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Oil in Spark plug chamber

D

dsamudio

Guest
Guest
Road 200 miles today and noticed oil leaking out of the right side of the Head gasket.

When I got home and got it apart, I found oil in all the spark plug chambers. (Chambers 1 - 4 in order)

How do I clean up this mess with out getting oil in the gas chamber?

I know I need to replace all the gaskets plugs and boots, but is there anything I should look for?

The bike was running great.

All advise welcome.

DS
 

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Leaking gasket around the spark plug hole.
Semi normal problem.
I suspect you have pulled the valve cover recently?

Pull the valve over and repair it.

Ride safe, Ted
 
There's not much clearance around the spark plug for a syringe to remove the oil. You can get as much oil out with a syringe as possible and then accept that some oil will flow into each cylinder when you remove the plugs. When you have the plugs and cover off place a shop rag over the top of the head and crank the motor with the starter - excess oil will spray out. Whatever is left in the cylinder will not cause any damage when the plugs and cover are replaced.
I would question what went wrong - I have occasionally had one spark plug bore (well seal) fail and a little oil accumulate around the plug between services but your photos show a lot of oil in every bore. Something odd happened. New seals and gaskets are available from Murph. When you reassemble before the plugs are installed you can verify the well seals are still in place by looking down the plug bore. One seal sometimes falls off the dowel during the reassembly. The cover gasket can often be reused but I always try to replace the well seals.
 
Yes, smallest diameter tubing hooked up to a syringe, dollar store turkey baster or mighty vac. Maybe spray some starting fluid or alcohol to dilute the last of the oil and suck that out too. Did you remove the valve cover and not replace the well seals, I'm thinking that the valve cover seal must make contact between the valve cover and engine before the well seals do and reusing crushed well seals do not afford a great seal.
 
Greenie,

Syringe is a brilliant idea and I may have a source for a small one.

Bobct,

I did remove an replace the valve gaskets when I rebuilt after hydro lock. (see this thread)

https://forum.concours.org/index.ph...orse-as-it-warms-up-update-may-be-dead.52889/

I had trouble setting the gasket, but it all look good when I checked. Obviously, I missed something. The gasket cover leak is only on the right side.

My current plan is to use the suggestions you'll made for removing the bulk of the oil and use shop rags, changed out a couple time a day, to absorb the rest while I wait for the the Murph parts to arrive. Then I'll remove the spark plugs and use the starter to clear the residual.

I'll examine the seals and gaskets for signs of them not being in place.

All suggestion, tips and what other issues I should look for are welcome.

Thank all,

DS
 
The front right side of the cover is always where the gasket slips for me upon reinstall. There is a piece of rubber that comes in contact with the valve cover gasket in that area - I think it is an air dam associated with airflow through the radiator. I push the rubber forward and away from the motor before trying to install the valve cover to create some temporary clearance.
 
Got most of the oil out, but this seal is in the way of the spark plug socket.

What is its purpose?

Where should it be? (could not fine it in my manuals)

What is it's part number? (could not find it on Babbitts)

How hard is it to reinstall correctly?

Thanks,
DS
 

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It looks like a well seal but the diameter of the correct well seal would normally be too large to fit where the pictured seal is.

1622409321063.jpeg
The correct seal fits snugly around a dowel and the larger section fits into a slight recess where the well base contacts the head. I can't understand how most of your pictured seal is inside the well - normally the seal is too large. These leak when they fall aside or off during installation of cover.
Take a look at the set Murph's Kits sells...
V_adjut_kit_c10__12978.1591055592.png
 
I am going to take a wild guess but did you put on the washers for the valve cover bolts? Ask me how I know? If they were on the old bolt seals I hope you didn't throw them out. With out the washers the plug seals will not be compressed enough to not leak. It took 2000 miles to fill the wells and leak out on to the rear brake peddle then 2 new gasket sets before I found the missing cup washers attached to the old seals. The bolts have large flanges and look like a washer isn't needed.
 
Greenie,

This is the second time I've used he Murph kit and I did not have any problems for 8K miles and then I had Hydro lock. (See related thread)

I wonder if we are looking at two different issues.

I also changed the boots and assembled the per the directions, but what if that is part of the rubber plug seal?

DOH!!!! Just checked and it is the bottom rubber seal for the boot.

1622425027560.png

I'll fish them out.

I still think I messed up the gasket and seal placement.


Jpd11958​

Member​

Member
I am going to take a wild guess but did you put on the washers for the valve cover bolts?
Click to expand...

Good call,

Bolt, washer and seals and all were torched to spec.
But, What if I messed up the torch spec?
I'll check the torch specs when I take the cover off.

Thanks all,
Obviously the suggestions and comments are helping.
Please keep the coming.
DS
 
The bolts bottom out on the shank. Low torque will not be the problem, if they seated. I didn't separate the washers from the old seals on disassemble. Plus my manual doesn't mention the washer on assembly only disassembly. You should be able to look into the plug wells and see if a seal is displaced. I do my first run and leak check before I put the tank on now.
 
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