how hard is it to replace the head gasket?

[newtothegame]

i was wondering how hard it is to replace the head gasket on the 82 xs650. i have never done one before & i was wondering if it is something that can be done easily or is going to take some skill & know how to do. if any one has any information on this it would be tremendously helpful!

 

[CDNTX650]

Not to bad. Have to break the cam chain OR slide the bearings off of the ends of the camshaft so it makes enough slack in the chain to pull the cam out without breaking the chain. Usually end up disturbing the base gasket in the process. If it has some miles i would do the cam chain guides and chain while i am in there anyways.

 

[XSLeo]

It's not a hard job. If you have repair manual it tells how to do this. I like the factory book best. The Clymer and Haynes are about equal. There are places you can download manuals. Biker.net is one. They sometimes may not have your exact model listed. The engines were basicly unchanged the whole run. A few changes where made in specs, points or TCI. JUst find one close and it will cover yours close enough.
The only thing I do different is I don't break the cam chain. You can remove the cam chain tensioner and slide the cam bearings off the cam, this gives enough slack to slide the cam out from under the chain.

 

[XS1961]

Easy..The worst part is that you have to get the motor out of the bloody frame first...Once out its a 1 hour(ish) job

 

[inxs]

- may like to consider replacing the rubber coated washers with thick copper ones

 

[newtothegame]

well i should probably start by getting a manual then huh....

 

[Sundie]

- may like to consider replacing the rubber coated washers with thick copper ones

Brass. Copper's a bit soft to hold the torque.

 

[cooltouch]

Just thought I'd mention, the easiest way to get the motor out of the frame is to lay the bike on its side. Right side preferably with the left side cover off. Put the motor back in the same way.

Also as long as you're in there you should do a basic inspection and a bit of work that can only be done while the engine is out of the frame. Mic the pistons and bores and make sure they're still within tolerance limits. If it were me and the pistons/bores were okay, I would go ahead and replace the rings. New cam chain guide as well. They tend to disintegrate once they've gotten old. Inspect the rocker arms for excessive wear. Inspect the valve guides, make sure they're within tolerance limits. Lap the valves.

If you split the cases, you might want to consider replacing the 5th gear cog with MikesXS's OD 5th gear. The bike will be more pleasant to ride at freeway speeds as a result.

 

[bloodthirstysystem]

well i should probably start by getting a manual then huh....

here - http://www.biker.net/650_service/650service main.html

 

[Jon1wdsmen]

It sounds like if you are that deep just bite the bullet and do it all ??????

 

[JP50515]

It sounds like if you are that deep just bite the bullet and do it all ??????

Yes lol. It's better to have to go through the pain of pulling and reinstalling the motor all at once and having a nice "smooth" (ha) running motor, than trying to piece it together over time.