Help!! Massive oil leak after valve cover gasket change

[minimag79]

Help!! I had a slight oil leak coming from the valve cover, so I changed the gasket. I had a hard time starting it after the gasket change, so put in new spark plugs this morning, and now it runs, but with clouds of blue smoke, and it is bleeding oil out of the bottom of the block (maybe oil pan?).

Is the 850 too big of an engine to get out of the frame without some help? Anyone live around the detroit area?

Thanks guys
Shaun

[chuckycheese]

?

That's too bad! It's hard to imagine how one thing would have anything to do with the other. Let us know what you find out.

[rgierer]

the massive oil leaks I have experienced have come from 3 different places.

1 Half moon plug came loose behind chrome cap on valve cover.

2 Plug on stator wires fell out and oil was pumping into starter cavity and coming out the weep hole.

3 Added some oil and took of with the cap sitting on top of the engine. 4 miles later when I stopped and noticed my leg full of oil the cap was still on top of the engine. I topped it of again, put the cap on and complained about my soiled pants leg.

Often times the oil leak is noticed when it hits the pipes and produces smoke. Sometimes it starts quite a bit higher up.

Hang in there

rg

[minimag79]

Found the oil leak was coming out of the little half moon seals under the valve cover. I guess I'll try some RTV when the new gasket and seals come in.

Thanks
Shaun

[chiphead]

This is only my opinion, but using RTV on the gasket and seals only seems to increase the chance of oil leaks. It is almost as if the sealant is too "slippery" so it lets the gasket move. I've had the best luck putting it together clean and dry. When I used to do this for a living, a lot of the leakers I fixed had a sealant on them. They seemed prone to suck the gasket in right between #3 and 4 cylinders.

[Jethro]

Yes, use a very, very thin layer of grey RTV sealant on the gasket and half moon plugs. Allow it to skin a little bit then install. Blue smoke (out the exhaust) should have nothing to do with a leaky gasket, unless it's the base gasket. Did you fill to much oil in the bike?

I have lifted my 1100E motor by myself, but I took the head off before hand. The 850 motor is probably somewhere around 110lbs???

[Jethro]

This is only my opinion, but using RTV on the gasket and seals only seems to increase the chance of oil leaks. It is almost as if the sealant is too "slippery" so it lets the gasket move. I've had the best luck putting it together clean and dry. When I used to do this for a living, a lot of the leakers I fixed had a sealant on them. They seemed prone to suck the gasket in right between #3 and 4 cylinders.

Suzuki says to use sealant in the factory manual. Going against the factory manual is a bad idea in my opinion- those engineers designed one heck of a bike, I trust them 100%!!

Edit: It's of utmost important for three things to happen correctly. First, the gaket surface needs to be 100% clean. RTV helps this tremendously if you follow my step #2 and 3. Step 2, coat the head and cover surface with an ultra, ultra thin layer of grey RTV. I use my finger, and put it on so thin you can barely see it. Finally, you must allow the RTV to skin slightly before pressing the gasket onto the head first, then the cover can be installed.

Doing this has worked for me for many thousands of miles, and when I do a valve adjustment, the grey RTV and gasket peel off in seconds, every time. I could reuse the gaskets almost every time, if I wasn't so anal...

[chiphead]

Suzuki says to use sealant in the factory manual. Going against the factory manual is a bad idea in my opinion- those engineers designed one heck of a bike, I trust them 100%!!

Edit: It's of utmost important for three things to happen correctly. First, the gaket surface needs to be 100% clean. RTV helps this tremendously if you follow my step #2 and 3. Step 2, coat the head and cover surface with an ultra, ultra thin layer of grey RTV. I use my finger, and put it on so thin you can barely see it. Finally, you must allow the RTV to skin slightly before pressing the gasket onto the head first, then the cover can be installed.

Doing this has worked for me for many thousands of miles, and when I do a valve adjustment, the grey RTV and gasket peel off in seconds, every time. I could reuse the gaskets almost every time, if I wasn't so anal...

Interesting. I wasn't aware that the factory manuals recommended a sealant on the valve cover gasket. Thinking about it, the OEM gaskets used to almost feel as if they were impregnated with a sealant. Anyway, I agree, if the factory manual says it and then go with it. I stand duely corrected.:-D

[Jethro]

Hey Chiphead, you're a neighbor of mine in CowHampshire!

[rustybronco]

Edit: It's of utmost important for three things to happen correctly. First, the gaket surface needs to be 100% clean. RTV helps this tremendously if you follow my step #2 and 3. Step 2, coat the head and cover surface with an ultra, ultra thin layer of grey RTV. I use my finger, and put it on so thin you can barely see it. Finally, you must allow the RTV to skin slightly before pressing the gasket onto the head first, then the cover can be installed.

the key is gray rtv WOW good stuff. I will never use any other again after having tried it.

[Jethro]

the key is gray rtv WOW good stuff. I will never use any other again after having tried it.

Yeah, grey is awesome. It never ever gets brittle, and it skins over nice. Even after melting an exhasut cam bearing on my 81, the gasket came off smooth as silk, without a single trace of sealant left on the head or the cover.

[sbrink97007]

1978 GS400 - no modifications 17000 miles

I replaced the valve gasket and didn't replace the rubber half moon, but after running the engine the rubber half moon sprung a bad leak because of cleaning the old gasket off. ordered new half moons and yamabond. replaced all 4 half moons and another gasket (with yamabond). put it all back together. the front left half moon popped out (because of pressure?). i take it to a repaire shop. they replace the front half moon and gasket, ride it home, the left back half moon pops out. take it back to the repair shop, they "fix" it again. ride it to Portland, and the half moon starts to pop out again.

are those little cylinder header covers (the pieces that cover the area where those rubber half moons are) for looks or are they actually there for a purpose?

[chiphead]

Hey Chiphead, you're a neighbor of mine in CowHampshire!

Pleased to meet ya Jethro.

[chiphead]

1978 GS400 - no modifications 17000 miles
are those little cylinder header covers (the pieces that cover the area where those rubber half moons are) for looks or are they actually there for a purpose?

They are there strickly for looks. And maybe to prevent littel kids from picking at the rubber half moons although I think kawas used to run them exposed.