My problem......I have a 98 E-glide classic with the 1340 EVO engine. For some reason over the past few months I have been having problems with the front cylinder, top rocker box gasket. I just replaced all three of the rocker box gaskets two days ago. Then yesterday I took her out for a about 180 miles and then stopped for gas and I heard the damn thing sucking air again, look down and it is the same spot, right up front leaking oil again.

This thing has the screaming eagle heads with a stage 2 kit installed. She runs great with the exception of this rocker box gasket thing.

Anyone have any ideas? I thought about taking it to the shop, but I don't want to pay the hourly fee. I thought about gasket sealer? But don't really want to go down that road yet.

Any help is good help, thanks

Jake

 

Ah.....You haven't read my Leaking Rocker Boxes Rant yet have you?

There are a number of things that could be causing the leak. Mine still leaks, but hopefully this week it'll get fixed when I install the HD parts. I'll keep everyone posted.

1) Are the rocker boxes chrome or polished? The classic's are chrome right?
2) Have you recently changed the original rocker box(es)?
3) If you did: Did you use Genuine HD rocker boxes or aftermarket?
4) Has any work been done to the engine other than the SE heads? Cam perhaps?
5) Have you run the bike with the air cleaner off to see if the head breathers are working?

Possible causes:
1&2) New rocker boxes (especially cheap aftermarket stuff) particularly the spacer may be warped. It's not going to take much to cause the seal to blow out. Get a piece of flat glass when you have them off the bike and check to see if they wobble.
3) Seems that the non-HD ones are prone to warping or being warped causing leakage. Obviously The MoCo pulls a tighter rein on the Taiwanese manufacturers, than some of the aftermarket companies do.
4) Remote possibility that the breather is not 'timed' correctly.
5) Remove the air cleaner. Its an easy check that doesn't entail a whole bunch of disassembly.
6) It's easy to mis-align one of the rubber gaskets, if they are shifting on you try using a dab of Hylomar to hold them in place.

I wouldn't resort to gooping it up with gasket sealer. Trust me, the previous shop that had my bike did just that. And it took me more time to clean it off, than to reseal both rocker boxes. Since you've done it once, you know what a PITA it is. Especially the rear one.

Check the Rocker Boxes. I'm willing to bet that the spacer is warped, or warps when it gets heated up. Mine does the exact same thing as your's is doing. When I had the top end done three years ago, I had the shop put on chrome covers. My original polished aluminum covers didn't leak. They just looked ugly. The shop was supposed to put Genuine HD boxes on it, but they didn't. Since then, I've been through another top end rebuild and at least a dozen sets of gasket on the rocker boxes. So I dropped the $600 for a complete set of Genuine HD rocker boxes. No deals from Mother Harley. You gotta purchase each piece individually. Then the chrome bolts. And the gaskets. Like I said, hopefully this will put an end to my misery.

 

Sweet, just what I have been looking for.........

1) the rocker boxes are chrome
2) i am not sure if they are orginal, i believe they are HD boxes
3) i believe they are HD boxes, when I take them off, I will check to make sure
4) i am not sure, but i believe there is a bigger cam in it, doesn't come with the stage 2 kit?
4) i have not run the bike without the air cleaner, how do i check to see if the head breather are working? do i just take out the banjo bolts and run it that way?

How do i know if the breather is timed right?
I am going to go out and take a look and see if it sucks air when the engine is cold. I would venture to guess if it does not, then the spacer is warped. Which is something I did not think of.

Thank you for all your help!!!!!!! I will keep you informed. Let me know how yours is coming along!!!

Jake

 

Ok, took out the banjo bolts for the breather. I am getting pressure out of both sides. I have a little trace of oil on the back side, but not the front, but I get, what seems like, equal pressure on both sides.

I took an even closer look at the gasket leak. It is in the same spot. It looks like the gasket worked its way out of the little track that it sits in. This is the same spot that I have been having troubles with. So, I am wondering if I torqued them down right. I followed the pattern in the book. Someone once said that I should torque them down, run it for a little while, then re-torque when the engine is warm.

Any suggestions on that?

I am going to go and get all new gaskets........AGAIN.........and try again paying special attention to alignment of the box. I did notice the spacer was a little misaligned, but it is not leaking.

oh, the spot in question is in the front, on the right side of the box, right were there is a corner on the box before it goes and make a 90 degree turn. (If that makes any sense to anyone)

 

Can you snap a pic of your rockers? If you can I should be able to tell if the top one is HD or aftermarket. If not, when you take it apart look for a part #, if there isn't one it's probably an aftermarket piece.

And how you checked the head breathers is correct: They should blow and suck as the pistons move up and down. Right now it's also doing the same thing between your rocker box pieces. This becomes a real nightmare at speed because above say 3000 rpm, the rocker boxes have lots of oil in them. Mine wouldn't leak in normal around town putts, but take her out on the e-way and she pukes all over herself.

The breather is 'timed' just like the cam is. It is supposed to open and close at a specific time in the crank rotation venting into the cam cone then up the pushrod tubes to the heads. The breather could be off a tooth or more. But I wouldn't go tearing into that right now.

Don't put new gaskets in until you've checked the covers on a piece of flat glass (or granite-I imagine the OL would get a thrill outta you doing that in the kitchen). I was also told by a dealer's service manager that HD used a different material at one time on the die-castings for the spacers. Too much zinc or something like that, I'm not certain. He said you can tell they're different because they weigh a lot more than the others. And that they had a tendancy to warp also.

Also when you do get it taken apart check and see if the 'umbrella' valves are on the intake side of the rocker boxes. But it sounds like your's are installed correctly. As far as torqueing them down, you can purchase a tool from JP Cycles that has provisions for a torque wrench. But to tell you the truth, I do what the wrench that installed my cam said: Use a small allen wrench and apply even finger torque to all of them.

Good luck. And I hope you're not looking at getting a new set!