Head Gasket

[Eveready1100]

Just noticed on my bike that what I thought to be a fuel stain on the cases from my dodgy #3 carby is in fact oil weeping from the base gasket either side of the cam chain tunnel. No time to go retorqueing the head so I'll give Steptoe's silastic fix a try.

[Fred]

Coops,

carby sync is one of the most important functions on these bikes.
So many undiagnosed problems can be traced to unbalanced carbies.

If you don't have access to a set of someone elses gauges, (here is where we need to include our home bases in our signature blocks) then sorry mate but you really need to buy a set.

We discussed this with you already a couple of months ago so I won't go into where the best sources are for the best price again.

Toothpicks and water bubbles aside just bite the bullet and give up two or three cartons of piss or smokes and buy the best that you can afford. Stay away from use crap no matter how good they still look.

Good luck mate.

[Eveready1100]

Depending on whether you live within cooee of someone who's got a set you can use, the carb synch gauges are a must have for good tuning of these bikes. Even a cheap set is better than no set, but accuracy will be better with the dearer kit. Be wary of used stuff as they may have been messed with or dropped and could be impossible to calibrate. A good investment though cos they'll last a lifetime (nearly as long as an XS) and you can use them on nearly any type of bike made now, or in the foreseeable future.

[Cooper]

Good info many thanks guys I'll give it a go tomorrow morning once the frost has gone. Since cleaning contacts in and around coils, regulator, bike starts almost as instant  Sorry to be a pain in the ..... I saw a thread  about balancing carbs with a toothpick/ glider clip. While Im at it I thought balance carbs as Im sure they havnt been touched inyears whats your thought on this or should I go one further and buy a bal kit from uk  about $100 whats your thoughts Regards Coops

[Eveready1100]

Speaking of gaskets, I just found these online.
Anyone tried them before? Look to be very well priced and local to boot

https://www.slipstreamperformance.com.au/store/product_info.php?currency=USD&cPath=899_904&products_id=17317

[Fred]

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd put my two bobs in.
Nip and crack, work inwards and outwards might not be precise enough info for a guy calling for help.

Coops, I think you said you've got a Wokshop manual. (If not I'll put up a diagram for you)
Follow the diagram for torque sequence as listed in Periodic Maintenance mate. Yes you start in the middle but you also have to cross to opposite sides each time.
Why did you ask if 35 ft.lb was OK? because it's not!

Torque settings are:
The 12 UPPER nuts = 25 ft.lb (35 Nm)
The  2 LOWER nuts (one in front and one at the rear) = 14.5 ft.lb (20Nm)
If you torque down the lower ones to 25 ft.lb you'll break something.
These nuts should be checked for torque before each tune up (6,400kl)

How accurate is your Torque wrench? You can check it against a couple at your local workshop instead of sending it out for recalibration ($110). I recently chucked one (It was a cheapy; $45) because it was 38 ft.lb out.
Hope this was of some help and yes Xtian this could go to workshop.

[steptoe]

one thing I did omit to mention, was with those comp no's I would leave well enough alone,, there's obviously nothing wrong

                                        sorry

[Eveready1100]

Sounds like a plan, Christian.
    There's a fair bit of good info in here that could be better accessed in the workshop area instead of hidden away in this thread.

[Christian Raith]

Hmmm maybe this thread should move to Workshop??
Any thoughts???

[petejw1966]

hey steptoe,
not to argue with you, but  ive always been taught to crack
1 nut at a time, if you crack them all at the same time
you have the potential for the gaskets to leak (head gasket
and the gasket at the bottom of the barells.

[Christian Raith]

I think I read somewhere that when you are doing the nuts up you must do it in one sweep and not stop and start the tightening process

[steptoe]

hi coops,with tightening the head,

crack the bolts first,which means take the initial down force of the bolts, not loosening them

crack ALL OF THEM first OPPOSITE to the tightening sequence, what this does is evenly depressurizes the head before retightening

it's kind of like throwing a blanket on a bed,, when you throw it over it lands in the centre first then lays evenly down out to the edges

same with the head, to undo the pressure needs to release from the outside to the the centre first
then to do it up start in the centre and work out,, sort of like if you did it hit and miss you'd end up with air bubbles under a sticker, it wouldn't be even

as for torque numbers 25.3 is the number, don't go to much over that,, you're pulling down very old bolts, they have changed temperature a lot of times

you said you have a manual, follow the sequences to the letter and trouble will not be your middle name 
                                                             ENJOY

[petejw1966]

hey coops,
if you retorque the head,start in the middle and work your
way around the head, crack 1 nut at a time then retorque,
also dont forget to readjust ur cam chain.
 
and dont forget to nip up the front and back lower nuts.

have you checked your valve clearances?

[Cooper]

Thanks Steptoe. Your right head gasket is OK checked again got 135,128,128,135. oil leak is basically a general seep around and below head gasket not a drip leak just visible oil around gasket and lower cylinder gasket. Did find poor connection to right coil so pulled both off and cleaned contacts [was idling poorly found previous owner had connected wrong ht lead to plug] Thanks for tip on sealant I'LL retorque head tomorrow. The book says 25LBS would 30-35 be OK Coops 

[steptoe]

mate, with compression numbers like that, there aint nothing wrong with the head gasket,,

how about we go back a couple of steps,,,,,,,, the compression test numbers, 135's 125's, are they prior to 25/06 post, or have they been done since 25/06

in my experience blown gaskets make these old girls pigs to start cold

what has occurred to make you say it's the head, cause the numbers say no

as for the base gaskets leaking, they do that by themselves, yes,--- depending how seriously it's leaking, and how fastidious an owner you are determines how to stop the leak.

a weap that is only changing the colour of the metal from a dull black to a shiny black, and needs cleaning every 2 weeks or so, I personally would leave alone,,

a leak that is leaving an oil trace can be patched,--- one way is to trim the gasket round the leak back as close to the motor as you can get it,,wipe down clean  with thinners or similar, let dry and smear the join of the block and bottom half with some motor silastic,--- not using a caulking gun but with your finger

and then there is A LEAK, ,which is leaving oil every where including every where, , THIS will necessitate the strip down of the top half of the motor !!!!!!!!!    sorry but that's about it

 so maybe it's best if you give us an idea of what's going on with the old girl-------in detail