Weeping....... - Harley Forum

JCourneyaP · #1 07-01-2009, 09:58 PM

Rode home this morning from work....3rd day it rained on me when it was suppose to be dry

Glad I picked up some hangers for my dud's.

I stopped off at the store and picked me up the August Issue of AIM. I was also thinking about how well my 04 Sporty has treated me. Good Girl! She be sitting at 30,000 with no real major problems.

Arrived home and pulled the Mag out of my saddle bag. I noticed that I had what appeared to be a leak on the back between my Cylinder and Head.

Now unless I am lucky and "Grime" was thrown up from the road and stuck in that spot between the fins......She be weeping a tad.

I wiped it off. It was pretty thick and some what dry. I think me will fix it in the future when I get my tools from my Ex. It's not that bad.

Question..Any Ill effects from running with a leak between the Cylinder and head? It can wait unless the dam opens correct?

Buzz Kanter · #2 07-01-2009, 10:06 PM

Usually little minor weeping from a Harley cylinders isn't critical, but I wouldn't put it off if it was mine.

Good luck either way.

frisco-rigid · #3 07-01-2009, 10:27 PM

Hey Big Joe

First you want to determine that it is Indeed weeping from the Head gasket and Not from somewhere else and dripping Down to the lowest point..

I would start it, let it get to temp, then spray it all around the head -- barrel connection.. I use CarbCleaner..
If there is NO diff in Rpm's and NO back-spray OUT then perhaps it's Not a leak..
If there is any indication of a leak well, then it's your call,, it'll just get worse..

JCourneyaP · #4 07-08-2009, 01:38 AM

Sprayed her soon as I got home with the Carb Cleaner. No change in RPMS but boy did she start smoking out of the pipe.

Swung in and picked up some fresh gaskets.....Also got about 95% of my tools from my Ex this last week. Oh to have a garage with tools.

Been living on the little set in my saddle bag this last year.

All is good........I will get it torn down replaced and buttoned up soon. Just don't have the time this week.

VRYQUIK · #5 07-09-2009, 10:44 PM

I've seen a lot of head gaskets seeping oil. Especially the multi-layer gaskets.
I'm running 210 lbs cranking pressure along with nitrous. My Cometic gaskets that I was using did the same thing after a while. I decide to try an old racer's trick by using a copper head gasket. I contacted a local gasket manufacturer and sent them a head gasket to use as a template and they cut me a set copper gaskets. The copper gaskets use a copper sealer made by Permatex that you apply to both sides of the gasket.

I have had no weeps or seepage since installing them. I was so impressed that I ordered many sets with different sizes and I use them on all of my engine builds. The cost is less that the more popular multi-layered gaskets.

unclepsycho · #6 07-09-2009, 11:09 PM

Vryquik
Thanks for the tip!
Do you think the spray version of the copper sealant #80697 is as good as the tube version? I was thinking it would go on a bit more even than ''spreading- it-on-with-the-finger'' method.

Ever since I bought the 71 Shovel, and am awaiting the bike to be shipped across the good ole USA, I got all kinds of ideas goin, like putting a blower on it

... and that would require a rebuild fer sure. So these gaskets would surely be the ticket.

Thanks

VRYQUIK · #7 07-09-2009, 11:27 PM

The tube is what the gasket manufacturer suggested. I've tried the spray on the ML gaskets with even spraying between the layers and still had weeps. I'm completely sold on copper. The one's that I keep in stock are .032" thick.

Basically the copper is what makes the gasket hold up and sealer fills in tiny imperfections that cause weeps.

unclepsycho · #8 07-09-2009, 11:39 PM

Thanks for the reply. If I do any huge power upgrade, I will follow the recomendation and use the tube.

Only time I tried the copper spray, was on an Isuzu motor that had the head shaved, so we needed a .030 shim. I used the spray to seal the shim to the stock head gasket. the motor failed after 40 miles when the oil pump let go... one of only 2 motors I have build that failed..... the owner of the isuzu didnt want to fork out the dough for a new oil pump...... and so I figure it was his fault.. cuz I had strongly recomended a new pump to go with all the rest of the new parts. I hated it, since it was the first catastrophic failure I ever had in 30 years of building about 1 motor a year since high school. (as a hobby or for friends)

JCourneyaP · #9 07-13-2009, 11:36 PM

Copper Huh? Interesting. I will give it a whirl my next time around. Thanks for the info VRYQUIK.

JCourneyaP · #10 08-10-2009, 09:42 PM

Took a day off of work last week to finally fix my leak.All done and buttoned back up. Ran into a couple of snags............

1. My torque wrench went on the fritz. I was installing the inner rocker bolts and as I was tightening....Well it felt plenty tight to me but not the wrench. I gave it one more little nudge expecting to hear the click of the wrench. Nope I heard the snap of the bolt. Broke off right at the top. Had to undo the lower rocker cover and was able to twist out the remainder with a pliers. Ran to the store and got a new bolt.

One thing I did forget... The last time the dealer worked on my bike while under warranty they hosed up the threads to my front head where the breather/ air cleaner assembly attaches. I forgot that I had to be extra careful. I was. When my bolt would not thread in after an hour of trying to be gentle I slept on it.

Got up the next day and figured I would give it another try. It is in. Holding on by about 4 threads or so. Not to my liking but it will have to due until the dead of winter when the snow is on the roads for a few weeks. I always get a good month of down time in the winter.

Well since I had it apart I re-installed the breather assembly that routed it away from my carburetor to a canister that I would empty every other day or so. I took it off because when I was on the open road the oil air mix would froth and come out the top of the canister's filter and the milk shake mix ended up all over the right side of the bike and myself.

I was reluctant to take it off. Routing very hot air and oil into the carb is in my opinion a bad remedy that the Harley engineers designed for the pollution control Nazis. Frickin stupid you ask me. Performance is lost with this tainted mix injected into the head to be burned. Not a clean burn. When I had the apparatus on my bike it ran smoother. I felt more seat of the pants pull. It also ran a little cooler. Well the kit is back on. I am not using the canister to collect the mist. It is also not going into the carb. Nuff said. She is running smoother, cooler right off the bat.

No more blow-by covering my carb and filter with oily gunk.

So my question is with this bad design done by these so called engineers. What is the diffferance from leaving a few drips on the ground or burning it and letting all breath it? BTW- after a hard ride and parking over night the little spot was the size of a very small dime. I park on cardboard.

I suggest instead of coming out with cosmetic designs on new bikes every year fix some of the old flaws. I am sure this air and oil mist can get re-routed maybe back into the oil bag with a filter element to keep out unwanted particals and a relief valve if the pressure builds up the air can come out with the oil staying in. Not worried about moisture. That will be burned off while riding. I dunno.

Does not the aftermarket have a good fix for this? And if so why has the Motor Company not jumped on the idea?