Crf250R 2019 leaking oil, need help on what to do/buy

[Daniel Perez]

Took it to the shop to get valves adjusted and told him it was leaking and he just adjusted the valves, still leaks, does it need new gaskets? And if so which ones? Also leaks from the bleeder hole as you can see in the pictures.

[William1]

He should of taken care of it. Valve cover gasket is tired, pr not installed right. No excuse for whomever did the valves not to resolve that. It makes me question how well he did the valve adjustment or if at all.

[Slackkinhard]

get a NEW valve cover gasket. Those motors are known to squish that thing down and folks overtighten the cap bolts in hopes it will seal. Usually end up destroying the caps. Get a new one and tighten it to spec

[DGXR]

It's fairly easy to get those gaskets lined up wrong if not careful.  Check the thin layer of rubber visible around the perimeter between the head and the cover, make sure it's all the same, no sections sticking out or pulled in.  Also check the cover bolts for tightness.  If all looks good and it's leaking, pull off the cover and see what is going on.  Not too hard with most bikes.  You might need a new gasket if it's torn or stiff.  Stiff gaskets can be used in a pinch if you can't get a new one, just apply a small amount of silicone sealer around the perimeter and be prepared to clean up the mess next time the cover is removed lol.

The drain hole leak is from the spark plug well gasket (inner valve cover) leaking oil into the well.  Usually these come with the valve cover gasket.

[Daniel Perez]

34 minutes ago, DGXR said:

It's fairly easy to get those gaskets lined up wrong if not careful.  Check the thin layer of rubber visible around the perimeter between the head and the cover, make sure it's all the same, no sections sticking out or pulled in.  Also check the cover bolts for tightness.  If all looks good and it's leaking, pull off the cover and see what is going on.  Not too hard with most bikes.  You might need a new gasket if it's torn or stiff.  Stiff gaskets can be used in a pinch if you can't get a new one, just apply a small amount of silicone sealer around the perimeter and be prepared to clean up the mess next time the cover is removed lol.

The drain hole leak is from the spark plug well gasket (inner valve cover) leaking oil into the well.  Usually these come with the valve cover gasket.

So just the valve cover gasket? Btw, the oil leaks were there before I got a valve adjustment, mechanic didn’t make it worse or better.

[Daniel Perez]

1 hour ago, Slackkinhard said:

get a NEW valve cover gasket. Those motors are known to squish that thing down and folks overtighten the cap bolts in hopes it will seal. Usually end up destroying the caps. Get a new one and tighten it to spec

Okay thanks I’ll try that first and see if that’s the problem 

[Daniel Perez]

57 minutes ago, DGXR said:

It's fairly easy to get those gaskets lined up wrong if not careful.  Check the thin layer of rubber visible around the perimeter between the head and the cover, make sure it's all the same, no sections sticking out or pulled in.  Also check the cover bolts for tightness.  If all looks good and it's leaking, pull off the cover and see what is going on.  Not too hard with most bikes.  You might need a new gasket if it's torn or stiff.  Stiff gaskets can be used in a pinch if you can't get a new one, just apply a small amount of silicone sealer around the perimeter and be prepared to clean up the mess next time the cover is removed lol.

The drain hole leak is from the spark plug well gasket (inner valve cover) leaking oil into the well.  Usually these come with the valve cover gasket.

Is it possible for someone like myself with no experience in the motor to replace the valve cover gasket?

[Oregon lightweight moto]

5 minutes ago, Daniel Perez said:

Is it possible for someone like myself with no experience in the motor to replace the valve cover gasket?

Start watching YouTube videos. Once you feel confident you can tackle every step, write down a plan of attack so you aren’t going in blind. 
have the service manual of course. 

[Slackkinhard]

1 hour ago, Daniel Perez said:

Is it possible for someone like myself with no experience in the motor to replace the valve cover gasket?

Yes. Pull the seat, tank and shrouds, should provide you the access ya need. Just be sure not to go crankin down on the cap bolts. LOTS of people have learned the hard way. Gets expensive

[Daniel Perez]

2 hours ago, Slackkinhard said:

Yes. Pull the seat, tank and shrouds, should provide you the access ya need. Just be sure not to go crankin down on the cap bolts. LOTS of people have learned the hard way. Gets expensive

Okay thanks! 

[Fourstrokenewb]

47 minutes ago, Daniel Perez said:

Okay thanks! 

Make sure the bike is CLEAN . . . . and follow torque specs on those bolts. (shop maual can be found on line) . . I use an inch pound torque wrench when I tighten cam caps and head cover bolts. Expensive piece of metal to learn on.

[Daniel Perez]

18 hours ago, Fourstrokenewb said:

Make sure the bike is CLEAN . . . . and follow torque specs on those bolts. (shop maual can be found on line) . . I use an inch pound torque wrench when I tighten cam caps and head cover bolts. Expensive piece of metal to learn on.

Lol yea, I’d rather my mechanic do it, just don’t want to end up costing myself more for a begginer mistake

[Rod Wallis]

Don't be scared to tackle it yourself as you will learn a lot about your bike at the same time, replacing the gasket is relatively easy, just take your time and lay out parts in an orderly fashion... and as noted, watch a few YouTube videos to get comfortable.

