Head Gasket Anger

So I had thought my winter project was finally complete.... I soda blasted my engine, installed new valve seals, piston rings, and re-honed, and all new gaskets. I got the bike all together yesterday and she fired right up.

Once it was warm some blue smoke started coming from the exhaust. I figured it was just some blowby that would stop after the rings were seated, so I took it around the block. It ran fine, but still lots of blue smoke. I came home (10 min ride) and parked the bike to watch it idle. I noticed some oil leaking from the head gasket... Then all of a sudden it started to stumble. She did not want to stay running on all 4 cylinders. Then buuuughhh, it quit. Didnt want to start again. Sure enough, 2 fouled plugs.

Anyways, today I took the bike over to the local highschool shop to have my friend (auto shop teacher) look at it. We did a leak down test and the rings and valves were great.

Anyways so here is my question. Has anyone here had a head gasket leak this much before? Did you have similar symptoms.

Also, was affraid when putting the bike back together, and put some black RTV on each side of the gasket. I thought this would keep a good seal..... Any thoughts? Do I need a new gasket?

Thanks

Often times when it starts blowing oil smoke right after a rebuild, it's because of an over lapped oil control ring. I'm a little unclear as to if you're saying it's leaking for sure out the gasket and what that has to do with smoke out the pipe

An overlapped oil control ring will not show any compression loss. It will smoke like a chimney though.

sorry, i will try to explain a bit better. oil is leaking on the exterior of the engine from the head gasket. It can easily be seen, as it was just soda blasted.

But there is ALSO oil leaking into the cylinders. I had assumed this was likely also due to the head gasket. I hadn't heard the oil ring issue before... I will definitely have to double check that.

Thanks!

You can not put RTV on a head gasket and expect it to seal.

Yes, you need a new gasket, and don't use anything on it.

gotta love learning things the hard way..... guess I'll hold tight for another 2 weeks while I wait for another F^#@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey don't get mad, last year I had to replace the head gasket on my GPz1100 engine 3 times everyone leaked oil until I used the OEM one. I was using aftermarket, Wiseco and Cometic. I consider it all part of the game.

just curious..... Seeing how it is a new gasket.. would it be possible to scrape the RTV off and it work? Or would I just get it all back together and have the same issue?

If it was mine I would install a new head gasket as instructed in the FSM (that is to say - dry) and hope that the base gasket doesn't leak now that things have been tightened and loosened. I would chalk up the RTV mistake as a lesson learned - follow the instructions in the manual; if the engines were originally all build without RTV they probably don't need it. Ed

i think I will just order both and save myself the potential freak out.

Thanks guys

+1 on installing it dry. Just a couple of points which I assume you followed properly but will list them just in case:

1. Make sure you follow the proper tightening sequence as specified in the FSM and the recommended torque.

2. After your initial ride (heat cycle), recheck the torque using the same sequence to make sure they are all still within the torque spec.

Remember also when re-torquing the head, that the engine should be stone cold -- as in bike parked overnight cold.

Good Fortune!

One thing most people don't do when they remove a cylinder head is loosen each head nut a little at a time in a pattern. Just like torquing the head but in reverse.

Might think about having someone surface the head and maybe the barrel a few grand just to make sure they are not warped.