Rear brake fluid jettisoned

[ssmith996]

I returned from a 250 mile ride in 90 F degree weather. Over night, the rear brake reservoir decided to empty its contents on the garage floor. I certainly wasn't working the brakes very hard during the ride. Any idea what would cause this system to purge? Thanks!

 

[Raven]

Where did the leak originate? Likely a rear caliper seal let go or a brake line came loose.

 

[John L]

What Raven says, it's a sealed system, can't leak unless a hose has come loose, a seal has gone or something has cracked. Brake fluid will also strip paint so wash it off if you haven't already.

 

[ssmith996]

Guys, thanks for the quick replies! I know this is going to sound a little whacked but... it appears the leak is coming from the breather vent tube and may be oil. I just assumed (yeah, I know it is a sin to do that..) it was brake fluid because I could not see any in the rear reservoir and the substance on the ground looked reddish in color. I removed the cover and there is fluid in the reservoir. There is no oily substance on any other pieces under the bike. The reservoir could be a little more transparent, in my opinion. The rear brake still functions fine. I have no experience with this Moto Guzzi-spec oil weight and had the dealership perform the oil changes, so I am not familiar with its appearance. I had the oil changed about 2,300 miles ago, so I (once again) assumed it would be dirtier in appearance. From what I have gathered from reading other posts on the forum, it is not very straight forward on checking the engine oil level. I do not have a wheel chock (yet), so does this make it a two-person job to check the oil level? I apologize in advance for my ignorance in caring for my Guzzi. It is my first and I do love it! As I mentioned in my original post, it was a rather hot day (90+ F) and the engine may have been rather warm when I parked it in the garage. Could that much oil have been pushed into the air box? Once again guys, thank you very much for the helpful advice as I get educated on these great motorcycles!

 

[PaulDavies]

Looks from the pic like the breather tube has melted due to the heat of the exhaust and let the oil out (is it touching?). Checking the oil level is easy and you don't need a wheel chock. General wisdom seems to be that the oil level should be mid-way between max and min levels on the dip stick (which is about 3.5 liters after draining sump and changing filter). Do it when the engine is cold, sit on the bike and get it upright, reach down to the left hand side dipstick and pull it out, clean it with tissue, put it back in (but do not screw it in), then pull it out again and try to read the level. It's a bad design and really hard to read. There's a thread about it here with some pics https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/engine-oil-check.16592/

 

[ssmith996]

Looks from the pic like the breather tube has melted due to the heat of the exhaust and let the oil out (is it touching?). Checking the oil level is easy and you don't need a wheel chock. General wisdom seems to be that the oil level should be mid-way between max and min levels on the dip stick (which is about 3.5 liters after draining sump and changing filter). Do it when the engine is cold, sit on the bike and get it upright, reach down to the left hand side dipstick and pull it out, clean it with tissue, put it back in (but do not screw it in), then pull it out again and try to read the level. It's a bad design and really hard to read. There's a thread about it here with some pics https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/engine-oil-check.16592/

Thanks Paul! I will check the location of the vent tube relative to the exhaust.

 

[ssmith996]

Thanks guys. After further review, the substance on the ground was engine oil coming from the breather. It looks too clean to have 2000 miles on that oil. Also, I am not used to seeing red colored lubricants in the engine. Thanks again for helping out a new Moto Guzzi owner!