Battle Cruiser developing an British Accent

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

The Battle Cruiser has begun soiling my left leg with Oil from around the head and cylinder jug. It had been leaking earlier from the Timing Chain valley, but I cured that with a smooth coat of silicone (can't even see it and dry as a bone). This leak appears to be coming from from the head gasket on the left side. There is no loss of compression, backfiring or other indication of a bad head gasket. It only seems to happen when I open her up on the highway at over 60, though I can't quite pinpoint exactly when it is happening. Anyone ever have a weepy head gasket problem like this? I'm hoping that it isn't any weakness (like the head warping under pressure) and a carefull bead of silicone after a good cleaing will keep the oil where it belongs.

[trbig]

Probably a no-brainer, but might make sure all the head bolts are torqued... not vibrated loose. Also, might check to make sure your crankcase breather hose is not clogged and building up too much pressure??

Tod

[webbcraft2150]

Try this trick. Clean the area very well and let dry. Get a can of deorderant, the spray kind that leaves a white film. Spray the affected area till its coated in white powder. Go run the bike, anyplace there is oil leaking will be very visible, and your bike will smell better. This trick worked on my Mercruiser and my long gone KZ1100. ( I disavowed any knowledge of where the SWMBO's Arrid went ) Hopefully you will find it just the valve cover gasket leaking.

[Ken Talbot]

It is pretty much impossible to have an oil leak from the head gasket, or from the gasket at the base of the cylinders. When you see oil pooling up on the back side of the cylinders and sitting on the crankcase, it is just about always from the valve cover gasket. You say it had been leaking from above earlier on, but you cured that with an external wipe of silicone. Do the deodorant trick, or try dusting on some talcum powder and I'm sure you'll find the leak again.

I need to do this repair on Tsunami this year too. I know where the leak is, but now I'm thinking I should do the deodorant trick just to see how nice it would smell...

[skids]

Re: Battle Cruiser developing an British Accent

Yeah, I had a leak like that on the right side of one of my xs11E's. There is a sleeve around the right hand engine bolt, that comes up from the bottom engine case. Mine was leaking just above the second cooling fin from the alternator. I cleaned it with carb cleaner spray and put some RTV on it, and three years later, clean as a whistle! Your leak is on the other side, but the RTV seems to work if the leak is around that sleeve but on the other side.

Originally posted by BLUEJEEPLAB
This leak appears to be coming from from the head gasket on the left side.

[Geezer]

Have you checked the cam chain adjuster? They almost always leak and the oil trail could be confused with a head gasket leak.

Geezer