After re-torquing my cylinder head bolts as the Haynes manual described, to the low-sounding torque setting it specified, I now have a gushing oil leak. Less than one mile down the road, the entire right side is covered in oil. Got home safe, cried about it, will review everything and post more details in the morning. Goodnight.
Crooked gasket? If it isn't sitting properly, it is a gaping hole for oil to shoot out.
Were the 4 rubber o-rings put in?
-Jessie
I'm not sure it could be a crooked gasket, all i did was slacken the nuts. Upon reviewing the instructions again, I realized I slacked them in the opposite order, that is slacked them by their numerical order, and tighened them down the same way, in numerical order. With a 12 inch breaker bar they were a mother to get loose, I almost wanted to give up. The engine has several less than perfect conditions including lean running, and a likely sunken valve in B, and one or more oil starvation/overheating issues. My greatest fear is that the cylinder head was warped, but that may not be the case.
The first thing I did before anything else was try to duplicate problem in the daylight. I wiped down the oil splashes, turned the engine on and let it warm up, giving it little revs and watching the head gasket, valve cover closely. After several minutes the only leak i could find was a very minor gushing from the right side spark plug, which i removed, inspected and replaced. I can find no other leak, so I'm going to take it around the block for a test run.
To clarify my initial problem, I took off one night after completing 4000 mile service to see smoke in my headlight. When I pulled over the entire right side was covered in specs and splashes and oil dripping on the exhaust pipes underneath the bike was causing the smoke. I said oh shaZam! and went right home. I'll report back again after a test ride.
Wish me luck. If I should die, avenge me.
Quote from: BaltimoreGS on December 19, 2011, 04:14:16 AM
Were the 4 rubber o-rings put in?
-Jessie
If you mean on the valve cover bolts, I believe so. Ive inspected the bolts as they are in place and I dont see any leaks.
Been around the block, and theres still a significant oil leak. I cant see it at rest, but the wind is blowing it all over the place making it obviously coming from somewhere. I checked the oil level, and there doesnt appear to be a great volume missing.
Other than guess I'm not sure what to do next. My last service was the first time I had ever torqued the cylinder head nuts. As I mentioned earlier they took an awful lot to get loose, and the haynes manual only recommended 35-40 Nm of torque which I coverted to 28 ft/lbs on my Kobalt 3/8 drive torque wrench. This torque wrench is almost new, has been used once or twice before. I can check to see if I missed one, but I doubt it.
It could be coming from nut number 8. They were all torqued, I guess I can do it again?
Torque question: can I just tighten the suspect nut or should I do it all over again?
I'm gonna hop in the shower while I let the engine cool.
Quote from: Steel on December 19, 2011, 02:59:04 AM
After re-torquing my cylinder head bolts
I think I was confused, you had off the cylinder head cover; not the cylinder head. I thought you meant the bolts (actually nuts) that hold the cylinder head onto the engine. The o-rings I was referring to are down with the head gasket.
-Jessie
Did you put on a new gasket when you put the cylinder head back on?
Baltimore, he says 8 nuts, which would be the cylinder head like you said.
Why did you only loosen the head nuts without taking the head off?
Quote from: Dizzledan on December 21, 2011, 12:13:59 PM
Did you put on a new gasket when you put the cylinder head back on?
Baltimore, he says 8 nuts, which would be the cylinder head like you said.
Why did you only loosen the head nuts without taking the head off?
It's actually a periodic maintenance item in the Haynes manual. Don't remember what the interval is but they recommend you loosen the head nuts in a particular order and then re-tighten them to specs in opposite order after a certain number of miles.
Don't know what the Haynes manual says but I have never broken them loose first, just checked them in order with a torque wrench. I would have thought loosening them would risk a head gasket leak. :dunno_black:
-Jessie