Triumphrat

josbar742 · 06-07-2009, 04:07 PM

Hi Everyone,

I am new to forum and for the last 3 years have enjoyed my TT600 immensely. Unfortunately this year when I pulled it out of storage I noticed the oil looked a little muddy; and I was able to confirm there seems to also be oil mixed in with the coolant.

My question is, would this point to a head gasket needing to be replaced, and can anyone suggest some tips or tricks for helping pin point the leak?

If it is the head gasket, is it best to drop the engine for the replacement? I have worked on cars a lot but never really tore into a bike engine.

Also if anyone can recommend a reasonably priced parts supplier I would appreciate it!

Thanks
J-Man

Will · 06-07-2009, 08:49 PM

Bikes are easier to work on than cars, mostly because you don't need such heavy equipment to lift the parts. I can't think of a whole lot of ways other than a bad head gasket to get oil into the coolant and vice versa. Check with BikeBandit for parts. They get OEM stuff at a bit of a discount, but don't expect anything to be cheap. Finding a replacement motor might be a great option if you don't do the rebuilding yourself, but finding one can be hit or miss.

josbar742 · 06-07-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will

Bikes are easier to work on than cars, mostly because you don't need such heavy equipment to lift the parts. I can't think of a whole lot of ways other than a bad head gasket to get oil into the coolant and vice versa. Check with BikeBandit for parts. They get OEM stuff at a bit of a discount, but don't expect anything to be cheap. Finding a replacement motor might be a great option if you don't do the rebuiding yourself, but finding one can be hit or miss.

I am actually thinking about doing the work myself just to make sure this thing will fly when it is finished. Can you have the heads machined like you would a car? ... If it is warped?

GNTurbo6 · 06-07-2009, 10:26 PM

There's a 10% code for bikebandit in the stickied thread

josbar742 · 06-08-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GNTurbo6

There's a 10% code for bikebandit in the stickied thread

Found it... Thanks! Every little bit count

Will · 06-08-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by josbar742

I am actually thinking about doing the work myself just to make sure this thing will fly when it is finished. Can you have the heads machined like you would a car? ... If it is warped?

If the head is warped, I would probably look for a different one. It's an overhead cam engine, and if the head is warped, you would also have to line bore for the camshafts or they would have to flex, and flexing is not the best for camshafts. You would likely also run into valve clearance issues if you take much off the head unless you used a correspondingly thicker head gasket. I'm not sure how much clearance there is, but I'm certain it's not a whole lot.

josbar742 · 06-08-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will

If the head is warped, I would probably look for a different one. It's an overhead cam engine, and if the head is warped, you would also have to line bore for the camshafts or they would have to flex, and flexing is not the best for camshafts. You would likely also run into valve clearance issues if you take much off the head unless you used a correspondingly thicker head gasket. I'm not sure how much clearance there is, but I'm certain it's not a whole lot.

Ok, good advice. I doubt the head is warp... it started and ran great from the storage to the house (about 15 miles). I figured I'd give it fresh oil when I noticed the mixing...

Is it true that it would run fine if the head is warped? It did run strong and didn't make any funny noises. Also it stayed in normal range (~80 degrees Cel) during the drive; not that the 15 miles was a good thing in retrospect.

Will · 06-09-2009, 08:27 PM

It could run OK for a while with a warped head. If it didn't overheat, chances of a warped head are very small.

BombFactory · 06-10-2009, 02:53 PM

Sounds like a few possibilities: blown head gasket, warped head, cracked head, or it, hopefully, is an issue with the oil cooler located between the block and the filter. If there is a hole in the inner cooler casing, oil and coolant can mix. If you never overheated the engine, I think that is your most likely culprit, as heads usually don't warp and head gaskets don't blow for no reason on low miles engines.