I have three sons that ride a CRF230, 2 X CRF250's and I have a CRF450, we now carry out our own maintenance including valve clearances as it is too expensive to keep taking to a mechanic, the boys look after their gear and learn, we have no mechanical experience except to say, a lot of smart guys here who help if you get stuck, check out Youtube but most of all, have a service manual and make sure you stick to the specs. and never tackle anything unless your bike is clean.

Goodluck with it.

[hondamac]

The technician knocked the center part of the gasket out of place putting the cover back in causing the leak at the side hole. Buy a new gasket, not from that dealer, and install it properly. To be fair you should talk to management at the dealership to let them know of your problems. They may want to correct things for you. 

[Fourstrokenewb]

5 hours ago, Daniel Perez said:

Lol yea, I’d rather my mechanic do it, just don’t want to end up costing myself more for a begginer mistake

Just takes some attention to detail. I would not be scared of it. You have an easy fix. You have a 250. Sooner or later you will need to adjust the valves, install a  piston, or replace crank. Shop costs for engine overhaul alone will make you wonder why you bought the bike . . . 

Tackling small jobs like this is a great start.

We all started somewhere.

[Daniel Perez]

12 hours ago, Fourstrokenewb said:

Just takes some attention to detail. I would not be scared of it. You have an easy fix. You have a 250. Sooner or later you will need to adjust the valves, install a  piston, or replace crank. Shop costs for engine overhaul alone will make you wonder why you bought the bike . . . 

Tackling small jobs like this is a great start.

We all started somewhere.

Okay thanks man! I will order the gasket, do I need anything else other than the gasket? A torque wrench or silicone sealant of any kind? 

[Daniel Perez]

On 11/1/2022 at 5:35 PM, hondamac said:

The technician knocked the center part of the gasket out of place putting the cover back in causing the leak at the side hole. Buy a new gasket, not from that dealer, and install it properly. To be fair you should talk to management at the dealership to let them know of your problems. They may want to correct things for you. 

Dealership? I bought the bike used from OfferUp, I don’t think it has any type of warranty, and the k you for the tip, what gasket brand do you recommend? I was looking at Tusk.

[Fourstrokenewb]

10 hours ago, Daniel Perez said:

Okay thanks man! I will order the gasket, do I need anything else other than the gasket? A torque wrench or silicone sealant of any kind? 

First things first . . . . get a service manual 

 https://servicemanualwarehouse.com/honda-2019-crf250r-service-manual/ . . . . this one will cost you 15 bucks . . .  but read it . . . . and it will save you from making costly mistakes.

I use a torque wrench for most engine work that I do . . . I bought a Husky Inch-Pound wrench https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1-4-in-Drive-Torque-Wrench-H4DTWA/206743985 . . . . some folks do use'm some don't. I do . . . . . .you will need 1/4 inch socket too . . .  Harbor Freight will probabaly do just fine . . . or you could get some at Home Depot, when you get your torque wrench

 

Gasket sealer - for my 2006 there is a half moon plug. I think on your bike you may have two. I put a small amount on the plug where it contacts the cylinder head. Another poste mentioned that the gaskets are easy to misalign with the valve covmaybe use a small dab in strategic locations. For future reference, do NOT use gasket sealer or case covers or cases. You could plug an oil journal . . .  which is bad.

 

On the schematic below, you may want to order a couple number 6's in addition to the number 3 . . I get lots of stuff from RMATV

If you have not done so already . . . wash yout bike and clean the area around the valve cover.

 

Fianlly - go for it. 

 

  

Edited November 3, 2022 by Fourstrokenewb

[Daniel Perez]

8 minutes ago, Fourstrokenewb said:

First things first . . . . get a service manual 

 https://servicemanualwarehouse.com/honda-2019-crf250r-service-manual/ . . . . this one will cost you 15 bucks . . .  but read it . . . . and it will save you from making costly mistakes.

I use a torque wrench for most engine work that I do . . . I bought a Husky Inch-Pound wrench https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1-4-in-Drive-Torque-Wrench-H4DTWA/206743985 . . . . some folks do use'm some don't. I do . . . . . .you will need 1/4 inch socket too . . .  Harbor Freight will probabaly do just fine . . . or you could get some at Home Depot, when you get your torque wrench

 

Gasket sealer - for my 2006 there is a half moon plug. I think on your bike you may have two. I put a small amount on the plug where it contacts the cylinder head. Another poste mentioned that the gaskets are easy to misalign with the valve covmaybe use a small dab in strategic locations. For future reference, do NOT use gasket sealer or case covers or cases. You could plug an oil journal . . .  which is bad.

 

On the schematic below, you may want to order a couple number 6's in addition to the number 3 . . I get lots of stuff from RMATV

If you have not done so already . . . wash yout bike and clean the area around the valve cover.

 

Fianlly - go for it. 

 

  

I will follow your steps as soon as I get the tools, thanks for the help! Seriously?

[Fourstrokenewb]

7 hours ago, Daniel Perez said:

I will follow your steps as soon as I get the tools, thanks for the help! Seriously?

Best of luck bud - you will be fixing all sorts of things in no time!

Edited November 3, 2022 by Fourstrokenewb