel off diff unit off swinging arm off or engine out to check

[Guest]

Thanks eastanglianbiker

Now found the page titled output gear case with it showing an oil seal so this looks like

the culprit. The leak only becomes apparent when the bike is hot and I've been on a decent run.

It doesn’t leak when standing. So it looks like the swing arm and rear wheel off to replace.

A snow day job, me thinks

Has anybody else actually done one of these?

[eastanglianbiker]

you might be able to remove middle gearbox on its own without stripping bike down but just read up and check first

[fredc]

you have to remove the wheel and swinging arm before you can get to it

you need a special tool the remove the swinging arm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-VT500-V ... 3cc9189854

the output shaft carrier is held onto the gearbox with 4 or 5 bolts so you need a new gasket as welll as the seal

[Guest]

Cheers guys

yep will probably need a gasket as well.

there are 3 cap head bolts holding the shaft to the drive unit

Do you have any idea what the official name for the seal is..?

or where I can get one

oil seal on google gets you alsorts of hits...

[fredc]

you can get the oil seal here

http://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/hond ... 5-me5-003/

and there is no gasket on the case its shims, my mistake