Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
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Beancounter
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Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
The final drive housing on my R1150GSA has a very slight leak. Shopping with new crush washers, would PTFE tape or leak sealant/thread sealer be a better option?
Tried be crush washers but they don't do the leak entirely.
Ta.
Tried be crush washers but they don't do the leak entirely.
Ta.
- Rockburner
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
Which part of the housing?
If it's dropping from the bottom, trace it up to the actual weep.
The reason i ask is that often the gearbox output shaft will weep and the oil will run down the drive shaft and then weep from the bottom of the rubber gaiter, making it look like the final driver is weeping.
If it's the gearbox weeping don't sweat it, the output shaft is higher than the mean level of the oil so it only weeps when in use, which means it won't lose much oil.
If it's dropping from the bottom, trace it up to the actual weep.
The reason i ask is that often the gearbox output shaft will weep and the oil will run down the drive shaft and then weep from the bottom of the rubber gaiter, making it look like the final driver is weeping.
If it's the gearbox weeping don't sweat it, the output shaft is higher than the mean level of the oil so it only weeps when in use, which means it won't lose much oil.
non quod, sed quomodo
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Beancounter
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
It's definitely the FD housing, specifically from the drain bolt, all other parts of the swingarm and FD housing are dry. I suspect we've slightly warped the drain bolt hole when we needed lots of heat to remove the FD bearing a couple of years ago.Rockburner wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2026 9:46 pm Which part of the housing?
If it's dropping from the bottom, trace it up to the actual weep.
The reason i ask is that often the gearbox output shaft will weep and the oil will run down the drive shaft and then weep from the bottom of the rubber gaiter, making it look like the final driver is weeping.
If it's the gearbox weeping don't sweat it, the output shaft is higher than the mean level of the oil so it only weeps when in use, which means it won't lose much oil.
Have used yellow PTFE and the thread sealer, test will be tomorrow morning riding to the office.
- Rockburner
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
Try a softer crush washer?Beancounter wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:01 pmIt's definitely the FD housing, specifically from the drain bolt, all other parts of the swingarm and FD housing are dry. I suspect we've slightly warped the drain bolt hole when we needed lots of heat to remove the FD bearing a couple of years ago.Rockburner wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2026 9:46 pm Which part of the housing?
If it's dropping from the bottom, trace it up to the actual weep.
The reason i ask is that often the gearbox output shaft will weep and the oil will run down the drive shaft and then weep from the bottom of the rubber gaiter, making it look like the final driver is weeping.
If it's the gearbox weeping don't sweat it, the output shaft is higher than the mean level of the oil so it only weeps when in use, which means it won't lose much oil.
Have used yellow PTFE and the thread sealer, test will be tomorrow morning riding to the office.
non quod, sed quomodo
- Rockburner
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
I had something similar on the ZXR400 once, i used silicon sealant on the bolt and crush washer, not up the threads, and it worked fine.
non quod, sed quomodo
- mangocrazy
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
Perhaps get hold of some Gas PTFE tape; it's a lot thicker and stronger than the PTFE tape used on water pipes etc.
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Beancounter
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
If gas PTFE tape is yellow then that's what I've used last night. Drian bolt/hole is still weeping, not as much as before. Back to the drawing board before I shell out £350 for a second hand FD unit...mangocrazy wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2026 11:22 pm Perhaps get hold of some Gas PTFE tape; it's a lot thicker and stronger than the PTFE tape used on water pipes etc.
- weeksy
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
lol shelling out for something is £1000+ not £30k. You spend that on a round these days 
- Rockburner
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Re: Thread sealer or PTFE tape?
This is Beanie here, a 3 quid bottle of coke is "shelling out"weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2026 9:48 am lol shelling out for something is £1000+ not £30k. You spend that on a round these days![]()
non quod, sed quomodo
