Leaking gasket

[graggy]

I came back from a ride yesterday and noticed something leaking from my head gasket in the front. It’s been torqued several times to 144 inch pounds When stone cold. I’m not sure what to do. Do they make a better gasket than the one that comes with the kit? It’s a bbr 66/80.

 

[Nickt919]

There’s plenty good threads here on how to correctly torque a head.

Maybe do a search and see if you doing it the correct way.

 

[Risk Man]

Graggy, good morning to a fellow Floridian

I had the same problem with my first China Girl at about 100 miles in. I ended up sanding down the head on a flat granite surface (glass or otherwise with sandpaper and contact cement) and got a copper gasket. Those aluminum gaskets are only good for one or two uses.

Good luck

 

[graggy]

Graggy, good morning to a fellow Floridian

I had the same problem with my first China Girl at about 100 miles in. I ended up sanding down the head on a flat granite surface (glass or otherwise with sandpaper and contact cement) and got a copper gasket. Those aluminum gaskets are only good for one or two uses.

Good luck

What kind of sandpaper and what grit?

 

[Nickt919]

Graggy, good morning to a fellow Floridian

I had the same problem with my first China Girl at about 100 miles in. I ended up sanding down the head on a flat granite surface (glass or otherwise with sandpaper and contact cement) and got a copper gasket. Those aluminum gaskets are only good for one or two uses.

Good luck

I had a long post written on milling the head and changed it.
It very well could be a head needing some planning.

 

[Nickt919]

#400 wet

 

[Nickt919]

I’ve had a few where the powder coating made the mating surface bad.

 

[graggy]

I hope I get a few more replies to this before I start taking it apart

 

[ImpulseRocket]

If you have been torquing the head properly and regularly, then your problem is that the head or cylinder, or both, mating surfaces are uneven. Not an uncommon problem at all and very well documented. The suggestion made to you is spot on. Just need a piece of glass, a mirror, or even a good thick piece of acrylic (a true flat surface) to tape down the sandpaper to, and then work it in a figure 8 pattern while keeping it flat against the surface until you see a nice even wear pattern across the entire surface.

I do this to all engines that I build, regardless of how cheap or expensive they were, and every single one of them needed it.

 

[graggy]

If you have been torquing the head properly and regularly, then your problem is that the head or cylinder, or both, mating surfaces are uneven. Not an uncommon problem at all and very well documented. The suggestion made to you is spot on. Just need a piece of glass, a mirror, or even a good thick piece of acrylic (a true flat surface) to tape down the sandpaper to, and then work it in a figure 8 pattern while keeping it flat against the surface until you see a nice even wear pattern across the entire surface.

I do this to all engines that I build, regardless of how cheap or expensive they were, and every single one of them needed it.

Ok I just took the head off and here are some pictures of what I have. Do you see anything in particular? If I sand the head down a little can I use the same copper gasket? I guess I would be starting to torque the head after each heat cycle again.