• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

B11 Leaky Valve Cover

freshbreva

Tuned and Synch'ed
GT Contributor
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Messages
48
Location
Palm Desert, California, US
I removed both valve covers for valve clearance adjustment some weeks ago. I carefully replaced gaskets and covers, tightened them down by stages in a crisscross pattern to the torque spec. I also installed new inner and outer spark plugs.

Afterward, I noticed a small bit of oil at the front edge of the RHS valve cover. Then I installed a brand new gasket, but still having the same problem. When I ride for just a bit at freeway speeds, there is some leaking at he front and outer side of the cover. It's enough that it gets blown back onto the side cover of the bike.

What to do next? Should I try gasket sealant? I wiped things dry before installing. Never had a problem on the left side.
 
So since the description of the gasket I installed was "metal core," ii must be the recommended one. And yet I still have a leak. The only other cause I can think of is that the RH oil circuit is producing a lot more pressure for some reason.

I suppose replacing the gasket a 2nd time might come out differently. Don't know what else to do at this point.
 
Also the valve cover gasket for the older 1100s work better than the original Breva gaskets. Their part number is 14023760 I like to use the thick gasket from MG cycle, 14023760B
 
Just a suggestion, from an automotive point of view maybe check the crankcase breather system. A clog or pinch in a hose can make a big headache.
 
The new style gaskets are cut a bit wider in places, hence the problem. On each side it's circular cut and does not follow angular shape of head design. This allows oil to sit and run on top of it like a ledge sticking out to the inside. That is where you get your most of your leaks. The older style are cut to fit the exact shape of contact surface so oil runs strait down. I noticed this the 1st time I changed the stock ones that have a glue of some sort embedded in the gasket surface, making it a drag to scrape off. Green ones have no glue and if you are careful removing covers, they can be reused w/no leaks. They usually stick to one side or the other. The newer engines w/CARC run hotter which adds to them getting brittle faster. They also run a higher crankcase pressure which makes a small piece blow out or get a crack in it. I haven't used the metal ones yet, still have 20 green ones in stock for mine & customers bikes.
Hope this explains what is going on.
 
The new style gaskets are cut a bit wider in places, hence the problem. On each side it's circular cut and does not follow angular shape of head design. ...
Good explanation, as the shapes are definitely different. Still seems counterintuitive that oil could "wick" out if the cover were properly torqued down, provided the gasket itself weren't compromised. But I bow to experience.

Oh well, I've already ordered some of the "newer" replacements in case I need them. If I still have problems after trying all the good ideas in this thread, I'll order the older variety. It will be a while before I have the time to get to it. When I get it figured out (or not) I'll post again.
 
SUCCESS!! -- so far. That is, I took it out for a bit to include higher speeds, higher revs, downshifting, and just cruising for a bit. No leaking I can discern.

The key for me was probably better cleaning of the cover and head surfaces before installation. I noticed there were still black marks looking like hieroglyphics on them. I think they were left from the brand markings on a previous gasket. I used some fine sandpaper to get them off, wiped everything dry, and installed a new gasket. It was one of the types with the unnecessary curves in it, though I ordered some of the older V11 type. If this fails I'll use those.

Thanks to everyone for all the help.

Ron
 
Have to tell "the rest of the story:"

The problem was not the valve cover gasket after all. When the leak began again, and even worse, I removed the gas tank and valve cover to replace the gasket yet again. That's when I noticed the rubber tubing at the back front of the cylinder head which leads to the oil recovery tank was split. Now that's repaired so hopefully the real problem has now been solved.
 
Back
Top