# Leaky (oil) Kawasaki Bayou 220, need advice?



## Mako22

I bought this 1998 Bayou 220 for $550 a few months back and have just got around to checking it out. I think I put too much oil in it, I put 2 quarts in and then noticed it only called for 2.1 quarts to fill it. It already had oil in it but the check level window is completly black and unreadable. I assumed this was because it was dirty but now I am wondering if it's not because it was way too full of oil before I added more. When I crank it up oil is coming out around two wires that go down into what I think is the transmission. I guess I need to drain all the oil out and start over again. Any ideas on my oil leak, if the oil level drops will the leak stop? Also from the pics I provided does that look like JB weld or something similar around the engine? Finally my rear wheel is leaking gear oil even when the ATV is not running, it seems to be coming out around the tires rim. It runs down the inside of the rim/tire to the ground, is this fixable? I do have a Haynes manual on this thing. Thanks for any and all advice.

P.S. all I will be using this thing for is a few 400-500 yard runs to retrive a dead deer with as I tore the cartlidge in both my knees recently. So how it looks and performs doesn't matter too much.


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## ponyboy

this is what i would do .do a full schedule maintenence on it , oil n fluid changes , filter clean and or replace , n inspect n snug up all bolts , nuts etc.........then go from there .


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## Backlasher82

If the oil is coming from that grommet with the 2 wires coming out of it, normally that's caused by the rubber getting hard from overheating. Most times you can pull off the cover, clean the grommet real good with brake cleaner and seal it from the inside with Threebond 1207 or similar. Your problem is the JB Weld and whatever is underneath it. It looks like most of it is on the crankcase but extends over the cover you need to take off. If it's not leaking now I'd hesitate to mess with it. You can try cleaning the grommet and sealing it from the outside and you might slow the leak down but that's about it.
The axle leak is most likely just a seal and a fairly easy fix but a bad bearing with excessive play may have been the cause of the seal failure. Pull the wheel and check for up and down play on the axle and feel for rough spots while turning the axle. You should be able to replace the seal without removing the axle but the axle will have to come out to replace the bearings.


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## Mako22

Backlasher82 said:


> If the oil is coming from that grommet with the 2 wires coming out of it, normally that's caused by the rubber getting hard from overheating. Most times you can pull off the cover, clean the grommet real good with brake cleaner and seal it from the inside with Threebond 1207 or similar. Your problem is the JB Weld and whatever is underneath it. It looks like most of it is on the crankcase but extends over the cover you need to take off. If it's not leaking now I'd hesitate to mess with it. You can try cleaning the grommet and sealing it from the outside and you might slow the leak down but that's about it.
> The axle leak is most likely just a seal and a fairly easy fix but a bad bearing with excessive play may have been the cause of the seal failure. Pull the wheel and check for up and down play on the axle and feel for rough spots while turning the axle. You should be able to replace the seal without removing the axle but the axle will have to come out to replace the bearings.



Thanks for the advice, very helpful.


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## fishbait

The leak on the engine is a common problem. I would drain the oil pull engine and replace the bevel drive gasket and put some good sealer on the wires.  The rear axel seal is also a common problem. Pull left rear wheel and hub then replace seal and refill to proper leave. There should be a 
10mm head bolt half way down rear diff. that is level plug fill till it runs out. Then all will be fine.


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## rsswga

get rid of it.. buy something you dont have to spend a grand on to fix


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## ponyboy

rsswga said:


> get rid of it.. buy something you dont have to spend a grand on to fix


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