Topic: Belfast-2-Belfast-By-Bike: Part 3

[MauiK3]

Yes, many here will be following. Best of luck, post lots of photos.
2025 getting off to a good start!

[ZTatZAU]

I'm a little late to this party but, "Hats off to you!", Sean, on a wonderfully adventurous undertaking!  When I was much younger, in the 1970s, I often dreamed of a much less ambitious trip than yours, riding my K1 750 from the upper Midwest, south through the US and down into Central and South America with good riding weather all the way as the seasons reversed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Sadly, my plan never materialized so I'm quite pleased to see you're really living your dream and will be following along with you as your adventure continues.

Have fun!  Be safe!
Éirinn go Brách!
ZT



   

[newday777]

Sean  that's great news that things are moving along for the next chapter of your journey.

[HondaMan]

Hi,

Happy New Year to all!

The bike, or rather the ship is currently lying off Auckland and is due to dock tomorrow. Apparently it will take a week to get it cleared and ready for collection, which is fine, as I don't get there until 0300 on Mon 13th.

Got my trains and flights booked - 56 hours travelling in total, including an overnight in Nice. Got a garage to work in, thanks to a friend of a friend and have almost booked my first week's accommodation - that's how long I'm estimating for the tope end re-do.

Stay well all.

PS leg is fine Mark, thanks, just as long as I don't kneel on the scar. It held out well for a few days skiing - ignoring the (slight) pain that is.

Thanks for the healing update!
I'm familiar with those sort of pains. The bikes remind me of them all the time.

[The Lone Builder]

Hey All,

So I'm back on the road, in he sense that I have left France and am now in NZ. However I am beginning to think that someone or something is conspiring to keep me off the NZ roads.

I retrieved the bike from the shipping agent easily enough, and got the cylinder head off. I took it to a recommended machine shop and had the head skimmed. It came back 2 days later nice and shiny but with 2 scores that I could feel with my finger nail. This was a Friday afternoon, of course, so I had to wait till Monday to take it back.

#$%*! said the man and said he would get it sorted. In the afternoon I got the call. The problem was that the skim was taking a sliver off the valve seat and dragging it across the face. It was much better than previously and short of recutting the seats, there was nothing further to be done.

I took it home, cleaned it up and put the gasket on the cylinder block. The holes for the dowel pins were too small and slightly misaligned, resulting in a kink in the middle of the gasket. 😞 I cut the holes a bit bigger, but one of the bolt holes was now not aligned.

I'm not happy to continue with this gasket, so my options are:

    1.    Reuse the old gasket. It came off perfectly easily and looks in good condition.
    2.    Go to the local dealer and see if, and how quickly he can get me a gasket.
    3.    Order a complete pattern gasket set from a local supplier.

Option 1 would be my preferred choice, but I'd appreciate thoughts on reusing the old one.

JT: Have you any other ideas? What do you think of Option 3? The available gaskets are made by Whites; do you know if they are any good?

Cheers.

[BenelliSEI]

Is the old gasket one you have run for miles? Not clear on why you had to open up the “dowel holes”. #3 would work fo me.

[b1jackson]

Yes. Not all gaskets are created equal.  I too have had to trim out dowel holes slightly when one misaligned. I assume its a factory measuring issue/quality control in something mass produced.  I can't remember the brand of gasket but it may have been a cheapy.

If you were re-using, I would apply a very (and I mean very!) thin layer of Hondabond sealant or search for a quality brand gasket kit (like Versah).  That is one brand I've heard many speak highly of.

[The Lone Builder]

Is the old gasket one you have run for miles? Not clear on why you had to open up the “dowel holes”. #3 would work fo me.

The old gasket is only about 25,000 km old. It fits perfectly; it is the new one that doesn't fit.

Risk with No 3 is that I don't know the quality of the available gasket set, and I have a full set that I bought in the US before leaving.

[The Lone Builder]

Yes. Not all gaskets are created equal.  I too have had to trim out dowel holes slightly when one misaligned. I assume its a factory measuring issue/quality control in something mass produced.  I can't remember the brand of gasket but it may have been a cheapy.

If you were re-using, I would apply a very (and I mean very!) thin layer of Hondabond sealant or search for a quality brand gasket kit (like Versah).  That is one brand I've heard many speak highly of.

The only set seemingly available is locally made, so I don't know what it's like. I'm going to see if I can get an OEM one through the local Honda dealer.
I have some Permatex Gasket dressing that I thought I'd use with the old gasket.
Cometic also get a good name.

[HondaMan]

Should I put together a head?

[RAFster122s]

Should I put together a head?

Personally, that would be a good option if it has been skimmed low enough to tag valve seats... How deep of a cut is that? I would think that could be only the start of problems that cascade into place...

[HondaMan]

That's cl

Should I put together a head?

Personally, that would be a good option if it has been skimmed low enough to tag valve seats... How deep of a cut is that? I would think that could be only the start of problems that cascade into place...

That's close to -0.040" on the post-K3 heads. That's "friendly valve and piston" neighborhood.

[HondaMan]

Sean: what model of 750 is yours? K2?

[jaytee-nz]

Hi Sean, glad to see you are in the "land of the long white cloud - Aotearoa".
Assuming the head is still usable, per Hondaman's comment I would contact Anaconda https://www.anacondaltd.co.nz/ as they appear to have NOS Honda head gaskets for NZ$100.
I would ring them and explain your situation as they have quality parts but crap service !
They aren't far from Auckland so you should receive it overnight.
Cheers - John

[The Lone Builder]

The machinist said they took off about 0,007". I've attached some pics of the valve seats; the scores, now much reduced are visible, especially on No 4. I've included a "before" picture for comparison.

The engine has a K4 number - 231****, but the head is an earlier K2 version I think.

I've ordered a gasket through Honda - Wiseco I believe is the make. 🤞on quality.

I may take you up on that offer Mark, but if this one will get me home - it's only 10,000 miles after all – I think I'll go with that for now. I can't sit here for another 2 weeks doing nothing.

[HondaMan]

When you get your new head gasket, lay it in place, aligned using the 2 large dowels, and make sure it has no leak paths: this engine will still run OK so long as it can seal the head. In my own, for example, I skimmed the head 0.020" and the cylinders 0.010" (in 2013) and measured a little less than 1.0mm clearance (used the old-reliable clay-on-piston test) between the valves & piston grooves for the valve edges. It will go to the 8200 RPM redline I limit me too, no troubles. Normally this number comes to around 1.5-1.7mm in other ones I've measured when I had to skim the head for someone else.

So, make your new redline 7500 RPM and you'll probably be fine.

[PeWe]

Measure the height of the head to see what you have
I think stock is 72.25mm

Here a head that I ordered to be milled 0.5mm to get the chambers correct.
It was ported before I got it for further porting and correction of the earlier job.
Inlet valves 34mm (F2) [stock 32mm], but ex is still 28mm

71.25 mm high.
I have used it on a cylinder that was milled 1mm,  84.0mm high from 85.0 mm.

This with pistons with deeper pockets and higher lifting cam.


I have also had head gaskets where the dowel holes had to be adjusted to fit.
Make sure that all other holes are correct so the gasket is correctly flipped.

Another head photo to compare with.
Stock head, valves. Not milled, a little surface grind for minor scrathes.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=196266.msg2307929.msg#2307929

[MauiK3]

Yikes!
scary stuff but it sounds like it should be ok.
This is a great forum.