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Its a sad day for my GS250

  • Thread starter Thread starter a747freak
  • Start date Start date
A

a747freak

Guest
Hey everyone,
I just had a very depressing breakdown about 15 minutes from home on my way to school. The bike first felt like it was going up hill, even though i was on level ground, and then completely shut off. (On the highway mind you). I pulled off to the side and noticed a very small oil spot on the right side of where the cylinder head meets the rest of the motor/trans. I tried starting again, and she did but was very weak, like running on 1 cylinder instead of 2 but it sounded full bodied, like 2 cylinders. I got off the highway and tried making it home on back roads but after a mile or two she died completely (probably gas related, because i got her running again a little while later on reserve). She's making a tapping sound from the right side though it is very weak, won't make it up hills. Compression seems the same because i felt the exhaust and both sides feel even. I think i snapped some valves. What do you all think? Unfortunately I had to leave her on the side of the road until I can get some help tonight to load her in the back of my pickup. Thanks for any advice. I am sad :cry:

Here's a picture of the cylinder gasket leak. its hard to see and it was very small, just extended part of the length of the fin.

picture.php
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hear...

Sorry to hear...

can only offer optimism that perhaps its not a catastrophe. I too have a leaking gasket yet to be repaired in the head. Been waiting for the temps in the garage to be reasonable for taking her apart (and found a new local GSR member who offered to help.). If someone is near you, might be able to take her apart in an afternoon and diagnose what the problem is....
 
If you had broken a valve? The motor would have locked up I would suspect a plugged carb maybe just a blown head gasket. I would start with a compression test
 
Hm. I suspected a valve because of the tapping sound coming from that cylinder. Maybe it is something much simpler, but I won't find out till I get the bike home later tonight.
 
Dunno on the twins, but on my GS550 the oil passages are totally separate from, away from, and not ringed like the cylinder seals. My gasket weeps a little oil just like that without compression problems. I'm with SqDancerLynn1: don't panic until you get into it.
 
The bike is in my garage again. I was able to ride her home after replacing spark plug in the bad cylinder, heres a pic:

picture.php


So both cylinders are fine, I made it home with the normal amount of power so that tells me compression is ok BUT that tapping sound remains, and it wasn't there before this whole thing. When I get a chance I am going to remove the head and see if I can find out what's causing it. Plus, theres obviously a piece of metal lodged between the electrodes on that spark plug..where did that come from? My tachometer just started acting up, could the gear for that be busted up and have made it to the cylinder?
 
Looks like a chunk of metal has broken loose from...somewhere, and stuck in the plug shorting it out. I'd say it's time to pull the head and have a look inside. Good fun.
 
That's head gasket. The tapping noise is compression escaping. Change the head gasket and ride.
Don't ride it like that because the heat in that area will warp and pit the head.
 
chef1366 said:
That's head gasket. The tapping noise is compression escaping. Change the head gasket and ride.
Don't ride it like that because the heat in that area will warp and pit the head.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chef. That makes me feel a little better now. Still doesn't explain where the foreign piece of metal came from, but I suppose I may find more clues once i remove the head. Theres no oil in this part of the motor, right? Or do I have to drain the oil to remove the head? it would be a shame as I just gave it an oil change.
 
a747freak said:
Thanks Chef. That makes me feel a little better now. Still doesn't explain where the foreign piece of metal came from, but I suppose I may find more clues once i remove the head. Theres no oil in this part of the motor, right? Or do I have to drain the oil to remove the head? it would be a shame as I just gave it an oil change.
Click to expand...
Head gaskets have metal in them
 
Here is what the head gasket looked like once removed:

picture.php


picture.php


picture.php


The only difference is that there was more of a pile of dirt on it when it was still on the cylinder. i think the metal fragment that got stuck in my spark plug came from one of the holes for the bolts perhaps? Not sure, the piston looked fine, the only thing I noticed is the cylinder walls on the left cylinder (my "good" cylinder) were blackened instead of shiney. could this be a ring issue? Thanks.

Steve
 
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