About a month ago I removed the Rapide heads to fit new inlet seals. Unfortunately, I did not renew the lower pushrod tube seals.
A couple of years ago I had the heads off to find a loud clattering noise that turned out to be coming from a loose exhaust valve guide.
That was the the first time the heads had been removed since 2004, about 60,000 miles back.
New lower seals went in then and they stayed dry for all that time.
After removing the pushrod tubes and re installing them 2 years ago, the seals on the rear cylinder tubes started to weep a bit.
I forgot to order new seals this time around and took a chance that the existing seals would somehow be ok, accepting that they might weep a bit. It is riding season, not wrenching season!
It turned out to be more than a bit. The whole back half of the bike was awash in oil after a ten mile ride. Bad move.
The pushrod seals were positively identified as the problem.
Not wanting to remove the heads again for a proper fix, I tried cleaning the area with brake clean and compressed air, then dripped some Loctite 290 wicking thread locker on the area.
The results are from the same ten mile ride each time. I might give it one more application as it only takes a minute. One leaker is now completely dry, the other almost there.
A couple of years ago I had the heads off to find a loud clattering noise that turned out to be coming from a loose exhaust valve guide.
That was the the first time the heads had been removed since 2004, about 60,000 miles back.
New lower seals went in then and they stayed dry for all that time.
After removing the pushrod tubes and re installing them 2 years ago, the seals on the rear cylinder tubes started to weep a bit.
I forgot to order new seals this time around and took a chance that the existing seals would somehow be ok, accepting that they might weep a bit. It is riding season, not wrenching season!
It turned out to be more than a bit. The whole back half of the bike was awash in oil after a ten mile ride. Bad move.
The pushrod seals were positively identified as the problem.
Not wanting to remove the heads again for a proper fix, I tried cleaning the area with brake clean and compressed air, then dripped some Loctite 290 wicking thread locker on the area.
The results are from the same ten mile ride each time. I might give it one more application as it only takes a minute. One leaker is now completely dry, the other almost there.
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