[Arsenil98]

Title: Gear Oil Leak from the back of the kick starter

Hi everyone,

Today, I was supposed to ride for a bit but ended up to be not more than 5 min.
Recently I have done all the bearings, Chain, Sprokets, Carb clean-up, Filters and Fluid on my CRF 450 2004...

And Today was the day of test, which did not end up like I was hoping, after getting the proper mixture and idle. I went for a little rip, and ding, came back to teach my girlfriend to ride it... But ended up to put it back on the truck.

Here is a screenshot from where it leaks, with a bit of explanation

I grabed from another site the seal, but it seems that It is not OEM. Thats weird it is why I would like to know if there is a fix.
I am the 3rd owner. If you need more Information let me know.

Kindly

[Arsenil98]

Here is the view from the back I have remove a plug, that is literally in black rubber.


It is my first crf 450, I am guessing this is meant for the electric starter...

I hope to know what part, and where to find it...

[JimDirt]

Your second image is not showing up , but i am going to guess that you have a crack in the case where the kickstart gear goes into the case , its possible that something jammed and the kickstarting caused the case to crack somehow , there is no provision for a electric start on any CRF450R until 2017 , the 450X is the only other Honda CRF450 that has the capability for a starter , and the 450X case is not the same as the 02-08 450R , which leads us back to somehow when kickstarting it , something bound up and cracked or broke out a chunk of case to cause the leak you are finding , as there is no reason it should leak oil from the back side of the case , the kickstart seal , yes , but not from the back of the case , and not quite sure what you mean by "rubber bolt shaped" , there is a bolt shape formed on the backside of that case , but its not "rubber" so not sure what your seeing that is rubber

[Arsenil98]

Your second image is not showing up , but i am going to guess that you have a crack in the case where the kickstart gear goes into the case , its possible that something jammed and the kickstarting caused the case to crack somehow , there is no provision for a electric start on any CRF450R until 2017 , the 450X is the only other Honda CRF450 that has the capability for a starter , and the 450X case is not the same as the 02-08 450R , which leads us back to somehow when kickstarting it , something bound up and cracked or broke out a chunk of case to cause the leak you are finding , as there is no reason it should leak oil from the back side of the case , the kickstart seal , yes , but not from the back of the case , and not quite sure what you mean by "rubber bolt shaped" , there is a bolt shape formed on the backside of that case , but its not "rubber" so not sure what your seeing that is rubber

Thanks for your reply, I have just updated the link of the second pic. Yeah it is what I guessed after spending 1 hour looking for a part. The previous owner used a rubber plugged with permatex ultra black, lasted a while. I am not sure if a welder could weld some aluminium back in there without removing the engine from the frame. So I am going probably to do the same fix or get it welded.

Let me know what you think...

[JimDirt]

After looking at your second picture which now shows up , its obvious the case was broken , you could find someone to weld it , but , the case would have to be removed from the engine , with that said , it might be a better solution to just replace the case rather than try to find someone that can actually weld it properly , if cost is a issue , you might consider eBay for a used one , i am sure you can find a used case for a decent price (cheaper than new anyway)

But that would be my suggestion , as my concern is , something happened to cause the case to break , so i would feel better with a new/replacement case , rather than trying to fix this one , and not get the inside machined correctly to house the shaft correctly , as the tolerance is critical and if its built up too much it could cause binding .... so changing the case would be the best bet .....

[Arsenil98]

After looking at your second picture which now shows up , its obvious the case was broken , you could find someone to weld it , but , the case would have to be removed from the engine , with that said , it might be a better solution to just replace the case rather than try to find someone that can actually weld it properly , if cost is a issue , you might consider eBay for a used one , i am sure you can find a used case for a decent price (cheaper than new anyway)

But that would be my suggestion , as my concern is , something happened to cause the case to break , so i would feel better with a new/replacement case , rather than trying to fix this one , and not get the inside machined correctly to house the shaft correctly , as the tolerance is critical and if its built up too much it could cause binding .... so changing the case would be the best bet .....

Hey JimDirt, thanks a lot for your time. I totally understand, what could cause the welding, I am waiting for a 27mm socket to remove all the sprocket/dog in the case to inspect if there is further problems. If not, that would mean the kickstarter sprocket rod would have broke this area or the previous owner tried to do something stupid. Cause I have been riding the bike with a plug in there to prevent the leak.

I have inspected my clutch plate that I got less than 20 hours in trails and road. Which are still new, I have noticed some metal chips at the bottom of the case. And all the plates are in perfect shape, sprockets/dogs looks in perfect shape. I believe the 27mm lock bolt that needs to be bent on, got damage after reusing it and did those chips, cause no signs of wear anywhere else. And the transmission case is not receiving any oil from the engine. So I don't thinks it's coming from anywhere else.

Now I have another question, the engine makes a metalic noise like a knock at idle. My guess would be a valve that is bent, but the bike runs well. What would you suggest? Unmount the engine from the frame, and look?

Kindly