head removal

[ludwig]

hey everybody,well i got every thing off the heads they are ready to come off.is there some kind of way to get the heads off without prying?i tried lifting slowly from under the head with a jack to see if it would break the seal,but it started lifting the whole bike.i am absolutely sure all the bolts are off,rocker assy. off,the heads are the brick wall i figured id run into somewhere along the line.help :beg:

 

[dan filipi]

I wack it hard with a rubber mallet.

 

[scdmarx]

Isn't there a small bolt on the bottom? Did you get that one?

 

[AApple]

Yeah...that's what I wuz gunna say...there is a 10mm headed bolt on the bottom side that is hard to see. I did the same thing....tried to get the head off, and nothing was happening. That's when I found that danged bolt. Once I got that bolt out,t he heads came off fairly easily with a gentle tap with a rubber mallet.

gwhdin7

• AApple
• Jul 8, 2012

Small bolt on bottom edge of head. I dint know there was one there when I pulled the heads off...

 

[ludwig]

everything alwats seems hard when i never did that before.i tried whacking it with the biggest rubber mallet i could find,that was like bouncing a ball for about 30 minutes.then i took a ratcheting spreader clamp between the frame and edge of head ,put as much pressure as i could on it,then pryed between the top front engine mount and it came off easy.once i got the head off i noticed the water channels that surround each piston were filled with a wax.it looks whitish and feels like grease when rubbed between the fingers.smells like coolant.so im guessing i found the overheating problem.i will probly send the heads to the shop to get the valves done then replace everything.i thought about doing them myself but would rather have a professional do them.im wondering what caused that buildup around the pistons.

 

[dan filipi]

I think that's the gelling of old coolant we hear about.
Should have the radiator cleaned also.

 

[joedrum]

hmmmmm yes good flushing everywhere :builder:

 

[AApple]

Could also be signs of someone using a stop leak in there...which means someone knew they had a head gasket problem, and pawned it off on you.....derty rats.... :rant:

 

[ludwig]

would it be alright to shoot brake cleaner in the channels?i got a lot out with thin screwdrivers and spatulas.looks like it was building up for awhile.everything else looks good.top and bottom hoses are new, thermostat,water pump,seals,cap, all new.i let the garden hose shoot through the radiator and straightened out some fins.hopefully everything will go smooth from here.i am going to replace all the valves and seals.i will make sure everything is torqued to specs.would there be anything else i should look for or do in a certain way?like i said this the first time i am doing heads on any engine.i have the manual so between that and this forum i am doing things i would never do before.thank you all

 

[AApple]

Should be okay, just make sure you don't spray any down into the oil channels that go into the engine.
I used a flushing agent(radiator flush) on mine once I got it all back together. In hindsight, I should have done that before tearing it down, but....
And, to reiterate what has already been said...use only OE Honda head gaskets. You'll be glad ya did.
Do you know anything about the timing belts? If you don't know, or are not sure, now is the time to replace those, too. They're not very expensive at all, and you can get them at NAPA for around $27 or so for both. :good:

 

[ludwig]

i did put two new belts on but they are barracuda belts.even though they are brand new i might get the o.e.m belts and keep these as spare parts.what i might not be to good at yet would be after getting the the belts on making sure i got the timing right.the way i did it last time,i put the right belt on only.then got that pulley on mark then clamped it down took the belt off rotated the engine to t-1 put the belt on the left pulley got that on mark.took the left belt off,rotated back to t-1 put both belts back on ,then adjusted 1 in.1ex.4in.3ex.rotated to t-1 adjusted 2in.2ex.3in.4ex.rechecked all marks. after a couple of rotations,then back to t-1 set the tension on the right go around again set left tensioner then rechecked all the marks.does this sound right.