03 Girly blown headgasket

[hansi]

The headgasket on my 03 Girly, 30 000 miles, blew on my way home to Oregon just outside Salt Lake City. Problem started a few hundred miles earlier with bubbles coming up in the coolant-overflow. Chalked it up on a weak radiator cap, replaced the cap somewhere in Nevada, bubbles/steam went away for a while and then in Salt Lake City it all went! Steam, coolant overflowing and then it sounded like somebody threw a handful of nuts and bolts into the engine, got off the throttle, pulled the clutch, engine stopped, coasted to the side of the road and that was it. Brought my , up to this point, very trust worthy Girly home in a Uhaul 
Digging in to the bike revealed so far water in no. 3 cylinder, will remove the head tomorrow and bring it to a machine-shop to have it checked out and if its warped, planed.
Been a headache to get seals and gaskets from any dealer. The Head seal-kit has been back ordered, to my best knowledge even at Triumph UK.

Any tip, heads up on my repair-process by you would be very much appreciated. Is that a common problem on the 955i Engine ?? Was planning on a longer Arizona/Baja trip this December but now I'm not so sure if I want to do that on the Girly? 
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[HockleyBoy]

Sounds a bit like mine (have a look at the thread Dead Tiger), have you had a look at the valves, exhaust valves on mine have had it as it looks like the cam chain has jumped. Symptoms were pretty similar to yours but mine has much higher mileage so hopefully yours is just the gasket.

[hansi]

Sounds a bit like mine (have a look at the thread Dead Tiger), have you had a look at the valves, exhaust valves on mine have had it as it looks like the cam chain has jumped. Symptoms were pretty similar to yours but mine has much higher mileage so hopefully yours is just the gasket.

Valves look great, timing chain and alignment are perfect.  So far "just" the headgasket. Will for sure study your thread, thanks HB.

[Chris Canning]

No it's not a common problem with 955,were as the 885i is notorious for blowing headgaskets.

[gilly527]

I was just putting my cams and engine covers back on after getting gaskets in from doing a valve shim job, and at the back of my 01 Girly saw the evidence of some coolant down a couple of areas at the back of my engine from the head gasket... I have 44,000 miles on her and she seemed to be running fine, anyone had this happen before?

It sure sounded like yours went out with a bit of a bang on your trip... I hope that doesn't happen to me! you get it sorted out?

[iansoady]

A lot of people have seen a slight trickle especially in cold weather. It doesn't seem to get any worse AFAIK (never had it myself).

[hansi]

I was just putting my cams and engine covers back on after getting gaskets in from doing a valve shim job, and at the back of my 01 Girly saw the evidence of some coolant down a couple of areas at the back of my engine from the head gasket... I have 44,000 miles on her and she seemed to be running fine, anyone had this happen before?

It sure sounded like yours went out with a bit of a bang on your trip... I hope that doesn't happen to me! you get it sorted out?

Had the head checked at a machine-shop for plain and cleaned. Everything was just fine. All parts and pieces are back together except tank, battery and side panels. Some of the gaskets just took forever to get.  Been loaded up with work lately due to grape harvest. Hope to get the Girly fired up within the next two weeks and take her for a shakedown ride.
Hope all works out, have a 2500 mile rt ride to the Sea of Cortez planned right around Thanksgiving.

[PeteH]

and at the back of my 01 Girly saw the evidence of some coolant down a couple of areas at the back of my engine from the head gasket, anyone had this happen before?

Gilly, 885 or 955, got an 885i that leaked coolant but only when it got real cool and it only leaked outwards. Lived with it for a couple of years and then had it it sorted when a major service was due...its been ok since.

[hansi]

Finally!! had the time to finish up the repair by putting the air filter box, tank and battery back on the bike. I hit the starter button, the motor turns over, but does not start. WTF!???  Been trying lots of different things, checking everything I can think of, but still no starting. Got fuel pressure and spark. Pulled tank, battery and  air filter box off twice already. Last time I found the plug to the purge valve not connected. Could this been the culprit?? Had to stop right there tonight, because my brain is to frazzled to continue. What say you? Any ideas?

[Mustang]

have you got the cam/ valve timing right ?
do you have the cams in the correct location ?.IE intake cam on intake side of head

did you verify that you got all the shims back in the right location , as in no tight valves ?

if yes to all the above try a compression test and make sure you have compression of at least 120 psi on all cylinders .

[Bixxer Bob]

Coil pack leads in the right order? Just trying to think of the simple stuff first...

It'd probably cough and fart if they were wrong though so clutching at straws for you.  If you've got spark, none of the sensors would stop it completely.  Only other possibility is the plug to the injector harness. If it's not hooked up right the injectors won't fire.  Bear in mindthe supply to the injectors is live, always on when ign is on, they fire by grounding them through the ECU.

[metalguru]

Check to see if you do have a fuel supply as from my experience the fuel filter pipe from the fuel filter came off when all I did was remove the tank, has never done it again, re-secured with some clips.

[hansi]

have you got the cam/ valve timing right ?
do you have the cams in the correct location ?.IE intake cam on intake side of head

did you verify that you got all the shims back in the right location , as in no tight valves ?

if yes to all the above try a compression test and make sure you have compression of at least 120 psi on all cylinders .

Compression test revealed bad  news. 75lbs on 1, 60lbs on 2 and 90lbs on 3.  Looks like rings are shot from overheating.   Inside of the cylinders looks really smooth, no marks of any kind. Can I get away with just replacing the rings? (working on a budget here, wife has not been able to work at her job for a year) Where can I get the tool to pull the liners ? Can it be homemade ?

[Mustang]

they may well come out without a special tool

i've pulled steamer ones out with only my hands

[Sin_Tiger]

Get the liners honed when you have the block off, good chance they retail have glazed, run the back edge of your finger nail round the bores, if you can't feel the hatch marks, even if you can see them, they need honed.