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2008 Nightster Head Leak

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Old Apr 19, 2026 | 02:06 PM
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Default 2008 Nightster Head Leak

Bike has 7k miles on, it had a bit of a leak problem for a few years, nothing crazy, just enough to make the fins shiny and sometimes get on my pants. Had someone take a look at it and they replaced the rocker box gaskets. Now its much worse. They looked at it again and retorqued to double check they did it properly - no change. These pics are from after about a 15m ride. The shine on the fins, at the top and bottom of the black section make me wonder what it really could be - how could the middle section be dry but the top and bottom wet? Could there be a crack in there somehow? Not sure how it could have gotten worse from before to after the gasket replacement. The guy also gouged the black powder coat in four spots around those two bolts, so, yeah not very happy. My fault for not going directly to Harley I guess. I assumed they wouldn't work on something this old but I didn't ask.






 
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Old Apr 19, 2026 | 04:28 PM
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I'm looking at the pictures on a phone, but it looks like the leak is from the gasket between the rocker box and the cylinder head.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2026 | 05:07 PM
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I see what Tommy C sees, head gasket leaks.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2026 | 07:20 PM
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Originally Posted by 1TxBiker
I see what Tommy C sees, head gasket leaks.
No, not a head gasket leak, it's a leak between the lower rocker box and the cylinder head. Might even be a pushrod tube o-ring leak because it looks like there's some oil on the right side of the head, too.
 

Last edited by Tommy C; Apr 19, 2026 at 07:23 PM.
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Old Apr 22, 2026 | 05:23 PM
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Thanks guys, I'll try and find out exactly what gaskets the guy replaced.
 
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