HELP!!! - engine question

[madboy]

So this morning I'm checking the oil level and the inspection window has a film of light brown crap on the inside that didn't wash away when the oil came up. Tonight I go to do an oil change (I usually change every 5k, but this one was at 6k) and there's this light brown, almost cream-coloured shit on the inside of the oil filler cap. The oil in the filter looked okay, but a little thin in consistency compared to what I would have expected. The coolant was still bright green.

It's a 2002 Kwaka 636 with 26,000k on it. Am I being paranoid or am I gonna be buying an R1 in the morning?

Help!!

[Mr. Peanut]

Is a blown headgasket that big a deal?

[James Deuce]

What he said. $200 job max.

[madboy]

Is a blown headgasket that big a deal?

I don't tolerate unreliability. It's okay on a piece of shit cage, but I demand reliability on two things in my life - the family wagon and the bike.

I don't know jack about bike bits, so help me out - when a bike head gasket goes does it warp the head and cost you lots? Or is it just a straight forward job of replacing the gasket, retorqueing the head and being nice for a few kays?

[madboy]

What he said. $200 job max.

I can live with that. But how long to get the bit from Japan? Or do they stock the first of the 636 head gaskets in NZ?

[James Deuce]

If they can't get one and replace it same day there's an issue or two to examine. Where were you thinking of getting it done?

[Motu]

Aren't air cooled bikes so much simpler? And isn't that why we buy bikes...with simplicity comes performance?

On these cold days it's probably just condensation - put in a good 200km or more ride on the bike to get the oil hot enough to burn off the water.

[madboy]

Aren't air cooled bikes so much simpler? And isn't that why we buy bikes...with simplicity comes performance?

On these cold days it's probably just condensation - put in a good 200km or more ride on the bike to get the oil hot enough to burn off the water.

Condensation would wash off with the oil going past it, surely?

Jim - TSS. Hence the reason I'm thinking R1 and not being a leeming with a Suzuki GSXR-Corolla.

[James Deuce]

Motu has raised a good point. Check the coolant. If it's milky and frothy then you've got an issue. If it isn't, he's right and you need to go for a decent ride instead of a short sharp commute.

[imdying]

I'm with Motu... unless you've grossly overheated the motor or been quite unlucky, it's far more likely to be condensation than a blown head gasket. If the coolant level isn't going down, then it's also unlikely to be sucking water in from the cooling system.

[imdying]

Condensation would wash off with the oil going past it, surely?

It probably will, but it's also going to reappear back in the same place

[Madness]

Condensation would wash off with the oil going past it, surely?

Condensation would probably try & mix with the oil once it's been heated & pressurised, probably leading to a creaby, frothy emulsification. (Fuck, I just used the word emulsification in a sentence!!)

Stew would love to sell another R1 this week, I'm sure.

[Motu]

Check the engine breather too,in this weather they also block with condensation,then the cranckcase can't breath - it swallows it's own waste products.

[madboy]

Take it to the dealer first thing in the morning and tell them to ring you once they've fixed it, have the trade-in paperwork sorted and have the $22k bike you shouldn't afford ready to go.

Yes - I agree!

Seriously, why would a bike blow a head gasket at this age? Surely they're a bit tougher than this? I might ride it like an idiot, but I don't tend to rev it to closer than 3k to redline most of the time, and I spend a lot of time cruising at only half max-revs. It doesn't get thrashed until it's been warmed up, etc etc etc...

Jim, the coolant itself was bright green, but there was a little condensation looking stuff toward the top of the bottle window. I couldn't tell whether it was gooey muck like the oil cap, or whether it was just cold in the garage!

[James Deuce]

Sounds like Motu is right. Bit of minor condensation. That'll just be a precipitated rime of "stuff(tm)" from the coolant in the overflow bottle.

Many reasons to blow a head gasket, from a faulty gasket through lots of short runs with extreme temp variations to slight imperfections in mating surfaces. Not usually a huge deal.

Get a pass. Go for a ride.

Get Stew's lads to check it out for peace of mind.

Most importantly. Don't Panic.