head gasket pics

[Nessism]

Hmmmm? Now that you pulled the cylinder block off your project just got a lot bigger, more time consuming and a lot more expen$ive! Not having a lot of experience "inside" the engine I would have put it back together as described in my previous post and seen how it ran. If it didn't work out, you always could have taken it apart again and dived in a little deeper. But now that you're "in", go slow and take your time checking and completing each step of the rebuild. It's real easy to screw something up by getting in a rush - I know 'cause I've been there and done that myself. Good luck and give a shout out if you get stuck.

It's always best to pull the cylinder when removing the head. The base gaskets are prone to leakage otherwise.

OEM gaskets are a must when doing engine work. Don't cheap out otherwise you are risking leaks. Doing the valve stem seals is not difficult. Here is a link to Steve's valve removal video. Once you see how easy it is you might just decide to do the work yourself. http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...placement.html

[kevmalvarez]

It's always best to pull the cylinder when removing the head. The base gaskets are prone to leakage otherwise.

OEM gaskets are a must when doing engine work. Don't cheap out otherwise you are risking leaks. Doing the valve stem seals is not difficult. Here is a link to Steve's valve removal video. Once you see how easy it is you might just decide to do the work yourself. http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...placement.html

thanks so much for the info. do you have a preferred site for the oem gaskets? i know basscliff has a huge list of vendors but i didnt know if any were better than others

[mike_of_bbg]

Yeah, it would be a real shame to pop the head back on with a brand new $100 head gasket, find out you disturbed the base gasket, and have to go buy another plus the base gasket.

Boulevard Suzuki is probably going to be your best bet: they and G&S Suzuki seem to have about the best prices going for OEM parts. Boulevard has a couple of coupons going right now: $10 off $100 purchase or free shipping on $100+.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/coupon.asp?

I just ordered some OEM parts and found the free shipping made for a cheaper overall purchase.

The base gasket at Boulevard is $17.28:

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=94343&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1981&fveh=2128

The head gasket (set?) is $99.45.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=94342&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1981&fveh=2128

[kevmalvarez]

i'm not sure what it means by head gasket set either... but thanks for the info!

[1980GS1000E]

One thing that looks like it could have been the cause of the leaking is failure to re-torque the head bolts at periodic intervals. They loosen with mileage and that allows leakage.

[Suzuki_Don]

Put a new head-gasket on it and reassemble and adjust the engine as necessary. Put some fresh spark-plugs in it and drain and refill the crankcase with a high quality oil. Start it up.

Don't forget valve stem seals.