(Head gasket leak?)INPUT please - all views welcome

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Anichan

New Member
Aug 27, 2013
4
0
0
San Diego
[NOTE] did not assemble just purchased it assembled
* very basic and minor knowledge due to reading forums and self experimenting


[trouble shooting]
*the area next and around the spark plug (the head gasket I presume)
has a minor leak or something - my gas or mixture is slowly coming out black
and falls forward and down onto my exhaust and area near muffler that connects with the engine - i dont care for the mess im worried it will stop


*I've read about tightening the acorn heads/replace but I cant do any tighter
with my short arms of tools

[I would like to know if this will be a problem and any solutions i want to do something but im scared]
*until i have more money i can only put gas
*tough times and stuggle/stress
*just want reliable transportation until i can get up again

--- I ride about 30 miles a day and worried about losing gas - i need the 80 miles a gallon not 50 or 60 that i think im getting ---

any and all input is appreciated very much - I need the help and stuck searching i've been working on it since the 1st week and I need some light

WILL POST PICS
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
158
63
USA
first, clean the area well to find out if the seepage is coming from the spark plug, or the head gasket or the exhaust

unless you are an experienced mechanic, you should borrow a torque wrench to do the head bolts if that is where the leak is
 

dodge dude94

New Member
Jun 8, 2012
1,017
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East Texas
Did your kit come with an extra gasket? Most do. Have you removed the head? You can't hurt it, really. Pull the spark plug out, remove the nuts, and work the head off the cylinder body. Post up what you find.
 

Anichan

New Member
Aug 27, 2013
4
0
0
San Diego
I dont think its the spark plug this occurred last 2 weeks
whenever i unscrewed the spark the area around the screw is DRY so i XXX that possibility out

Thanks for the advice it really helps

BUT i purchased it assembled - I dont have a kit or parts just the bike assembled

I really want to tighten the head gasket nuts (I feel its that or one more thing) all I have is wrench/plyer thingy (cheap) that turns things if i SQUEEZE it hard enough to hold the handle - like plyer thats the only way to describe this

(the other possibility)
the area connected between the engine and the muffler neck has the metal piece
that spaces the 2 kind of broken next to the screw areas (its bent now but i cant do much right now) but I dont think thats what is causing my mixture to jump on top of my head gasket and drip back down everywhere

AS LONG as i can get a confirmation that IT WILL LAST 3 or 4 more weeks until i can get good tools
with 30 miles a day for 5 days
150 miles a week i am happy
it just when i look at my gas im VERY CONCERNED
am i riding to fast? 40 mins straight?
my gallon i put into it seems like 60 or something... IS THIS LEAK the CAUSE? yes it is i feel its right there in front of me

and

WHAT can i do to adjust my gas usage? to use less? ride slow? adjust needle to leaner?

WILL POST PICS first sun rises
 

dodge dude94

New Member
Jun 8, 2012
1,017
1
0
East Texas
If you have the standard kit tank, it's only a half gallon. I get 60 mi out of a tank and I ride like a demon. That works out to 120mpg, which is technically low, but now if you ride fast.
 

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
The head gaskets for these is generally crap- if you look at the situation carefully, you'll probably notice that the gasket is designed to cover very little between the head and the cylinder body.

In short it's designed to fail and keep you buying more product, more gaskets

I haven't had to do much on my 66cc build, because I haven't ridden itr in months- I'm always on the 50cc. But I've gotten FANTASTIC results on that by filing the head down- the top portion where it contacts the head gasket-

with that ridge gone- and it does take some time to file it smooth- the compression is really up and the motoir has some real snap- before that, it was always leaking.

Some people here are like- ohmigod, you can only use FINE GRAIN sand paper-

I used two flat metal files- one big coarser one to get the ridge flat and a smaller finer one to get the surface like glass again.

People have used two headgaskets and reported good results too,

but I say, file the head, and get as much CONTACT as you can- the ridge isn't squashing only part of the gasket then- and that is the usual situation-
what little gasket contact there is, is divided into two zones, on different planes, and the gasket is in it's own way sorta.
 
Last edited:

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
158
63
USA
The head gaskets for these is generally crap- if you look at the situation carefully, you'll probably notice that the gasket is designed to cover very little between the head and the cylinder body.

In short it's designed to fail and keep you buying more product, more gaskets
I disagree. One only gets so much force from the head bolts and it is considered wise to apply that force in a very narrow band such that one gets more pounds per square inch on the mating surface. If the contact area were double, one would get only half the pounds per square inch.

One might note that Royal Enfield used a diamond-shaped ring in place of a head gasket on their high compression heads. The pointy edges of the ring were at top & bottom to give the least amount of contact area, but with a force per square inch that was truly astounding.