- So 190k means 190 x 1000, which equals 190,000 miles. What wasn't there to understand? Was definitely the head gasket btw. Faulty runner head plug for sure too. Replaced it and sealed it with suzukibond. Head gasket had leaked though...Burt oil underneath the edges that ran out all the way under the seal. Feel like I have done a pretty good job so far, with doing the research and asking questions..although it seems a few on here want to belittle someone trying to learn ad do things right. I'm not an idiot, I took it apart and have it back together (other than cam chain, need to make sure before I seal it up I have it in time correctly). I appreciate the help and advice I've gotten on here, but there's no need to be rude and disrespectful to people asking for help. Thanks

Dave wrote on 03/22/15 at 08:37:06:


jeffsavage wrote on 03/29/15 at 20:43:47:


Sorry to have asked a reasonable question that irritated you for some reason.  My question was not rude in any way.....and even complimentary as I indicated that you most likely would be eligible to enter the Savage Hall of Fame.  You did not list if you live in an area that measures in miles or kilometers, and your profile doesn't indicate what country or state you live in.  We have members on this forum from all over the world.....and your stated 190,000 miles could have been kilometers....which would have been about 118,000 miles....and 120,000 miles is the most we have recorded on this forum to date.

It is not uncommon for a new member to come onto the forum and claim to have a head gasket leak....however in the entire time this forum has been in existence there has never been a documented head gasket failure.  The rubber plug fails at some point on every bike....and the leaky oil runs around the cylinder head and causes most folks (and even mechanics) to blame the perfectly intact head gasket.  When we question your cylinder head leak - we are trying to help you avoid the unnecessary replacement of the head gasket...when most likely the cause is the rubber head plug.

It takes a while for us to figure out the mechanical knowledge and abilities of any new member.  You established a somewhat lower level of understanding when you stated:

jeffsavage wrote on 03/22/15 at 06:27:43:


A new member that doesn't recognize the four cap like pieces with circle springs recessed into the top are "valve seals".....is admitting that they have never had a cylinder head apart.

Have a nice day.

Well, alllritee then. So now, after being here for about 9 years and seeing countless newbies report oil leaking and the head gasket on this low compression engine blown, we actually Have one..
Was it split? Any pics?
Timing is not hard, just scary. Being wrong is just not funny. You will nail it, just make sure that the piston stays at TDC while you're dinking with the cam and chain. Check the dots alignment before torquing the cam gear.