Valve Cover Gasket Keeps Popping - High Crankcase Pressure?

[spareparts329]

Hi guys,

I have an 08' with a hair under 20k miles on it, she gets regular oil changes, valves are in spec, rejetted with no airbox. On a good day she runs perfectly, on a bad day, my valve cover gasket pops and me and my dearest motorcycle get sprayed with hot oil. The first time it happened was immediately after an oil change, Upon inspection, I found my crankcase breather tube pinched and there was the potential that some water got in my oil, that's all I could think of. The repairs went as follows: the old oil dropped and replaced, the old gasket was removed, the surfaces cleared of old gasket and cleaned, then the new gasket installed with some soft gasket sealer. Everything was fine, until about 1000 miles later, the same thing happened again!

I'm worried that I'm getting excessive blowby which is creating a very high crankcase pressure, i.e. ring damage. However, the bike makes great power and even there was a lot of blowby, shouldn't my crankcase breather be releasing this pressure in a non destructive way?

How could my crankcase pressure be getting so high that this gasket keeps popping? Has anyone ever had this problem?

Sincerely
Spare Parts

[Suzuki Stevo]

Is the #7 SEPARATOR, OIL BREATHER clean?

http://www.mrcycles.com/oemparts/a/suz/506b32bef870022ba8af9ac0/cylinder-head-cover

[sledge]

Never heard of that before. Guess its possible but it would take a lot of pressure .....oil generally weeps from the crank and output shaft seals if its not breathing properly. Much less resistance.

Is the gasket fitted correctly and is it an OEM part?.....is the oil level correct?

Compression test will indicate worn rings/bores.

[gsJack]

Similar problem came up recently, don't know if it was resolved.   

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=68188.0

[J_Walker]

A warped/bent head, COULD cause this. without much pressure needed.

OP mind taking a picture where it keep slipping?

[spareparts329]

The gasket was replaced with a Zook OEM gasket. Upon further inspection it appears to be leaking from the same area it was the last time, the back left half moon seal and the back left bolt (the one with the oil seal). Compression is extremely high, which makes me happy.

I'm going to get my hands a little deeper into the bike later today, and inspect the breather system. I think the warped cover/head is unlikely, but possible given a recent drop onto a curb :/

You guys are great, I'll report back with a hopeful success and maybe some sexy GS pictures.

Spare Parts

[sledge]

A drinking buddy of mine (who is a factory trained Honda techie) says.......could be fuel entering the crankcase, the vapour exploding and blowing out the gasket.

Any signs of the carbs overflowing?

[spareparts329]

A drinking buddy of mine (who is a factory trained Honda techie) says.......could be fuel entering the crankcase, the vapour exploding and blowing out the gasket.

Any signs of the carbs overflowing?

Holy cow, my buddy and I were just entertaining this idea! My carbs are PERFECT, but both times this happened, I added some Seafoam to the oil about 300-500 miles before this both times before this happened. That stuff's pretty flammable as well. Have you ever heard of it combusting in the crank?

I've done a thorough inspection of the cover and found the back left half moon popped out and the bolt about a half turn loose with the O ring snapped.

The gasket seems OK, so I've cleaned the surfaces again, more gasket sealer, replaced the O-ring, I've torqued down the bolts a bit more. Inspection of the breather plate didn't yield much, but I cleaned the plate with carb cleaner and stuck a chop stick through the hole to try to clean/widen it.

Still though, the pressure needed to do that is concerning. Is there any way of determining if a crankcase explosion is occurring?

Spare Parts

[J_Walker]

A drinking buddy of mine (who is a factory trained Honda techie) says.......could be fuel entering the crankcase, the vapour exploding and blowing out the gasket.

Any signs of the carbs overflowing?

interesting idea. but one problem... wouldn't gasoline be getting past the piston rings or valve seals + valve guides? meaning OP would not be getting good cylinder compression?


Now this idea could be entertained if the gasoline was going into the air filter/box as a VAPOR up the breather hose, into the top end. [the vapor is more combustible then gasoline raw, as we all know.]

Also I noticed something with my case before I put the stock airbox back on, but there was lots of steam/water vapor from a freshly rebuilt engine, didn't surprise me there might of been some water left somewhere from me rinsing out some of the chase pieces earlier. but it was coming out the breather hose.. but anyone who's thrown a fresh piece of bamboo with its nodes still intact into a fire, will know how explosive steam could be.

