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1991 Softail EVO Head Gasket Replacement -- Noob

I would advise DIY if you have the manual and are a bit handy with tools. I would suggest that you get valve jobs done and cylinders honed by an HD shop or indy that you trust. Need some tools for all that which are a bit pricey and not likely to be used again.

Also, you might consider adjustable pushrods, but not really necessary since you are pulling everything off the top end anyway.

While you have the nose cone off, I strongly suggest replacing the OEM inner camshaft support bearing with a Torrington. I think it is the B148. And think about whether you need to upgrade the lifters.

New rings and a gasket set should be about all you really need in addition to the above stuff. But you may want to rebuild the carb and accelerator pump.

Once you have the heads, jugs and pistons off, make sure you stuff some rags in the cylinder holes so you don't drop anything down inside the block!!! Hate you to have to split the case to clean out stuff!

Once you are all back together, you will need to seat the rings. Glider had a good procedure on doing this somewhere on the site.

Might check this out for grins:

http://s731.photobucket.com/user/TQuentin1/slideshow/1991 Sturgis Rebuild - 1999

Cheers,

TQ
 
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lower rocker gasket and base gaskets can be paper gaskets and a pain to remove so a good gasket scraper is needed
When i did my 92 softail the head gasket had changed and the o rings round the locating dowels were no longer required as there was a crush part for round the dowels
2 part lower rocker cover gasket was replaced by a 1 piece thin metal gasket
Not sure how the later evo engines had there gaskets so you may also have a few diffences so take your time and take care that it all fits together correctly

Brian
 
unless you've done it before, leave it to a pro. not something you want to practice on. i watched mine being built from scratch, and there's so many little things that go wrong that can create big things it's not worth it imo. if you have a mechanic you trust, ask him if you can watch and learn. if he's sincerely trying to help you he won't have a problem with you watching and helping him do the mundane stuff (like scraping gasket material off your cases with a razor blade)
 
Guys at the shop here thought it was just a loose exhaust. The stud was stripped. Spent the whole time drilling that out. Put new exhaust gaskets on and still problem. Sounds like just the front rocker gasket is messed (feel exhaust there). No real oil leaks. They don’t think it’s a head gasket.

Help!

I replaced all the gaskets in the front rocker box today and torqued as per the manual.

There is a loud puff of air coming from the front rocker box despite new gaskets. There's also oil leaking from the bottom rocker box gasket in the front.

I'm going back to the shop tomorrow to take it all apart again (EDIT). I'm going to check for warping.

Is there anything else any of you can recommend? They seem to think it could be a valve guide problem, but I won't know until I get it opened again tomorrow.

Photos coming

Bad Gasket.jpg Rocker Box 3.jpg New Gasket.jpg Rocker Box 1.jpg
 
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Your comments "Sounds like just the front rocker gasket is messed (feel exhaust there), no real oil leaks" then "loud puff of air from rocker box" confuse me. That pic of the new gasket improperly placed, just brings more questions than solutions to mind.
 
If both surfaces clean, a new gasket and torqued to the proper specks it should not leak as you discribed.

Check for any cracks and Check for warping as you indicated.
 
You shouldn't have any air in the rocker box. Yours doesn't have the breathers/umbrella valves. They came about in 1993. You can run it with the top rocker box cover off if need be for testing for your air puff. Are you felling the air near the exhaust where you repaired the stud? If so then your header pipe isn't seated right or exhaust gasket leaking. If you feel air about 1.5"-2" below the rocker box then it is your head gasket.
tourbox
 
Your comments "Sounds like just the front rocker gasket is messed (feel exhaust there), no real oil leaks" then "loud puff of air from rocker box" confuse me. That pic of the new gasket improperly placed, just brings more questions than solutions to mind.

In the photo the new gasket isn't placed exactly, but it was when I put it all back together. Painstakingly.

But to clarify, there's a tiny dribble of oil coming from where I put in my new gasket.
 
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