Home
Forum
Search
Login
Register
Merch
Donate
Welcome, Guest. Please
Login
or
Register
::
View Members
SuzukiSavage.com
›
General Category
›
Rubber Side Down!
› Return of the head plug leak?
(Moderators:
verslagen1
,
Dave
,
Serowbot
)
‹
Previous topic
|
Next topic
›
Pages:
1
2
Return of the head plug leak? (Read 312 times)
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Return of the head plug leak?
01/17/13 at 11:06:51
I had a leaky head plug replaced about three months ago and have ridden only a few hundred miles since, as it's been pretty cold around here. I noticed, today, some oil on the left side and front of the cylinder. The bolt in the center of the cylinder, an inch or so under the exhaust manifold, has some oil on it, and the fin under that bolt and the one beneath it also have some oil. Does this sound like the head plug is leaking again, or could it be explained by something else, such as the bolts loosening up due to riding in cold weather?
Thanks,
David
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
Oldfeller--FSO
Serious Thumper
ModSquad
Offline
Hobby is now
"concentrated
neuropany"
Posts: 12673
Fayetteville, NC
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #1 -
01/17/13 at 11:21:06
Who replaced your head plug for you? Did they use sealant on the new plug when they installed it? What kind of sealant did they use?
In short, take it back to them.
Back to top
Former Savage Owner
IP Logged
verslagen1
YaBB Moderator
ModSquad
Offline
Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.
Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #2 -
01/17/13 at 11:22:52
Re torque that bolt, might go so far as to remove and clean and apply blue locktite... tighten the back one too.
Back to top
Versey's Place
Tech Section Index
IP Logged
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #3 -
01/17/13 at 12:00:24
Thanks. Just stopped by the shop, they'll look at it Saturday. I'll mention using sealant on the plug, if they have to re-do the job. What works best?
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
Qwapy
Junior Member
Offline
SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!
Posts: 82
Orlando, Florida
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #4 -
01/17/13 at 12:24:51
"Return of the Head Plug Leak"
Woaw! That sounds like the title for a horror movie
Back to top
IP Logged
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #5 -
01/17/13 at 15:00:16
Starting to feel like one, too!
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
Dave
YaBB Moderator
ModSquad
Offline
SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!
Posts: 18099
Camp Springs, Kentucky
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #6 -
01/17/13 at 17:44:27
Best to use? Suzukibond....the Factory stuff.
Back to top
Someday I will be old......But not today!
IP Logged
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #7 -
01/19/13 at 10:15:27
Took it to the shop and they showed me something I didn't know, which is that you can see the top of the head plug from the front of the engine. It didn't appear to be leaking. They removed, cleaned, locktighted, and replaced the bolt that the oil seemed to be leaking from. Road the bike around for half an hour and so far, no leaks.
I asked the mechanic about Suzukibond and the head plug, and his opinion is that adding a sealant makes the plug more likely to leak, not less, so he doesn't use it. What's been the experience here with using a sealant or no sealant with head plugs?
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
verslagen1
YaBB Moderator
ModSquad
Offline
Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.
Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #8 -
01/19/13 at 11:03:29
shops don't usually replace the plug and they leak.
we don't tend to replace either, but we use RTV and they don't leak... for a while.
Back to top
Versey's Place
Tech Section Index
IP Logged
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #9 -
01/19/13 at 19:23:58
Roughly how many miles have you gotten out of a head plug leak fix? Original plug ran about 8500 miles before it leaked.
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
Oldfeller--FSO
Serious Thumper
ModSquad
Offline
Hobby is now
"concentrated
neuropany"
Posts: 12673
Fayetteville, NC
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #10 -
01/20/13 at 14:57:01
Since your reppie dude didn't seal your plug (and also didn't tighten your cap down correctly nor did he likely retorqe your head bolts correctly either) you'll get to tell us all about it as the leaks re-occur.
Dealing with the Dealership's Mikey dude is a biatch, to be sure.
My stuff hasn't leaked again in 20,000 miles, I'll tell you more as the miles rack up on the repair work. Some have a lot more miles than that, but you see we eat up a cam chain every 30-40,000 miles so we have to go in again.
Generally, a good list method type seal job doesn't leak.
Back to top
Former Savage Owner
IP Logged
Oldfeller--FSO
Serious Thumper
ModSquad
Offline
Hobby is now
"concentrated
neuropany"
Posts: 12673
Fayetteville, NC
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #11 -
01/20/13 at 14:59:57
Since your reppie dude didn't seal your plug (and also didn't tighten your cap down correctly nor did he likely retorqe your head bolts correctly either) you'll get to tell us all about it as the leaks re-occur.
Dealing with the Dealership's Mikey dude is a biatch, to be sure. They say "they know what they are doing", but the big pile of long term evidence says the contrary -- every Savage is a new experience to this year's new Mikey.
My stuff hasn't leaked again in 20,000 miles, I'll tell you more as the miles rack up on the repair work. Some have a lot more miles than that, but you see we eat up a cam chain every 35-50,000 miles so we have to go in again.
Generally, a good list method type seal job doesn't leak.
Back to top
Former Savage Owner
IP Logged
DavidOfMA
Senior Member
Offline
Getting back in gear
after a long time
away
Posts: 336
Beverly, MA
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #12 -
01/21/13 at 07:16:51
Hopefully, by the next time I have a head plug leak I'll be more up to speed on motorcycle maintenance and will be able to competentlly tackle it myself. There certainly is a wealth of information on the site and in its membership.
Back to top
- David
IP Logged
Digger
Serious Thumper
2005 No Login
Offline
Ya gotta be tough to
ride singles!
Posts: 1604
Colorado Springs, CO
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #13 -
01/24/13 at 18:58:19
Oldfeller--FSO wrote
on 01/20/13 at 14:59:57:
...My stuff hasn't leaked again in 20,000 miles, I'll tell you more as the miles rack up on the repair work.....
Old,
What version of goo did you slop on your plug 20,000 leak-free miles ago? Enquiring minds want to know....
TIA!
Back to top
Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com
IP Logged
Oldfeller--FSO
Serious Thumper
ModSquad
Offline
Hobby is now
"concentrated
neuropany"
Posts: 12673
Fayetteville, NC
Gender:
Re: Return of the head plug leak?
Reply #14 -
01/25/13 at 13:36:13
Permatex black RTV (I color matched to the painted head and barrel so the ooze is not noticeable at all)
Back to top
Former Savage Owner
IP Logged
Pages:
1
2
‹
Previous topic
|
Next topic
›
Forum Jump »
» 10 most recent posts
» 10 most recent topics
General Category
»» Rubber Side Down!
- Technical Documents/Reference
- The Marketplace
- The Cafe
- Politics, Religion (Tall Table)
- Forum Upgrade Issues / Tests
« Home
« Home
SuzukiSavage.com
09/29/24 at 08:39:35
›
General Category
›
Rubber Side Down!
› Return of the head plug leak?
SuzukiSavage.com
» Powered by
YaBB 2.2
!
YaBB
© 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved.