Wharfy's oil relief message - no happy ending here!

**wharfy** · 13th October 2010, 16:17

After spending Thursday night replacing the brand new wets that were fitted for the aborted round 5 with some second hand slicks (thanks Darrin

) packing the van re-checking the check list, by midnight I was good to go.
Friday practice was looking good fine weather not many cars and the usual suspects lurking about. I set up in a stall paid the $100 and rolled out for my first session. everything felt good until I got up a bit of speed on the middle straight and could feel a powerful vibration from front wheel, on the back straight it was worse so after a couple of laps I came in and hunted around for some wheel weights to have a go at balancing it. Ozzy came up with some weights I removed the brake calipers and did a rudimentary job of balancing the front wheel on the bike.
The second session was much improved I couldn't feel any vibration (maybe I am just not a sensitive guy) and things seemed to be going great (not fast but).
On or about the 3rd or 4th lap coming into Dunlop the bikes rear was all over the place and mine was puckering !! It felt exactly like a blowout, so I cautiously pulled into the exit and slowly returned to my pit and switched off. As I looked down to back in I saw a long trail of oily looking water from under my bike back to the track.

My left leg was covered in it, the header tank from the cooling system had popped its top and the slimy greenish stuff was EVERYWHERE a LOT on the rear wheel.
I found the nearest Manfeild staffer and asked them to check the track. They were already onto it. I hope I didn't spoil anyone else's day.
A bit of asking around and the general consensus was that it was a head gasket, the most likely place for oil and water to come together.
I had not noticed any strange noises or high temperature returning to the pit so hopefully no other damage has been done.

The bike has not done many Km's 4000 as a road bike and 40 hours as a race bike, I was a bit bummed

I change the oil and filter every 10 hours (about 1500 k at the paltry speeds I attain) and the motor is standard apart from the pipe and air filter. But - I had recently fitted a new sump gasket and oil pressure relief valve from the Triumph race kit. This was to ENHANCE reliability by curing the oil surge issue (the work around was to "overfill" the oil) and giving more oil pressure.
Well it appears that the race head gasket is required to handle the extra oil pressure.

So Wharfy's oil relief message is - READ the fine print !!!!! (although I actually could not find anywhere that this was written)
The good news is I have someone who knows 675's to fix it and it only took me about 5 hours to remove the motor from the bike and don't appear to have broken anything in the process.

However I did manage to drill my finger while putting up shelves in the shed to make some room !!!
Of course I posted my entry for Greymouth on Thursday

I will still head down there having booked the ferry and all, I might have to resurrect the Hornets race career

I stayed around for the racing on Saturday (and some damn fine racing was on offer) and the prize giving of course !!!!
The prize giving was a damn good show to - Thanks to the Vic Club people that put in the work.
Congratulations to all the prizewinners - especially Darrin H. - When we were battling in clubmans I never dreamed either of us would be in the running for an F2 series podium spot !
Good work that man !!!

**lukemillar** · 13th October 2010, 16:34

Hey Wharfy, sorry to here about the bike! Hopefully it won't be too much of a headache to fix.

Out of interest - what exactly did you fit with regards to the sump and oil pressure? I don't ever recall triumph offering those parts as part of their race kit! Browsing their site now and I can't see anything. Just wondering if they are aftermarket race kit stuff or OE Triumph race kit?

**Kickaha** · 13th October 2010, 16:39

Originally Posted by wharfy

A bit of asking around and the general consensus was that it was a head gasket, the most likely place for oil and water to come together.

You should have just blamed the Sidecars most other people do

**wharfy** · 13th October 2010, 16:40

Originally Posted by lukemillar

Hey Wharfy, sorry to here about the bike! Hopefully it won't be too much of a headache to fix.

Out of interest - what exactly did you fit with regards to the sump and oil pressure? I don't ever recall triumph offering those parts as part of their race kit! Browsing their site now and I can't see anything. Just wondering if they are aftermarket race kit stuff or OE Triumph race kit?

The relief valve is part of the Oil Pump Gearing kit A9618096 the different sump gasket appears to have been slipped in.
This link show some photos, I think this is now a standard item but not sure.
http://www.triumph675.net/forum/show...t=41233&page=9

**Mental Trousers** · 13th October 2010, 16:44

That's rough mate. One of those annoying learning experiences unfortunately.

**White trash** · 13th October 2010, 18:45

That's a serious bummer man.

One thing though, I can't imagine oil pressure blowing a head gasket. Surely?

**SWERVE** · 13th October 2010, 20:08

Bummer Wharfy.
Probebly not the valve.sump gasket upgrade that caused it. As already posted oil pressure doesnt normally blow head gaskets (usually oil gallery hole in gasket is re-inforced) more likely to be a leak between cylinder and water gallery (oily substance prob a mixture of fuel & oil in cylinder)
Would have done a leak down test proir to removing engine jusy incase it aint as serious as you think. Normally a bad running goes with a head gasket failure (not always) also some smoke from exhaust. Did you start it again after it had cooled down....... as cylinder pressure would have reduced and prob let water flow back thru the fault.....= white smoke on start up and hard to start.
I also have a broken 675 in the garage........mines a gearbox.

.... so no Greymouth for us this year.

**NinjaBoy** · 13th October 2010, 20:37

Bit of Bummer there Wharfy... at least you made it to the Prize Giving this year !! You've got further than me there !!

**wharfy** · 14th October 2010, 09:43

Originally Posted by SWERVE

Bummer Wharfy.
Probebly not the valve.sump gasket upgrade that caused it. As already posted oil pressure doesnt normally blow head gaskets (usually oil gallery hole in gasket is re-inforced) more likely to be a leak between cylinder and water gallery (oily substance prob a mixture of fuel & oil in cylinder)
Would have done a leak down test proir to removing engine jusy incase it aint as serious as you think. Normally a bad running goes with a head gasket failure (not always) also some smoke from exhaust. Did you start it again after it had cooled down....... as cylinder pressure would have reduced and prob let water flow back thru the fault.....= white smoke on start up and hard to start.
I also have a broken 675 in the garage........mines a gearbox.

.... so no Greymouth for us this year.

It was definitely oil in the water and the pressure blew the cap of the header tank. When I drained the oil it had a fair bit of water in it (nice greenish colour - like puss

). Likewise the coolant was full of oil.
Apparently the race head gasket has metal reinforcing round the oil galleries whereas the standard one has some sort of plastic/rubber/nylon stuff.
The only other place that oil can get into the water (that I can think of) is the water pump shaft.
Anyway all will be reveled when the head is pulled (I hope).
I am going to get the race cam chain and manual cam chain adjuster fitted and the race head gasket. Simon Banks in Palmy is doing the work, he does the engine work on Jamie Galway's 675 which goes well.

It was an interesting exercise getting the motor out, luckily being in the computer bizz I am not intimidated by lots of wires

and the workshop manual is VERY detailed.

(by the way if anyone wants a copy I have a PDF I can share)

**Mental Trousers** · 14th October 2010, 09:49

Hope you've got all the wires labelled mate. When I bought my bike (it'd dropped a valve) the engine had been put back in but nothing was hooked up. In the end I had to plug in the computer and watch the error messages as I plugged/unplugged wires.

**kit** · 14th October 2010, 09:56

BUgger! Last round and all! Hope you get it all sorted and back together for the greymouth races

**wharfy** · 14th October 2010, 16:22

Originally Posted by Mental Trousers

Hope you've got all the wires labelled mate. When I bought my bike (it'd dropped a valve) the engine had been put back in but nothing was hooked up. In the end I had to plug in the computer and watch the error messages as I plugged/unplugged wires.

Oh yeah, and took some photos in case the labels come off !

**SWERVE** · 14th October 2010, 18:10

Sounds like you have it in Wharfy.
Do some research on possible probs fitting race gasket ....... it is thinner and raises compression.......... i have heard the timing needs to be altered to accomodate this.
But im sure you engine man knows the go if he has woked on Jamies bike.