Is it time for a head gasket?

[1978GS750E]

Removed the header for refurbishing today, since it needed it and the jack fits better with it off. (Rehab planned on front wheel) Lo and behold what did I find?

IMG_0314.jpg

Now some history. The bike sat for 13 years before I purchased it. Currently has 21,197 miles on it. Since last Feb., I have put about 1500 miles on it. Never noticed any leak until now. Never have re-torqued the head bolts or touched the head in any way.

My question is.....do you think re-torqueing the head bolts will help, or should I bite the bullet and replace the head gasket now while it is winter?

[Nessism]

Manual calls for regular retorquing. That head gasket has been replaced before so who knows about the quality of the work.

[Steve]

And don't forget, ... if you replace the head gasket, you also need to do the base gasket.

.

[1978GS750E]

Checked the head bolt torque this evening. Only the outer 4 bolts were a little loose, not much, moved maybe a 1/8 turn. Looks like a top end refurbishing is in my future. Now to decide if I want to just fix the leaking head gasket, or take it all the way to the bare frame and do a complete refurb...…….decisions, decisions. I need a bigger garage!

[Dogma]

Checked the head bolt torque this evening. Only the outer 4 bolts were a little loose, not much, moved maybe a 1/8 turn. Looks like a top end refurbishing is in my future. Now to decide if I want to just fix the leaking head gasket, or take it all the way to the bare frame and do a complete refurb...…….decisions, decisions. I need a bigger garage!

The head bolts at the four corners of the head are also the only place where there is an oil passage at or through the head gasket. The re-torque may have helped.

[fbody_mike]

Does this engine also have the nut at the bottom of the cylinder jugs in the front center? If so don't forget to retorque that to.

[1978GS750E]

No bolt in the center underneath. Think I'm going to try and see if the re-torque helped before going further. I don't really feel like tearing it apart right now as my garage is not heated and it will be really cold soon.

[1978GS750E]

Quick head gasket question.....I ordered new OEM gaskets and received them today. The old head gasket was a fiber-type with metal rings around the top of each cylinder. The new head gasket is completely stamped metal. My question is...the old gasket has O-rings around the outer stud bolts on the head, the new one does not. I can't even find them on the parts fiche? Were the O-rings made into the old gasket and the heat caused them to stick to the head when I removed the old gasket? And most importantly...do I need the O-rings with the new metal gasket?

[Gumpster]

I did a complete engine rebuild on a 78 GS1000 about 2 years ago and was a bit confused when the head gasket arrived. The new style metal gasket does not require any additional o-rings. Not even the rectangular one that would normally seal where the timing chain passes. With the same gasket setup you received, my GS has been leak free for the first time since I've owned it.

[1978GS750E]

Are you saying that I do not need "any" O-rings? It seems weird that the metal head gasket would seal without the O-ring around the cam chain tunnel???

[Steve]

Strange, but true. The steel is a bit soft and there is a coating on it that does most of the sealing.

.

[Gumpster]

I didn't use the rectangular o-ring and no leaks after I had already purchased that $25 rubber band. It's obsolete with the new style all metal gasket. Just got home from a 150 mile ride. Couldn't resist with 80 degrees outside for the 5th day in a row in South Georgia. Tough winter....

[jsandidge]

There are 3 types of head gaskets. The original style was fiber and used the rectangular ring. The next iteration was fiber too, but had a smaller cutout at the cam tunnel. You can't use the rectangular ring with it. The 3rd version is the metal one. I had an oil leak at the front of the cam tunnel with a newly installed 2nd version gasket. I still rode it for 2 years with the leak, it wasn't bad. I just changed it out to an original style nos from ebay, using the rectangular ring. So far, so good.