Head gasket installation

xbacksideslider said:

The piston crowns do look oily but then maybe the engine didn't get up to temperature when last run?
Re-torque and get her going, spring is here! If she burns or leaks a little oil, OK so be it, top her off and ride.
PM me when you want to ride.

Beautiful shot of the top end of your engine; Jim's carbs look good too.

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Spring is definitely here!!!

I torqued the head today cold and set out to get 10 or so miles in to give the bike it's first run in with the new seated gasket. I ran it about 15 miles in perfect weather and did mostly flat with a couple stop lights. Didn't go more than 60mph and stayed under 4k on the tach. Ran good and when I got home I placed it in neutral and it idled perfect for about here minutes before I shut it off. I take a flashlight while its idling and shine it into the fins to see if he copper is bubbling or oil is seeping. I didn't notice anything at all. Dry as a bone.

I'm still knocking on wood though with all your horror stories out there!

I'm popping a little bit on deceleration here and there on the right side. Does that mean I'm lean and should turn the airscrew in a tad?

Noticed a broken rear spoke when I got back!!! Buchanans spokes 8-10 with 245 nipples stainless. Called buchanans and they are going to make it right but suggested I bump up one gauge on the rear spokes. Sound about right?

Yes popping is usually lean condition, could be an intake manifold/head or manifold/carb air leak.

I prefer light wheels, for me, I'd just have them replace that single broken spoke, maybe with the understanding that if it happens again (within some period of time), then you still have the option of having them replace them all with something heavier. The one spoke may have been defective to start with, or perhaps the drilling of that hole in the rim had a burr in it or was slightly off angle but wait, which end broke? At the bend?

I'm popping a little bit on deceleration here and there on the right side. Does that mean I'm lean and should turn the airscrew in a tad?

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yes

xbacksideslider said:

Yes popping is usually lean condition, could be an intake manifold/head or manifold/carb air leak.

I prefer light wheels, for me, I'd just have them replace that single broken spoke, maybe with the understanding that if it happens again (within some period of time), then you still have the option of having them replace them all with something heavier. The one spoke may have been defective to start with, or perhaps the drilling of that hole in the rim had a burr in it or was slightly off angle but wait, which end broke? At the bend?

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It broke at the bend. Sucks!!!




I turned the sirscrew in a tad and the popping reduced to one pop on a long downhill while I hold the throttle barely on. I could only get two pops from it. It is running now prettymuch as my RC51 runs...

I wonder how much heavier going up one gauge will do on the spokes....

Going heavier on the spokes won't cure your breakage problem at the bend. It was likely a bad spoke to start with.

You shouldn't need to go heavier. I used the necked down spokes like those on several racebike wheels without a problem and I guarantee they were thrashed harder than you will use them on the street. Jim

PS, maybe bigger spokes if you like to carry a passenger and luggage.

comnoz said:

Going heavier on the spokes won't cure your breakage problem at the bend. It was likely a bad spoke to start with.

You shouldn't need to go heavier. I used the necked down spokes like those on several racebike wheels without a problem and I guarantee they were thrashed harder than you will use them on the street. Jim

PS, maybe bigger spokes if you like to carry a passenger and luggage.

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I take my wife out alot so I guess that could warrant going the tad bit higher. I would rather keep it the same size really, I just would rather not have the issue come up again as well...

Just replace the one spoke. It happens.

Stainless is not as strong as steel; at the time of manufacture, the stress of making the bend cracks some of them.

In the heyday of spoked wheels, the best high performance spokes were thin gauge, painted, not plated, steel, often with aluminum nipples.

I agree with John,

A heavier spoke is still going to be the same size at the bend. Stainless spokes occasionally crack when they are bent.

Keep an eye on them when they are new and make sure they are kept tight. They tend to loosen up a bit for a while.

Once they are seated and you have some time on them you are not likely to have any more problems.

Now if you were breaking them at the nipple I might say you need bigger spokes. Jim

johnm said:

iceteanolemon said:

I think the gasket wasn't sealing and oil was getting in there from the oil galley or pushrods tubes. I hope the heads not leakin oil through the valve guides, I just had the head redone a little bit ago.

The ignition is electronic and I set it using a gauge in the cyl to get as close to tdc as possible.

I did notice the leaks by looking at the cyl.

I will retorque this morning and give it another run.

Carbs are new

Oil drain from head is clear

I'm hoping this was a bad gasket install and that's it.

I'm using a comstock breather

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OK this all sounds pretty good.

But I dont quite understand " I set it using a gauge in the cyl to get as close to tdc as possible"

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I used a degree gauge that I placed into the spark plug hole then rotated the wheel in 4th gear to meet tdc. I rotated the opposite as well and then split the difference.

Starts runs and everything real nice, I dont have a degree wheel though, its just a small micrometer... My ignition is the one from OldBritts, I keep forgetting the name of it!

that popping back on th rhs is most likely the exhast header not sealing in the head. You cant see it or hear it. I put up with that for 5 yeras on my 850, but after a 900mile trip there were signs of leaks. I took both headers of and after cleaning, put plenty of exhaust cement in the RIGHT places and put it back together. The popping back has stopped.

I use a thin smear of high temp silcone on both sides of my head gaskets. They dont leak.

Good point, could be an exhaust leak too.

I've started using Milk of Magnesia on exhaust and seems to work well w/o melting and leaking out on the covers. I put on two layers to dry first.

I reused my exhaust coppers. Maybe I'll buy some new ones.

Milk of magnesia??

I enjoy all the tips, so many things people do here!!

M of Mg on exhaust nuts not head gasket sorry.