[pwzumstein]

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Hello all,

I'm having a problem with my '82 Aspencade. Immediately on startup, smoke starts rising from the cylinder head covers. It has the smell of coolant which I'm slowly losing from the reservoir. The smoking stops once the bike is warmed up and I start driving it. From other forums it seems this may be the head gasket. Are there any other possibilities?

Thanks

 

[dan filipi]

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Smoke rising from the engine sounds more like a leaking crossover tube, hose or elsewhere allowing coolant to get on the engine.

 

[pwzumstein]

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Sorry I didn't specify. The steam, as I think thats what it is, Is coming from the cylinder head covers through the gasket. Any ideas?

 

[DaveO430]

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Do you mean from the timing covers, the valve covers or something else? If it were a head gasket it would be from the exhaust. The coolant must be leaking on to something that gets hot real quick like the exhaust pipes.

 

[Hatchetman]

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when the bike is cold, pull all 4 plugs. Check their color. With the kill switch activated to kill the motor & the plugs out, crank it over & look for fluid coming out of the plug holes.

Has the bike over heated recently? If you need to pop in new head gaskets, do not use aftermarket ones, They will fail!

 

[RB]

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That's hard to understand, as said above look for a leak in your crossovers. A head gasket leak runs into the cylinders. Now a cracked head could spit coolant/steam into your heads but on start up they are cold and can't produce steam and so is the coolant the only thing that can make steam on start up is the cylinder combustion.

 

[retiredintime]

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Yep...sounds like the crossover pipes leaking to me too. The coolant can collect on the head and then go down through the hole between the spark plugs and get on the header pipes. That will create white smoke pretty quick and it can look like it is coming from the head. As has been said, if the coolant is getting into the combustion chamber the smoke will come out the exhaust pipes...

 

[grambo]

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i think you have a head job comming.....or use some bars leak....see what happens
...might still be sealable...when you do the head or heads...clean out the coolant system too...might buy you some time....should do em before spring...summer

 

[Rumple]

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Unless your valve guide seals and valves are that messed up, you shouldn't be getting steam from the valve covers. I think the other assesments are correct in looking at the cross over tubes for possible leaks. Have you been loosing alot of antifreeze? Or is it going down really slow? Do you notice any anti freeze sitting on top of the engine?
You say it's from both sides not just one? What does your oil look like? Is it the color of mud? If so you have a head gasket problem. Can you see air bubbles rising into the resivior tank with the bike running? If so you have a head gasket problem.
Later Rumple
Later Rumple

 

[bikgra]

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Crossover Tube Orings and also thermostat housing Oring.

It happened on my 76 1000 and would seep out after shut down and settle on exhaust headers under heads.

A cracked head or Bad head gaskets will give you white exhaust smoke out tail pipes.

I,ve had both problems on my 76.

It is hard sometimes to see the orings seeping, I pullled my carbs off to locate it

 

[rcmatt007]

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start with the simple stuff.... I too vote for crossover O-rings.... they leak when cold as things contract, when the bike warms up the tend to reseal

 

[pwzumstein]

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The coolant is going down very slowly. I also noticed smoke coming out of the pipes as well. This also stops after a few minutes. Does this rule out the crossover o-rings? Thanks for thew help

 

[bikgra]

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Heres 2 simple tests you can do if you have the tools or if not a shop will do for you.

#1 Pressure test the radiator with a pressure gauge and air pressure.

if it doesnt hold pressure than you know coolant systems is leaking.

#2 do a leak down test with air pressure and gauge on each cylinder to determine if you have bad head gaskets or cylinder leakage.

A good shop can perform these tests with there equipment relatively quick and cheap.

You say you have smoke coming from exhaust and coolant level going down.These are bad head gasket signs.

The steam or smoke coming from valve covers are Oring seeping signs.

You might coincidently have both of these problems at once.She,s a 26 yr.old girl

 

[bikgra]

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I had both these probs on my 76 near seasons end and thru some bars leak stuff in it and it worked for a littlle while until one day when i started it up i had coolant spitting out the pipes.

Well the warden (wife) looked at me and said thats not good is it.

I said dont worry its only minor dont forget its a Wing.She says ok then you go I,ll go on the 1500,Bless her soul. I kissed her when i stopped rolling on the garage floor laughing.

But joking aside,the only good way to determine whats wrong and take the guess work out of it is Diagnostic testing to pinpoint the prob.

It will save you money in the long run.Good luck. Oh my 76 got a new rebuilt motor i did over that winter in my shop. I,ve been wrenching bikes for 30 yrs.

 

[Nightrider1]

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There areseveral possibilits. I had this happen to me, but I had pulled my False Tank off and when I pout it back on, I accidentally knocked off one of the return hoses that goes back to the resivior, and it barely leaked. I thought I really had some bad issues . I was so relieved when I pulled my tool holder out and seen it. I tool the tank off, and fixed the problem.A bad cap can cause this also, allowing the radiator to suck in air. Many times though, a blown head gasket is the culprit, butI would check the top 2 first.

Nightrider1

pwzumstein wrote:

Hello all,

I'm having a problem with my '82 Aspencade. Immediately on startup, smoke starts rising from the cylinder head covers. It has the smell of coolant which I'm slowly losing from the reservoir. The smoking stops once the bike is warmed up and I start driving it. From other forums it seems this may be the head gasket. Are there any other possibilities?

Thanks