leaky head gasket on gpz 1100 need advice

Hi All,
I bought '81 gpz 1100 a few years ago and its been sitting, I've done a number bike projects in the mean time and now have dug this out to do a restomod. Its got mikuni carbs and really runs great, I had drained the float bowls and tank when I put it up and put fuel in it and it started up and runs great, so that's great. I steam cleaned the engine and then ran it and the cam cover gaskets leak as it looks like is somewhat expected, but also the head gasket leaks pretty good, oil is weeping down the engine and if you look close you can see tiny bubbles of oil coming from the head gasket. Is this common? Should I just replace the gasket, or is this an indicator of something bigger?

thanks, Matt

i would replace all the gaskets that are leaking ,but that's just my opinion

Gaskets and O rings. Good time to replace the valve guide seals too. They get hard and start leaking too. You get to see what everything else looks like as well.
Steve

You can try retorquing the head nuts and cover bolts, but new gaskets may end up being the only real cure.

First I'd retorque the head, cold, following the manual sequence with a decent tourque wrench. Do it in several stages if you need to -they can relax over the years. A long shot but worth a try. I guess the damage might be done to the gasket now even if it wasn't initially the cause.

Then there is the one peice Cometic versus two piece factory gasket debate...

Give it time. :whistle:
Steve

Then there is the one peice Cometic versus two piece factory gasket debate...
Cometic! 4 layer stainless steel gasket for the Hemi 354! Melted down after 1st 1/8 mile pass, actually burnished the stainless steel into the cast iron Hemi block. Did not O-ring the block.
$180 for cometic gaskets

Thanks everybody. I'll try retorquing, I understand its a long shot, but easy, might as well try.
Steve, what do you mean by give it time? Do these things self heal? It doesn't appear blown because the oil is just barely seaping.

Also, on the one piece cometic vs the factory 2 piece. I've only seen pictures, but it looks like the gasket splits around the cam chain, does this mean that I can lift the head with the cams and chain in place and slide new head gaskets in and then retorque without removing the cams? Obviously that would save me some time.

thanks, Matt

Retorque and JBWeld

does this mean that I can lift the head with the cams and chain in place and slide new head gaskets in and then retorque without removing the cams? No, you still need to put the gasket through the studs...and probalby want to grind the valves, new guide oil seals etc whilst you are there.

JB weld ???? where? I found it intolerant to heat and difficult to clean up cast ally sufficiently. It says great thing on the box but doesn't deliver imo.

A re-torque may work because I don't think those motors use o rings on the oil passage ways that shrink with old age and cause oil leaks.

The leaks at the ends of the cams are very common the rubber end caps they used were marginal when new, my KZ1000J ones had to be removed and refitted with some gasket sealer by the time it was a year old, so after 30 odd years I don't doubt you'd have leaks there.

The first thing you need is a MANUAL. Give it time references having a one piece or two piece head gasket. I have a one piece and will never go back to a two piece.
See poser thread
Steve