OP when was your last oil change, and what type of oil/company?

[sledge]

Holy cow, my buddy and I were just entertaining this idea! My carbs are PERFECT, but both times this happened, I added some Seafoam to the oil about 300-500 miles before this both times before this happened. That stuff's pretty flammable as well. Have you ever heard of it combusting in the crank?

Seen the stuff on the shelves but never used it. I just googled "seafoam" and "crankcase explosion!........................going off the results I think its the most probable cause so far 

[rg500gamma]

Hi  all ,  I  have used seafoam  on the carbs , not clean enough , took back apart used brake parts cleaner ,  on jets only ,  bike ran great ,  I thought seafoam  was only used in the gas tank  ,   (add  to gas only)  $ 10 a can at autozone . 

[Suzuki Stevo]

Seafoam is what people use that didn't use Sta-Bil or MMO in their fuel in the first place when their bike sat for extended periods, Sta-Bil/MMO (Proactive) Seafoam (Reactive) 

[The Buddha]

I had one of these happen last year. I replaced with an original gasket and it seems to have stopped doing that. Hope it stays that way.

I credit the shietey chinese crap that has proliferated, like shritty shims and all the rest. Those fools make crap that aint even cheaper than the good stuff used to be, and they're robbing us blind. That chinese shim manufacturer needs to do a warranty fix for all the cheap chit shim damaged motors. They need to be taught a lesson about the western world and selling your worthless crap for trumped up $$$.

The gasket - if you got a chinese crap one, you may need to do it again ... and I hope I dont have to ... and that my OEM, wasn't chinese crap anyway.
Cool.
Buddha.

[rg500gamma]

Hi all , +1  for the   Buddha

[sledge]

Slegde said......     ".Is the gasket fitted correctly and is it an OEM part?"

O/P said..........       "The gasket was replaced with a Zook OEM gasket"




`Zook`.....being slang for Suzuki 

[mennobike]

Not trying to make av seafoam thread, but Steveo, isn't seafoam also proactive? Like, also a fuel stabilizer? I was under the impression that it was. And if it isn't, I'm screwed, because I'm currently a hemisphere from my bike, which is sitting with seafoam and a full tank, and will be until July.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Not trying to make av seafoam thread, but Steveo, isn't seafoam also proactive? Like, also a fuel stabilizer? I was under the impression that it was. And if it isn't, I'm screwed, because I'm currently a hemisphere from my bike, which is sitting with seafoam and a full tank, and will be until July.

Not sure, I have never had to use it, I thought it was just a cleaner?

EDIT: Maybe Seafoam has more than one product? OK they do and it does stabilize fuels

http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Foam-Motor-Tune-GALLON/dp/B001DKQOME

"Sea Foam Motor Tune - Up. Works and performs instantly! 100% pure petroleum product for use in all gasoline and diesel engines, 2 and 4-cycle: Cleans dirty engine parts internally by removing harmful gums, varnish and carbon build-up; Removes moisture from oil crankcases and fuel tanks; Oxygen sensor safe; Stabilizes and conditions fuels to prevent becoming stale; Excellent for engine storage; Use every 5,000 miles for peak performance; 16-oz. can or gallon container; State Size. Order Today! Sea Foam Motor Tune-Up"

[mennobike]

     I may come out of this without completely buggered carbs!

[spareparts329]

So my bike is running just fine now, which is frustrating because I've fixed some ghostly problem that I'm sure will revisit eventually! So in lieu of a rant  I'll jump on this Seafoam soap box!

I use Seafoam pretty religiously in both the crank and in my fuel. I believe it helps loosen up gunky crap in my oil prior to an oil change, allowing for the remove of more crap when you swap, cleaner, happier oil... Maybe. In any case, my bikes gets gets 1.5 oz per quart of oil fifty miles before an oil change, then I dump the rest of the can into a nearly empty gas tank, slosh it around, run it to fully warm to fill the bowls with Seafoamy gas, then let it sit overnight and fill the tank the next morning.

That being said, I also have popped my valve cover gasket twice. I'm stubborn and still gonna keep using it though.

Spare Parts

[Old Mechanic]

Pass on the seafoam for the next oil change cycle. No boom, you know what the problem is.

regards
mech