Scan 'em if you got 'em - VF500F Head Gasket Patterns

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by invisible cities, Jun 13, 2010.

  1. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Yes, that's the bike.
     
  2. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    From what I've read, combustion/Exhaust gases get into the cooling system through a breach in the gasket or crack in the head or block and the coolant boils over thus you get overheating. The higher the engine speed, the more combustion pressure... it's pretty common really with most water cooled engines with head gasket or warping issues. Before ripping off the heads of course, you have to go through all the trial and error tedium of flushing the cooling system, buying a new thermostat and radiator cap, checking the hoses... compression test, leak-down, etc. Also, you could be getting at least a little sweet smelling steam in your exhaust but not always.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2015
  3. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    there's actually a really easy, fairly accurate test. If you have an old pan, skillet or on the electric stove burner, get the burner real hot and put a drop of oil from your oil pan on there, if it boils/sizzles there's water in the oil, if it just smokes and burns away, then there's probably no water in the oil. Shade-tree, backyard stuff that works.
     
  4. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    https://youtu.be/sWPOIKTiTRg

    Done! and done...it actually started! Installed the engine with bare minimum to run. after cranking about 20 seconds, it fired right up. Here's the video of the first restart, a little noisy on the valves but maybe they were all too tight to start with...Finished putting everything else back on and adjusted and went for a ride for about an hour...it's all good! Just as a bit of a tip, not that I have tons of experience BUT putting the engine back in, getting the REAR engine mount attached to the head on first made getting the other two much easier, the engine can then "swing" a little from the back top bolt allowing you to line up the other ones with the sub-frame attached, worked for me. IMG_20151003_144325.jpg IMG_20151003_152259.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2015
  5. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Oh no! That video is set to PRIVATE!
     
  6. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    wuuups.... fixed it! that was the no coolant/no radiator first start (actually second after it fired up for the first time) up to get things going..
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2015
  7. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Sounds great like a sewing machine should! Whenever I think mine is running rough, I remember that sewing machine sound = good.

    Congrats on getting it all back together. Nicely done. How much $ you figure it took you in parts only?
     
  8. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    Yeah man, I may have gone a little loose on the valve adjustments. I'll have to check them out again soon with the new springs anyway. I was just pretty glad it ran after just cranking over about 20-30 seconds. Any progress on yours?
     
  9. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    I hadn't stopped to add up how much it took to get this head gasket project done. I'm guessing with the complete set of valve springs, 3 new valves, gaskets, seals, extra "improved" 86 cooling parts... about $360 maybe? The springs of course were the biggest chunk of that. Not cheap but worth it for me, these bikes really aren't worth much at all even in fully restored, pristine condition so I don't do any of this with any sort of investment mentality. There also isn't much point in trying to preserve absolute originality other than for personal preference. I mean most people will opt to upgrade the exhaust and/or the monoshock, etc...Anyway, I'm just a guy who has had this particular bike most of my life and I guess I just want to keep it alive and ride-able as long as I possibly can do it myself.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2015
  10. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    I think I've hijacked/pirated this thread more than enough. I just wanted it to have a happy ending I guess. I shall start my own new thread when (not if) the next thing breaks on the little bugger. See ya!
     
  11. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Boom! Finally got around to doing this today, and good news: It certainly appears to be an o-ring fail from the water pipe connection. Here are some fotos, but once I got the carbs off and the fairing dropped, it was a lot easier to see. So, I'm gonna have to order two orings (one for each side) since the dealer doesn't have them in stock, but it looks like that's where the coolant was coming from. The GOOD O-ring on the left side of the bike stayed in the head when the pipe came out, but the leaking one fell right out. It seems flat and compressed like the other one, but it has a "wave" to it when viewed from the side. The good one lays flat on a piece of glass, the leaking one does not... it will "rock" back & forth.

