S4RS Coolant Leak?

[ducpainter]

Where is the vet? I can't seem to find a good photo of the cylinder head online. At least one that shows that kind of detail.

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?action=profile;u=62

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENUINE-DUCATI-1098R-2008-2009-COMPLETE-GASKET-SET-79120471A-01-/182162254246?hash=item2a69b769a6:g:qBMAAOSwHnFVn99I

The ebay.uk link shows pretty good detail on the head gasket

[Enzoman]

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?action=profile;u=62

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENUINE-DUCATI-1098R-2008-2009-COMPLETE-GASKET-SET-79120471A-01-/182162254246?hash=item2a69b769a6:g:qBMAAOSwHnFVn99I

The ebay.uk link shows pretty good detail on the head gasket

Looks like that is for a 1098. I been trying to find a photo of a 998 cylinder head that is disassembled so I can see what the o-ring is for, if anything. There is a photo in the service manual but it is not very clear. I'll put that up later and maybe you can see something. Thanks Ducpainter.

Andy

[clubhousemotorsports]

Okay you have shown the problem so it is time t find the cause.

Start by cleaning everything well and de-greasing the area.
Next you want to use some white spray powder like spray foot powder on the area, make sure to buy the white powder aerosol not clear.
Run the bike to the problem temp and watch the powder for the white to darken up, this will tell where it is truly coming from.

Next you need to figure out if it is coolant ,oil or both.

Before looking at a head gasket check/change the side cover 0-rings, In your pictures you can see the 6mm allens holding on the side covers. Under the covers will be oil and coolant passageways that could be the source. It is an easy check so worth doing before pulling heads and spending $$$ on head gaskets.

If everything looks good on the side then if you can measure CO in your radiator cooling system it may tell if you have a bad head gasket. There should be NO CO in the cooling system.

Is the bike over heating?
Is the bike losing coolant from the radiator?
could the corrosion be from bike cleaners?

the head nuts are greased from assembly is it possible the "oil" you are seeing is just the grease heated from running to the point it liquefies and looks like an oil leak?

Again you should start by cleaning and testing first.

[stopintime]

Knowledge is so make the beast with two backsing cool 

(even cooler than facegram)

[Enzoman]

Okay you have shown the problem so it is time t find the cause.

Start by cleaning everything well and de-greasing the area.
Next you want to use some white spray powder like spray foot powder on the area, make sure to buy the white powder aerosol not clear.
Run the bike to the problem temp and watch the powder for the white to darken up, this will tell where it is truly coming from.

Next you need to figure out if it is coolant ,oil or both.

Before looking at a head gasket check/change the side cover 0-rings, In your pictures you can see the 6mm allens holding on the side covers. Under the covers will be oil and coolant passageways that could be the source. It is an easy check so worth doing before pulling heads and spending $$$ on head gaskets.

If everything looks good on the side then if you can measure CO in your radiator cooling system it may tell if you have a bad head gasket. There should be NO CO in the cooling system.

Is the bike over heating?
Is the bike losing coolant from the radiator?
could the corrosion be from bike cleaners?

the head nuts are greased from assembly is it possible the "oil" you are seeing is just the grease heated from running to the point it liquefies and looks like an oil leak?

Again you should start by cleaning and testing first.

It's not overheating and the radiator is full. Just the bottle is a little low. So the o-ring under the head nut is to keep coolant and or oil from leaking out? The horizontal cylinder looks like oil, but the vertical one looks like coolant. I can pull the covers. Do I need to drain the entire cooling system before opening the covers? I cleaned everything and I'm going to start fresh with your suggestion. I do have a couple of service reports where the tech made notes of leaking head gasket and it states that it's leaking oil. But, I didn't know oil was a sign of a blown head gasket. I suppose the horizontal cylinder could be the grease you mentioned. As I said before, it was bubbling out around the threads when the engine was around 220. Maybe I can get a video of it. Thanks for your help.

Andy

[clubhousemotorsports]

Andy

I would go the clean and powder route , top the fluids to the middle of the range on the bottle and mark that point with a piece of tape or marker. See if the bike is using coolant, based on your description I would guess it is NOT. How high to you rev the rpm's? if you give it a good hard and hot ride and then check to see if you then are lowering the coolant level,smoking when hot or getting oil in the coolant.

The o-rings you are referring to are at the bottom of the studs near the case, they can be damaged and then oil would weep up the stud hole. It would be at case pressure so I would file that under nuisance leak and treat it as such. You would need to pull both head and cylinder to check or replace them. If you do go after one plan on changing them all plus new head gaskets, winter off/season job. You might be able to temporarily seal the leak by using gasket sealer under the head nut, down the stud hole but this could be a pia later if you do go in.

Yes you would drain the cooling system before pulling head side covers, you could drain it 1/2 way but I see no benefit to doing so.

If it is just a slow leak/weep then the question becomes a matter of is it worth fixing now vs just keeping it clean and next major service have it looked at. If it is a head gasket and the temps are getting high and/or the leak is going to get on your tires you need to do something before riding. Over heating will warp the heads/cylinders which can be fixed but adds costs.

[Enzoman]

Andy

I would go the clean and powder route , top the fluids to the middle of the range on the bottle and mark that point with a piece of tape or marker. See if the bike is using coolant, based on your description I would guess it is NOT. How high to you rev the rpm's? if you give it a good hard and hot ride and then check to see if you then are lowering the coolant level,smoking when hot or getting oil in the coolant.

The o-rings you are referring to are at the bottom of the studs near the case, they can be damaged and then oil would weep up the stud hole. It would be at case pressure so I would file that under nuisance leak and treat it as such. You would need to pull both head and cylinder to check or replace them. If you do go after one plan on changing them all plus new head gaskets, winter off/season job. You might be able to temporarily seal the leak by using gasket sealer under the head nut, down the stud hole but this could be a pia later if you do go in.

Yes you would drain the cooling system before pulling head side covers, you could drain it 1/2 way but I see no benefit to doing so.

If it is just a slow leak/weep then the question becomes a matter of is it worth fixing now vs just keeping it clean and next major service have it looked at. If it is a head gasket and the temps are getting high and/or the leak is going to get on your tires you need to do something before riding. Over heating will warp the heads/cylinders which can be fixed but adds costs.

I haven't had it over maybe 7,000 rpm and only short bursts. And I rarely see the temp high enough for the fans to come on. I have to purposely ride in the city to get it hot enough. It's normally around 160 to 170.

In my other post did you see the diagram from the service manual? It shows that o-ring at the top of the stud. Is that a mistake in the manual? I don't see one at the bottom?

Also, I forgot to ask... what do you mean by CO in the coolant? Are you referring to oil?

Thanks,

[ducpainter]

By CO he's referring to the byproduct of combustion... carbon monoxide.

[clubhousemotorsports]

Diagrams in manuals show order but not placement, the o-ring is just above the case threads.

Low rpms will possibly mask the issues, as long as you are not seeing issues at 7000rpms run it closer to redline a few times to allow things to see what they really are doing. yes this means you are doing stupid things with regards to speed laws so be careful and be safe (welcome to my world)...lol

CO is exhaust gas that if it is in the coolant then the head gasket is allowing combustion gasses into the cooling system = blown gasket.

[Enzoman]

Got it, will do. Thanks for replying, I didn't know CO was detectable that way, good to know.

Thanks,

Andy