When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Engine Mechanical TopicsDiscussion for motor builds, cams, head work, stripped bolts and other engine related issues. The good and the bad. If it goes round and around or up and down, post it here.
hey guys. it seems i have a blown head gasket. front cylinder is spitting oil and getting my left leg soaked with oil. for anyone that's done it yourself or any techs out there, what is necessary to replace and what can be reused or left alone? regarding the top end, head bolts, studs, base gasket, valve cover gaskets? i have heard the head bolts can be used as much as I've heard they are torque to yield and can be used once. i want to only replace the essential. unfortunately i cant afford to replace everything if i don't have to.
More information on the bike would be helpful; blown head gasket does happen but not often. Are you sure head gasket is blown? Make, model year, mileage? Any recent work done? Some pictures of the leak would help as well. Could be the rocker (valve) cover gasket leaking.
Head gasker replaement is pretty straight forward but would recommend getting the HD service manual and parts manual as well; both are pretty useful. You can pass on the parts manual and use Ronnies Parts Finder to see isometric drawings which can come in handy if this is the first time.
See the attachment. In addition to the head and exhaust gaskets, should that need replacing, suggest replacing the gaskets and o-rings shown in the attachment. I have re-used studs and head bolts with no issues. The attachment is an earlier model with rebuildable head breather assemblies which can be replaced with the later stamped head breathers which are supposed to be more efficient; only $12/each. IIRC, the stamped breather "upgrade" came in the '10 or '12 model year. Also attached is the link to Ronnies where you can search the later years and get the PN for the stamped breathers if you want them.
If you are careful removing the head you can avoid disturbing the seal at the cylinder base o-ring. Once the head is removed, use a 1/2" PVC coupling or a stack of washers to secure the head so you don't accidentally disturb the base cylinder seal. That will save you a lot of work if you don't have to remove the cylinder to replace the o-ring between the cylinder and motor case.
Djl my apologies for some reason I thought it was an M8 section. The bike is 2017 RK with 26k miles. When the leak began I believed it to be the oil crossover tubes for the heads. I replaced with a new one and new O rings to no avail. The area below the rocker cover is dry but the area around the head gasket us wet. When I ride I can feel droplets of oil being sprayed. Deduction tells me the head gasket is bad since the seals above it are holding and dry
Djl my apologies for some reason I thought it was an M8 section. The bike is 2017 RK with 26k miles. When the leak began I believed it to be the oil crossover tubes for the heads. I replaced with a new one and new O rings to no avail. The area below the rocker cover is dry but the area around the head gasket us wet. When I ride I can feel droplets of oil being sprayed. Deduction tells me the head gasket is bad since the seals above it are holding and dry
I am not an M8 guy and you probably should re-post this in the M8 section. While I am not an M8 guy, seems you are not the first to blow a head gasket on these high compression motors. Good luck.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
head gasket replacement
