Hi everybody,
I've been consulting the forum here for almost a year now, ever since I bought my 83 GL1100. At the end of last season she started to smoke, and this season I noticed she was losing coolant with every ride. Took her to a shop to test for failed head gasket and the results were just as I had suspected. Needs a new head gasket on right side. I had already ordered the athena top end kit over the winter so I started the tear down yesterday. Decided to do both heads while I'm at it. Followed clement's how-to and have the manual from manualslib. Left head came off without a problem. When I got the right head I forgot about the 10mm bold below the 6 head bolts and proceeded to loosen the head with a rubber mallet. That's when she broke. See the attached pic. I know, what a dumb, noob move. I proceeded to curse myself for the rest of the evening. Now my question is this: since the broken area does not seem crucial in retaining combustion pressure since it is more of an oil return passage, would a JBWeld repair hold up in this situation? Is it likely to just snap once the 10mm bolt is torqued down? The only reason I'm considering this is because although a new head on ebay can be found for around $50, covid-era shipping time would have me probably getting it around the end of the season.
My impression, for what its worth, would be that I would go ahead and attempt a J-B Weld repair on this. It's a spot that is not subject to any shear force, and the repair would be held in place by compression of the head against the block.
I'd apply the J-B weld to the broken surfaces, seat the piece back in place, and clamp it TIGHT until it's fully cured. Then resurface the head to make sure the repair is dead level with the rest of the head, so you don't get a gasket failure or leak from it. You can do that with a pane of glass and some sandpaper:
Thanks for the advice WingAdmin. I think I'm going to attempt the JBweld. Any advice on how to clamp it while drying? I have plenty of C clamps but it's kind of an odd angle.
As to the little bolt down there, I've never probed to find out if the hole goes thru into the crankcase, or if it bottoms out. If it's a "thru-hole" I'd just put a star washer on the bolt, and barely tighten it down so the star washer holds it from backing out, Afraid if you put any torque at all on that you may break the JB-weld. If it's not a thru-hole just forget that bolt completely.
The threads are stripped out on that bolt on the RH head on my 1100, the bolt is threaded in there to just barely snug. No leaks there....
A local inventor has figured a way to turn a sausage grinder backward to manufacture pigs.
♫ 99 Little Bugs in the Code, ♪
♪ 99 Bugs in the Code. ♫
♫ Take one down, Patch it around, ♪
♫ 127 Little Bugs in the Code. ♫ ♪
~Mark
See the attached pic. I know, what a dumb, noob move. I proceeded to curse myself for the rest of the evening. Now my question is this: since the broken area does not seem crucial in retaining combustion pressure since it is more of an oil return passage, would a JBWeld repair hold up in this situation? Is it likely to just snap once the 10mm bolt is torqued down? The only reason I'm considering this is because although a new head on ebay can be found for around $50, covid-era shipping time would have me probably getting it around the end of the season.