    So...what were these other o-rings you were talking about Captain...the same ones for the FRONT head? Got a second to take a peek and fill me in? Also...cap seals? What are those? I'd love to only do this once. Here's a direct link to the parts fiche:

    http://www.ronniesmailorder.com/oemparts/a/hon/506c7629f870023420a3bbc4/water-pipe-thermostat

    Now I gotta find a replacement part I haven't been able to find before: the small 90 degree hose, about 2" on each side of the 90 degree bend, that plugs into the bottom of the airbox. Can't find it on any fiche to order it. Mine cracked/rotted a long time ago, and the tape ain't holding.

    Lost a good bit of coolant in this. When you just pop those water pipe connections without draining it first from the water pump outlet, man...it's a river of coolant coming out of there.

    Anyway, good news for me for once: No need to swap head gaskets!



    IMG_1353.jpg IMG_1351.jpg IMG_1350.jpg IMG_1347.jpg
     
  12. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    (Just double-checked and the hose I'm looking for is on the lower left corner of the bottom of the airbox, basically right behind the radiator on the left side. The airbox has two nipples here: one gets the clear cone-shaped drip catch, and the hose I need goes on the other nipple.)
     
  13. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    I think the captain retired on you bro but I just went through all of this just a few weeks ago, replace ALL the 0-RINGS to the tubes while you're there, they're cheap and it's easy with the carbs off. The cap seals are the ones under the black "caps" at the ends of the chrome coolant pipes that joins them together in between the V under your carbs, it'll also give you a chance to clean out those tubes too.

    Congrats on the leak not coming from the head gasket, you just saved about 20 hours of your life from hard labor.

    get yourself two 16's, 2 17's, 1 19 and 4 20's... you'll be all newly sealed... all for about $15 bucks.
     
  14. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Thanks for the tips. How's yours running these days?
     
  15. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    Im still around... just a little busy lately.

    I agree, I would do the 16s, 17s and the 19 also if I was in there already.

    Mike
     
  16. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    mine's running perfectly thanks, there's nothing it needs at the moment other than to check the valve clearance pretty soon.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2015
  17. WGREGT

    WGREGT New Member

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    Just to close the loop on this: Replaced all four of the water pipe o-rings, as well as the others ones you guys suggested while I was in there. Easy swap and a bit of vaseline makes sure they all slide in correctly. Buttoned it back up, refilled coolant. I've just idled it (for a long time) while refilling the coolant, but so far seems to have held. Plan to go for a long ride on it today to verify.

    One thing I did notice when I was sliding the fairing back on and waiting for the fan to come on: the fan didn't come on. I've got a switch wired so I can flick the fan on early, and that didn't turn it on either. I've fixed it (loose connection), but now I'm thinking that maybe all of this started when it got hot, the fan didn't come on while riding, and the path of least resistance was to blow a perfectly-good and functioning o-ring. It's nearly impossible to hear/see the fan on with a helmet and the full fairing, so not sure I would have noticed it wasn't running when I got off.
    Anyway, I feel a bit lucky that it was such an easy fix as compared to the head gaskket swap. It was impossible to see right away that the leak was coming from the o-ring until I got the full fairing off.

    Thanks for all the advice.
     
  18. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    I doubt O-ring was perfectly good at that age. I replaced all rubber part on my '83 this summer as a precaution, including all seals.
     
  19. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    Good news for sure!

    I can always tell when my fan is running though, the hot air coming out from the lowers is pretty obvious here in Washington.
     
  20. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    yeah man, I agree, hanging on by a thread and "perfectly good" both work but it's sorta like driving on bald tires, why increase your chances of a blowout? Since that one got cooked, the other ones were obviously pushed closer to failure too. Just sayin...they so cheap and relatively easy to change. Rubber orings aren't meant to be lifetime parts even though they end up lasting longer than these bikes most of the time. Either way, I think I sort of understand the spend-as-little-as-possible-only-fix-what's-broke-why-throw-away-a-part-that's-still-working "approach." Best of luck with that bro.
     
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