951 Smoke from pisser
- Thread starter CreekerMike
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That's not good at all. The 951 is known to get condensation but that looks like a lot more than that.
At this point I would suspect a head gasket.
Can you turn the engine over by hand and see if the top of the piston looks like it has been steam cleaned?
At this point I would suspect a head gasket.
Can you turn the engine over by hand and see if the top of the piston looks like it has been steam cleaned?
From this picture it looks like one cylinder is nice and rich and the other is getting water into it.
CreekerMike
Active Member
Well I cant get a good shot of the piston but i do see a milkshake coming down from the top of the jugs. Ill be pullin the head shortly. Guess the head gasket would make sense. All that pressure feeding into the ehxaust was the steam i was seeing from the pisser.
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CreekerMike
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CreekerMike
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It indeed was a blown head gasket. Heres some pics of my findings after pulling the head.
I think ill be putting on my spare head when i reassemble the engine. That pitting isnt gonna fly!
I think ill be putting on my spare head when i reassemble the engine. That pitting isnt gonna fly!
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Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
White motor the water flowed in opposite direction, not familiar with those details but it's different from silver 951. FWIW
Yes. Just like I said in post #21.
But you are correct. They got a lot of stuff wrong with the 1997.5 white 951.
CreekerMike
Active Member
Luckily when I originally assembled my 951 I read about people having head gasket issues so I bought 2. Already have it out there on the work bench waiting to be put back together. That got me thinking though would I see much benifit in buying a O ring head with domes and running 91 or 93? Also I owe you a big thanks for all the input and diagrams miki!
AKnarrowback
Well-Known Member
Can't be too careful, might wanna see a doctor about that smoking pisser.Make sure the cylinder drain tube isn't blocked as well.
First thing I thought when I read that title was "penicillin".
CreekerMike
Active Member
Had to grab everyones attention somehow
CreekerMike
Active Member
So a little update!
Unfortunately the spare head I had was in worse condition than I remembered...
SO steel stik came to the rescue! I filled in the pitting on the head with some Steel Stik then trimmed it down with a razor blade and sanded it. Now I know this may be frowned upon but im curious as to how it will fair. So im gonna run it. I copper coated the head gasket and installed the head. Making sure to follow the torque sequence little by little. Ive seen mixed numbers in owners manuals and on forums from between 25 to 35 for the bolts and studs so i just decided to go to 35 with blue loctite. After my first ride ill be retorquing the bolts and studs. Once again thanks to everyone for helping to solve my issue and thanks for the bits of comedy.
Unfortunately the spare head I had was in worse condition than I remembered...
SO steel stik came to the rescue! I filled in the pitting on the head with some Steel Stik then trimmed it down with a razor blade and sanded it. Now I know this may be frowned upon but im curious as to how it will fair. So im gonna run it. I copper coated the head gasket and installed the head. Making sure to follow the torque sequence little by little. Ive seen mixed numbers in owners manuals and on forums from between 25 to 35 for the bolts and studs so i just decided to go to 35 with blue loctite. After my first ride ill be retorquing the bolts and studs. Once again thanks to everyone for helping to solve my issue and thanks for the bits of comedy.
Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
@CreekerMike, I have to ask if your torque wrench is out of calibration. The last time I had an issue similar to this with a head gasket it was b/c I failed to torque the head properly.
CreekerMike
Active Member
I think the wrench is calibrated or atleast close there was just a small bit of pitting on the head and that lead to cataclysmic head gasket failure.
Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
I see, the gasket was eaten up surprisingly well. I thought the gasket was tougher than that.
CreekerMike
Active Member
I think a combination of heat, pressure, and brackish water accounted for that sort of blow out.
Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
The stock head gasket is steel though, maybe stainless as most marine head gaskets? I haven't done a 951 yet, but that was what I expected to see (assumed). My day is coming, it's just a matter of when, lol.
Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
Ya think? Really? Yes of course once a leak occurs they will get torched.
Often there's a reason though, like incorrect choice of gasket material/type.
CreekerMike
Active Member
In my case I believe the small amount of pitting from the start allowed water in somewhere it shouldnt have been and that was the begining of the end for that gasket. In the case that theres a fresh head and deck to mate with then there shouldnt be any reason for the head gasket to fail aside from a huge amount of hours. But being that this is a 951 were talking about, there will probably be other large failures before those hours are achieved.
Sportster-2001-951C-Stock
Well-Known Member
Ok, "pitting from the start". Got it.
CreekerMike
Active Member
Thats just a hunch though. I Only have one picture of the head I used before I ran it and due to the large amount of gasket material on it I cant very well tell how severe or not severe the pitting was.
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