missfiring

[art]

Has anybody  had to replace the head gaskets?I have been having trouble with missing from the right bank of cylinders for about six mo. now an thought it was wiring or carbs all this time.I pulled the carbs an cleaned them an replaced the o rings an checked the jets an pilots ,everthing is ok .I replaced the plug wires checked the plugs .everthing is good .Today I found water in the oil an light brown water an steam coming out of the exhaust.It looks like the cyl.head gasket is blown .I will do it myself I just hope it don't have a crack in the head or block .I have 100000.mi on the bike.any advice will help.Art

[Patrick]

I would check completely to be sure its a defective head gasket before tearing the monster apart.. These engines are not prone to head gasket trouble.. Run the engine with the radiator cap removed and see if you get any bubbling or foaming in the top tank or can see anything floating around on top of the coolant.. Then run a compression test, or better yet a leakage test, on the right side cylinders and see what that shows.. I doubt you have an ignition problem.. I would still suspect a carburetor problem.. You haven't done anything just before this happened have you,, like install an aftermarket trigger wheel??

[John U.]

I agree with Patrick. A clogged slow jet can cause a miss. If the bike will fire on that cylinder with the choke on or at full throttle that would confirm the diagnosis. Try the usual heavy dose of Seafoam or Techron which I think is more aggressive.
Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[fstsix]

Check your spark plugs also if your getting water in the cylinder i have seen orange like rust on the electrode, you will see 1 or 2 plugs completely different than all the rest. also check all your vacuum lines they will cause misfire, i dont see on your post you replaced your lines.

[Pete]

Very early on (1975/76 Goldwings) Honda had some minor head gasket issues. But then the leaks were usually to the outside, not into the cylinder.

Is your coolant low? Showing a loss. If so with what you have seen and done, you may be correct.

Hopefully it will just be a blown head gasket. Good luck, Pete.

[art]

I haven't had a chance to run the bike long enought to see any diff.in the water level .I just changed the coolant a few weeks ago an replaced some o rings in the carbs.I'm getting oily water in the exhaust pipes an some evidence of water in the oil.# 1 cyl dose not fire an the header pipe is cold.I checked to see if there was gas in the carb boll an each one had the same amount of gas.#1 plug was black an slightly oily an the others were grey-brown.I did notice the steam coming out of the exhaust before but thought it was condensation now the oily water is driping out the end.I've seen that before in cars with a blown head gasket.or a crack [ god forbid] I don't need that.Art

[98valk]

I haven't had a chance to run the bike long enought to see any diff.in the water level .I just changed the coolant a few weeks ago an replaced some o rings in the carbs.I'm getting oily water in the exhaust pipes an some evidence of water in the oil.# 1 cyl dose not fire an the header pipe is cold.I checked to see if there was gas in the carb boll an each one had the same amount of gas.#1 plug was black an slightly oily an the others were grey-brown.I did notice the steam coming out of the exhaust before but thought it was condensation now the oily water is driping out the end.I've seen that before in cars with a blown head gasket.or a crack [ god forbid] I don't need that.Art

replace your intake manifold o-rings. leaking bad enough not enough vacuum is develop to draw fuel. I had the same problem, new viton o-rings fixed the problem. also check the vacuum diaphragm in the oem petcock.
search my name for part #s and the snubber install.
good combustion and condensation will spit water out the exhaust, esp with the colder temps now.

[Hoser]

Hope it's the gasket, that ain't so bad.  Hoser

[Scott from FL, now in Maine]

One thing I would like to point out guys. He said he had WATER in his OIL!! No carburator problem or intake gasket is going to do that. It was also noted for him to run it a bit doing checks. I hope not with water in the oil or real internal damage can occur! 

[R J]

Pull the # 1 plug, I think that is the one you said wasn't firing.

By the way a blown head gasket will still fire.

Get a water pressure gauge, put it on the radiator, and pump it up.

If it loses pressure pretty rapid, it is more than likely a blown head gasket.    Flip the kill switch, flip the starter and watch the empty plug hole for moisture.  If it is wet, start pulling a head off....

If it holds pressure, the head gasket is good to go.

[Chrisj CMA]

Pull the # 1 plug, I think that is the one you said wasn't firing.

