cylinder head

Hey all. I just inherited a 1973 xs650 and the lowest gasket needs replaced (Photo reference) but cannot for the life of me remove the top cylinder head. Seems prev owner used some really strong gasket sealant or something. Is there a way to skip removing the cylinder head cover? Or do I need to...

I had these buried in one of my boxes of items I picked up. The PO was racing the XS back in the day. I guess he was doing some port and polish and wanted to see how much and where. Interesting how much and little you have to work with. I have read a bit about this lately and there is lots of...

I'm using a 6" c-clamp and a spring compression tool that I had fabricated for me. It's doing its job, but could perhaps use some minor modification (like removing metal at the bottom of each "window" to give me more room). My technique thus far...well, actually I don't fucking have one, so...

I've got a couple of local options for having my valve seats cut. I need to have this done since I've installed new valve guides. Originally, I had plans to buy MikesXS valve seat cutting tool kit, but have read enough un-glowing comments on here to be convinced to steer clear of that waste...

Somehow I've sustained a divot/dent to my aluminum head on the gasket sealing surface. :banghead: Not sure what happened or when. I talked to a welder friend of mine about TIG welding to fill in the cavity, but he felt that the heat would likely create some warping plus the issue of...

I've got (work) access to some high-grade granite Starrett Surface Plates to check my cylinder head for any warpage or un-flatness :) Do I need to use something so accurate or is using a precision straightedge and feeler gauges at several locations generally adequate? Or even using plate...

Hi all, I'm a proud owner of a TX650A and everything is working fine except that i do have a bad oil leak from the cylinder head right side. Well i dont know if it's the good term cause i'm not a mechanic. By checking the schematic on the following link...

Who's got one? Has anyone had any experience with these heads? are they as good as they claim? Worth the money?

I took off all of the top bolts in the order the Clymer told me to. The previous owner had installed an electronic ignition kit so I didn't need to take out all of that stuff. How do I get the head off? It won't budge and I don't want to pry it off. What should I check/remove/try? Here is...