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Head Gasket Replacement: Basic or full meal deal?

  • Thread starter Thread starter supertech411
  • Start date Start date
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supertech411

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After a month of learning curve getting my T's carberators just right, a new project has emerged. On my most recent ride, while enjoying the beautiful Northwest scenery, I looked down at my right boot and it was covered with fresh oil. I knew the head gasket was starting to leak, but it really has let go now. It looks like it is leaking from the front between the #2 and #3 cylinders.
We are having the summer of summers here in the Olympia area. Beautiful riding weather abounds. I don't want to tackle a full head/base/ring/valve seal job at this time. I'll have plenty of time to do that when the rain comes. I know I'll have to buy another head gasket down the road, but to enjoy the weather now is worth it. Am I taking an unnecessary risk just doing a head gasket replacement and valve adjustment now and the full meal deal job later?
 
supertech411 said:
After a month of learning curve getting my T's carberators just right, a new project has emerged. On my most recent ride, while enjoying the beautiful Northwest scenery, I looked down at my right boot and it was covered with fresh oil. I knew the head gasket was starting to leak, but it really has let go now. It looks like it is leaking from the front between the #2 and #3 cylinders.
We are having the summer of summers here in the Olympia area. Beautiful riding weather abounds. I don't want to tackle a full head/base/ring/valve seal job at this time. I'll have plenty of time to do that when the rain comes. I know I'll have to buy another head gasket down the road, but to enjoy the weather now is worth it. Am I taking an unnecessary risk just doing a head gasket replacement and valve adjustment now and the full meal deal job later?
Click to expand...

the head gasket is leaking?
is it the head or the valve train cover?

check the bolts if its just the cover and tell us more
 
Changing the head gasket alone will take around an afternoon, maybe into the evening if all the bolts are relatively free.

Lifting / replacing the cylinders, changing the rings, honing the the bores - say another half day (depends on how stuck on that old gasket is - might take you several hours to get the blighter off). Q: does it need new rings? If not leave it alone.

Swapping the valve seals - I guess 15 minutes a seal (some will be dead easy, some you'll fiddle around with the collets for ever - it just goes like that!).

That's my timing for me - I've done loads of these motors, but drink loads of tea, chat with the neighbours etc so it's not very accurate :confused: and the key is how long those old gaskets take to remove - 1 piece you're laughing, 1 million tiny bits you're cursing.

If you've got all the tools and parts to hand you should be able to knock this off in a weekend.
 
Calvin Blackmore said:
the head gasket is leaking?
is it the head or the valve train cover?

check the bolts if its just the cover and tell us more
Click to expand...


I had snugged up all the bolts when I first saw the leak. All's well around the valve train cover.
 
hampshirehog said:
Changing the head gasket alone will take around an afternoon, maybe into the evening if all the bolts are relatively free.

Lifting / replacing the cylinders, changing the rings, honing the the bores - say another half day (depends on how stuck on that old gasket is - might take you several hours to get the blighter off). Q: does it need new rings? If not leave it alone.

Swapping the valve seals - I guess 15 minutes a seal (some will be dead easy, some you'll fiddle around with the collets for ever - it just goes like that!).

That's my timing for me - I've done loads of these motors, but drink loads of tea, chat with the neighbours etc so it's not very accurate :confused: and the key is how long those old gaskets take to remove - 1 piece you're laughing, 1 million tiny bits you're cursing.

If you've got all the tools and parts to hand you should be able to knock this off in a weekend.
Click to expand...


thanks for the reply

I started on the bike today about 2pm. By 7pm I had it stripped down to the point where I'm ready to attack the head bolts. I've been taking lots of pictures, bagging everything, and pretty much taking my time. All of the pistons look good (looking down the plug hole) except #4. It looks wet. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. I've ordered the gasket kit from Partsnmore.com last night. Hopefully it won't take as long as my parts I ordered from Partshark!
Anyhow, I'm hoping just doing the head gasket will get me by to October. I'll need a project to keep me busy through the wet winter. Redoing the valves and the rings kind of intimidates me at this point, and I'm probably only going to get 3k miles on it before the fall so here's hoping it will hold.
BTW, where in England are you from? My ancestors came from Fordwich. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordwich

Thanks again
 
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hampshirehog said:
Changing the head gasket alone will take around an afternoon, maybe into the evening if all the bolts are relatively free.

Lifting / replacing the cylinders, changing the rings, honing the the bores - say another half day (depends on how stuck on that old gasket is - might take you several hours to get the blighter off). Q: does it need new rings? If not leave it alone.

Swapping the valve seals - I guess 15 minutes a seal (some will be dead easy, some you'll fiddle around with the collets for ever - it just goes like that!).

That's my timing for me - I've done loads of these motors, but drink loads of tea, chat with the neighbours etc so it's not very accurate :confused: and the key is how long those old gaskets take to remove - 1 piece you're laughing, 1 million tiny bits you're cursing.

If you've got all the tools and parts to hand you should be able to knock this off in a weekend.
Click to expand...

This opinion is highly relavant to one's mechanical abilities. Let's be realalistic, if a member is asking on the internet as to what's entailed with respect to changing a head gasket, that probably is a sign the member has novice to intermediate skills. Remember my personall opinion is if you have a leaking head gasket, the base gasket is just as old, and as soon as you start smacking the head to break free the gasket surface, now you have disrupted the base gasket seal as well. I HIGHLY ADVISE TO CHANGE THE BASE GASKET WHILE YOU ALREADY HAVE THE HEAD OFF. Or you will be tearing down your engine again for a second time shortly after....
To do a top end gasket swap, you are looking at roughly 12 hours of labor for the average non-professional garage tinkerer IMO.
 
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For an experienced non-professional, the best I've ever done is about 10-12 hours. That was on a nice clean bike and everything went really well. The only thing that dragged was the gaskets, which were 100% stuck. I used a 3M wheel to get them off.

I've mostly averaged about 14-16 hours, getting to a nice stopping place, such as having everything apart and clean, head rebuilt, after a long first day, and wrapping up the following day. This has the added benefit of not putting the motor together tired. I've screwed up my share when low on gumption at the end of the day.
 
Last night I got the head off with relatively little tapping. It didn't stick at all! the gasket in the front of the timing chain channel had delaminated and the o-ring looked funky.
I will look closely at the base gasket before continuing. Thanks for the replies!
 
supertech411 said:
BTW, where in England are you from? My ancestors came from Fordwich. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordwich
Click to expand...

I know Fordwich - nice little place, typical sleepy Kent.

Here's the website for my village (Headley) - the house by the pond you can see on the home page is where I was born (technically it's in Headley Down - that would have caused a fight on the football pitch 30 years ago).

http://www.headley-village.com/

For any Canadians looking, the village was a major billetting area for your guys in WW1 and prior to D-Day a few years later - some of us still refer to areas of the village that were named by the military after the Great Lakes (despite the PC brigade trying to remove Erie Camp from history as it became a derogatory term for that particular place).
 
hampshirehog said:
I know Fordwich - nice little place, typical sleepy Kent.
Click to expand...

Amazing! I ask every person I meet(with an English accent) if they have ever heard of Fordwich, and none have. The first Brit I "meet" online knows the place!:eek: If I can every get my four kids (17, 19, 20 and 21) to fly the coop the misses and I will be taking a vacation over there.

Best wishes and safe riding!
 
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