To tork or not to tork

[Anonymous]

I changed the head gasket on my 1982 GS850GSL because of an oil leak that I thought was coming from the front center part of the head gasket. Oil was leaking and concentrated in the middle front of the engine and covering the fins and eventually exiting to the right onto my pants leg . The head was warped and I had it machined. After I put it back together and she started up nice :P I took a ten mile victory ride. I noticed that she is still leaking oil :? however a lot less than she did when I began the head gasket replacement.
My hunch now is that the leak may in fact be coming from the gasket where the cylinder head meets the crank case, and the oil is blowing up onto the fins.
My questions are these:
1.
Anybody experience anything like this?
2.
The tork wrench I used was an old one with a needle, is it possible that I don't have the head torked down hard enough?
3.
Would a blocked oil channel or tube cause excess oil pressure that would make something like this happen?
4.
If I need to take the cylindar case off to replace the lower gasket, can I do this while the engine is still in the bike like I did the head gasket?
Thanks,
Mike

[SqDancerLynn1]

tork or not

I have never done it but the book says that the cylinder block can be removed without engine removal. Beam type tork wrenches have been around for ever and work quite well when used properly. Did you check the adapter assembly for the tac drive at the front of the engine for leaks

[Anonymous]

Thanks

Thanks for your reply,
Hmmm... I did take out the tac drive when I replaced the head. I think it looked o.k.
The front center of the engine was so full of oil and dirt that it was difficult to see where exactly it was coming from.
I have cleaned the engine and will re-tork the head bolts and ride it to see if it leaks again.
Sincerely,
Mike

[daveo]

when you remove the head its not hard to displace the cylinder base gasket accidentally, I usually replace both, the return oil passages from head run down along the head studs and are sealed by O rings in the head gasket and 2 more under the base gasket, that's probably where your leak is, can be done with engine in bike, check your rings at this point also since you're in there, be careful to not bang the piston skirts around too, lots o' rags, and when reassembling start with pistons 2&3, and a ring compressor or big hose clamp and some patience

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave

Yikes,
I hope that I don't have to go that deep.
If it still leaks after a little more pressure on the head bolts, I guess I know what I will be doing in the month of June.
Luckily, I have a working GS550 that I can ride while I am up to my elbows with this one.
I appreciate the words of wisdom.
Mike Newman

[Anonymous]

RE:Oil leak

I would recommend completely degreasing the engine with something like Engine Brite (that's what we use at the auto shop I work at) and running the engine to see where the leak is coming from. It is neccessary to remove the block to replace the base gasket, and probably should be done when the head gasket is changed... also, I have found that the tach drive can leak a substantial amount of oil, even if it looks "okay". I recommend getting a complete gasket kit and redoing pretty much all the gaskets. Dennis Kirk has Vespa Gasket kits for less than 100 dollars for many bikes, and I will be doing this this fall, probably with an upgrade. I can help you with a newer torque wrench, or even with working on the bike if you need help, I live in St. Paul and work on bikes (mostly my brothers) and cars. Do you have a manual? if not, get one. I use the Clymers and it helps me a whole lot. The o-rings are also very important, as Daveo stated, and yes, all of this can be done with the engine on the bike. Good luck and feel free to ask for help. ~Ben Reilly 78GS750EC, St Paul, MN

[Anonymous]

I think it is fixed now Ben

Ben,
Thanks for your kind offer of help.
My bike was at my brothers house in Egan where he has a heated garage where we did the work over winter. He did the engine brite thing just as you recommended. I re-torked the head nuts to about 35ft lbs. The spec is for 27. Anyway, I took it out for a good hard ride. I noticed just a thin film right dead center under the base gasket. I wiped it, kept riding and it has been bone dry all day. I wonder if the little film of oil was just the stuff that was saturating the gasket getting hot and oozing out for the last time. I suppose it is fixed now. Hope it does not spontaniously decide to leak again.
Thanks again.
Mike

[Anonymous]

I dunno much about the 850 but if it was an 1100 the first place I would look is the two, forward, canter head nuts that have "O" rings on them. Maybe they are not on the 850 though?