By the way a blown head gasket will still fire.

Get a water pressure gauge, put it on the radiator, and pump it up.

If it loses pressure pretty rapid, it is more than likely a blown head gasket.    Flip the kill switch, flip the starter and watch the empty plug hole for moisture.  If it is wet, start pulling a head off....

If it holds pressure, the head gasket is good to go.

RJ...you lost me at "flip the starter"  just trying to learn from the more learned here.....but my bike wont turn over if the kill switch is in "kill"

[R J]

OOPs, fur getted I'd modified my kill switch.

When ya flip the starter, DO NOT LET IT START.    Just want it to roll over & push any water out the plug hole if it has some in it....   So 1 hand on the key, the other on the starter.    If she fire, turn key off.....

Sorry about that.

[fstsix]

Art did you ride your bike over 30 minutes or so @ Hwy speeds, and does it still have dampness coming out of exhaust, or have you had your bike sitting in the garage and just running it in place? i notice your profile says Grants Pass, weather permitting kinda wet up in your neck of the woods, that said, the condensation in your block from just starting for short periods could screw your Oil up it takes at least 20 minutes or so to burn it off, Also by just idleling in the garage could foul spark plugs and cause misfire so the million dollar Question is after 1 hr of hard riding does it still stream moisture from your exhaust ? Also your stock exhaust should have weep hole in the bottom it needs to be cleared.

[art]

I haven't been able to ride it is running so bad that I cannot go one mile i'm afraid I will have to push it back.This has never happened before .I pulled the oil filler cap an it was brown with water residue on it .The weep hole on the exhaust was driping water also.I am probably going to pull the head 'I've done everthing else to it .I have worked on cars for over 50 years an everthing points to a head gasket

[Ricky-D]

I haven't been able to ride it is running so bad that I cannot go one mile i'm afraid I will have to push it back.This has never happened before .I pulled the oil filler cap an it was brown with water residue on it .The weep hole on the exhaust was driping water also.I am probably going to pull the head 'I've done everthing else to it .I have worked on cars for over 50 years an everthing points to a head gasket

I think you're probably correct in following your instincts. I'd suggest like as previously stated to perform some of the tests that would positively indicate what you suspect is actually the case. It seems to me that the majority of indicators you have posted could also be caused by other reasons and not necessarily from the cause you offer.

Just saying, be sure before taking the steps you anticipate.

***

[BudMan]

I’m with you, Art.  I’ve never had a water cooled MC develop a problem, but all your symptoms are a dead ringer for every head gasket I have ever changed on a car.
Except one.
I had a ’53 Plymouth with a flat head 6 that would blow them and run perfectly UNTIL it got up to operating temp, then it sounded like it had a plug removed!  It is the only car I ever saw with a blown head gasket that did not involve water transfer.  I kind of miss that old buggy.    
But then again: no air-conditioning, no power-anything, 15 MPG, and was some times out run by a high performance bicycle.  Now that I think about it again, I guess I don’t really miss it that much after all.
“The good old days weren’t always good and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.”

[art]

I did pull thr right head off an the gasket did not look bad but the head was not torqued evenly some head bolts were at 60 ft.lbs. an some were between 30 an 40 an tere was water in the oil.not much but I have not been riding very much.since fall started.I'm going to pull the left head an replace both qaskets.Dose anybody know what the heads are suposed to be torqued to? Art

[X Ring]

Go to Dags website and download the pdf version of the Honda Shop Manual.  http://valkyrienorway.com/1520manual/valkyriegl1500.zip

[Pete]

From the service manual  in Foot LBs


CYLINDER HEAD/VALVE:  
Timing belt tensioner bolt  19
Timing belt driven pulley bolt 20
Cylinder head cover bolt 9
Cylinder head bolt 33
Camshaft holder bolt 14
Intake manifold mounting bolt  5


Pete.

[Cyclejohn]

single 6mm bolt 106 in.lb.     the rest are 9mm bolts at 33 ft.-lb.       

[Fathertime]

X-Ring:
  Is that the full blown manual, or just the section relating to the heads?

  FT

[art]

thanks I got that ,I also downloaded the repair manual.I'm going to send the heads to my sons triumph shop for a valve job.He owns a triumph dealership in so.Ca.