Head Gasket Replacement

[silverbullet]

After being soaked $440.00 for a waterpump replacement, I find out I also I need head gaskets replaced on my 78 Wing as I only got 20 miles before it overheated again. Yes the waterpump was bad as their were ball bearings missing from it.
When I asked how much for a Head gasket job, They smiled & said "I'm not sure 3 to 4 hundred" I told them to push it into their shed & I'll be by to pick it up in a couple days.
I must also add that. I took off the radiator & had it flushed. Bought a new radiator cap. And put the thermostat in a pan of water, Heated it up & watched it open & close so its good.

My friend recently bought himself a fancy bike lift & has offered me many times to use it so we're going to tackle the head gasket job ourselves. I've purchased a Clymer Shop manual from flea bay. Its on its way.

My questions are,
Are we going to need any other parts (O rings, seals etc) other than the head gaskets?
What Head gaskets should I buy. Direct from Honda? I see some on flea bay.........
Is there anything else I should replace since the heads are off????
Is their any tips or tricks I should be aware of??? Shave the heads? Yes? No?

Any information I cam aquire on this Job is greatly appreciated!!

 

[dan filipi]

There are 2 O rings (each side) for the oil restrictor that should be replaced. I use plain old o rings from a universal kit I have.

Buy Honda head gaskets only. Though I'm running a pair of $25 each gaskets that look good so far, there are too many reports of aftermarket failing.
Should also order new coolant crossover O rings and intake O rings if your's are old. They get hard and flat with age.

There is a reason the head gasket blew so I always have the head surface flattened, taking off only enough to make it flat.
Check the block surface also for flatness with a straight edge. It's unheard of for that surface to not be flat but it makes me feel better checking it anyway.

Gasket surface must be absolutely clean before assembly.

 

[joedrum]

shaveing heads is 99.9% not nessary ....head gaskets job on oldwings is east compared to other bikes .....there is and oring and a oil tube in the mix ..nothing big just dont loose it ...oring sould be in gasket set .... it a fair easy job but involves timing the the bike ...and a bad move has huge punishment ..... :shock: be careful

it is best to find nuetral spot on cam where it loose and not pressuring any valve when taking it off ....easier to get belt off ...and you know no valves are sticking down ....dont forget 10mm bolt at bottom of head ....of corse theres exhast also and intakes to do and water connections ..

go slow and post often on the forum it hard to help after something has already gone wrong :mrgreen:

well i kinda disagree with dan on milling the head but realy every job dose have its own way of being done ....these are interference motors ...a guy on anothe forum ran into big problems milling heads that had been milled before with valve hitting .... :mrgreen:

 

[dan filipi]

shaveing heads is 99.9% not nessary ....

well i kinda disagree with dan on milling the head but realy every job dose have its own way of being done ....these are interference motors ...a guy on anothe forum ran into big problems milling heads that had been milled before with valve hitting .... :mrgreen:

Yeah I'm in the minority on this one.
Always done it on cars, old habits die hard.

 

[mcgovern61]

Before taking the heads off, mark your cam shaft pulley's and crank pulley with the timing marks set 90 degrees out using white out. Makes the marks easy to see and will really help when you put the new belts on.

 

[slabghost]

Do not torque the heads right away. Just snug them up and install your belts. This way if a belt is real wrong and a valve gets damaged at least the gaskets can still be used. You might want to consider new valve seals and exhaust gaskets.

 

[bk2valve]

I have some fairly recent experience on my 1100 to share.....dunno if they are the same....do be very careful about getting the head gaskets on the right way. They will fit just fine the wrong way and you have to look at the bottom of the gasket to tell. I got one on backward due to an accident putting a head back on and it caused a nightmare for me. A leak I had a really hard time tracking where it came from and it ruined a winter's trip to Mexico for me...Check, Check, check again and before you bolt...check one more time...and if in doubt, check again..LOL

I totally agree with not being tempted by aftermarket half priced gaskets...I am a believer because I had one fail.
Best luck....
Brian in NM

 

[silverbullet]

Well fella's.........I chickened out! I had Al do it.........I figured who am I an oil change lightbulb type a guy to tear apart half of an engine. Al has 35 years experience with these & I figured that I have enough invested into this project..........I'm not going to ruin it now with my own hands.
Its back together ran well for about a week.............Then the fuel pump died......That I replaced myself.........
Gotta love these old Birds! :Awe: :headscratch:

 

[joedrum]

great im glad its up and running :mrgreen: what a nice 79 :mrgreen:hmmmm78 :smilie_happy: