SuzukiSavage.com - Head gasket

JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Re: Head gasket Reply #15 - 03/29/13 at 09:39:38 Pix 1
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JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Re: Head gasket Reply #16 - 03/29/13 at 09:40:45 Pix 2
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JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Re: Head gasket Reply #17 - 03/29/13 at 09:41:27 Pix 3
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JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Re: Head gasket Reply #18 - 03/29/13 at 09:42:56 FYI the red wire goes to the battery, it is for an add on cigarette lighter holder to plug in a GPS
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verslagen1

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Re: Head gasket
Reply #19 - 03/29/13 at 09:48:32

oil on top of the cover (around the valve inspection ports)
can be bad seals on those ports or loose cover bolts.
and there's a few with sealing washers.

oil by the header, just to the left of the header is a hole, look in there.
if you see fresh oil all the time, there's your leak, and it'll run out the back and over to sparky.

there's 2 nuts below the head, oil there can be bad head gasket but retorque those nuts, they don't stay tight.

suggest you clean those areas thoroughly and check again.

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JRLeathercraft

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Re: Head gasket
Reply #20 - 03/29/13 at 09:51:49

verslagen1 wrote on 03/29/13 at 09:48:32:

oil on top of the cover (around the valve inspection ports)g
can be bad seals on those ports or loose cover bolts.
and there's a few with sealing washers.

oil by the header, just to the left of the header is a hole, look in there.
if you see fresh oil all the time, there's your leak, and it'll run out the back and over to sparky.

there's 2 nuts below the head, oil there can be bad head gasket but retorque those nuts, they don't stay tight.

suggest you clean those areas thoroughly and check again.

Yes, there is oil at the spark plug but I don't understand anything else you have described.

Jay

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Steve H Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1223 Spartanburg, SC Gender:	Re: Head gasket Reply #21 - 03/29/13 at 11:05:31 Given that the pictures are all of the top end of the head, could JR possibly be confusing the top cover with the head? I only saw one pic that was close to the head gasket. I've not ever had a head gasket problem on a motorcycle. But, wouldn't the leakage be much more around the gasket than up top?
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oldNslow

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Re: Head gasket
Reply #22 - 03/29/13 at 12:08:43

Question for the experts 'cause I'm just learning my way around these bike also and don't really know. Would a head gasket leak actually cause an external oil leak? Not just a damp or sooty lookin' spot but liquid oil running out.

All of the bad head gaskets I've encountered were on liquid cooled engines, and the external leaks ( if there even was an external leak) were always coolant, not oil.

Symptoms were mostly poor performance - lack of power,missfiring cylinder,poor compression in the affected cylinder - or the coolant mysteriously disappearing.

Or will Savages actually spew out oil?

And,yeah, I also think the guy at the dealer booted this one.

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WD

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Re: Head gasket
Reply #23 - 03/29/13 at 12:15:24

Look next to the exhaust pipe where it exits the head. There is a passage that if it is oily indicates the notorious "plug cap leak".

The tappet covers (ovals with 2 bolts in them) may or may not have intact seals. Or dried out seals. I think they are rubber ring type, has been so long since I pulled a cover I honestly don't remember.

Look around the underside of the cylinder head, find the 2 nuts, and retorque them. These engines tend to shake fasteners loose.

Head gasket failure on a Savage generally means somebody screwed up after working on the engine. Like not following torque specs.

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Digger Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Ya gotta be tough to ride singles! Posts: 1604 Colorado Springs, CO Gender:	Re: Head gasket Reply #24 - 03/30/13 at 20:56:53 WD wrote on 03/29/13 at 12:15:24: ....The tappet covers (ovals with 2 bolts in them) may or may not have intact seals. Or dried out seals. I think they are rubber ring type, has been so long since I pulled a cover I honestly don't remember..... Yep, I can verify that they are o-ring type seals.
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18313 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Head gasket Reply #25 - 04/01/13 at 12:39:26 JR..... The oval covers for the valve adjustment are held on by two bolts with 10mm hex heads, and the covers have rubber 0-rings that fit in grooves. The 0-rings can get hard and might not be sealing well. Can you tell if the oil is weeping out from these oval covers? If they do, just order some new O-rings and replace them.
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JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Re: Head gasket Reply #26 - 04/01/13 at 14:29:49 To be honest, I don't see alot of weeping anywhere. My plan is to pull of the tank and those covers and do a good cleaning to see what happend. Thank you , Jay
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JRLeathercraft Full Member Offline I'm not a biker, I just own one. Posts: 153	Valve cover gasket Reply #27 - 04/04/13 at 09:12:47 Hello, I am told by the dealer that indeed my head gasket is NOT bad, but my valve cover gasket is leaking. So, anyone do this? Anyone know where this might be found in the clymer? Thanks, Jay
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 29275 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Valve cover gasket Reply #28 - 04/04/13 at 09:16:07 Your "valve covers",.. are the 2 caps front and rear, that cover the valve adjusters... they have o-rings seals, not gaskets.... The head cover,... doesn't have a gasket... You seriously need a new mechanic... ...
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JRLeathercraft

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Re: Valve cover gasket
Reply #29 - 04/04/13 at 09:18:39

Serowbot wrote on 04/04/13 at 09:16:07:

Your "valve covers",.. are the 2 caps front and rear, that cover the valve adjusters... they have o-rings seals, not gaskets....
The head cover,... doesn't have a gasket...

You seriously need a new mechanic... Huh

...

Wow, I think you are right! Ha!
I think I'm done talking to those people.

Thanks for the help

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