Kickstart or no?

[bob bezin]

well i sure hope they've improved the es. i have to get my engine turning over with the kickstart, then hit the starter button to get the es. to work .a little anoying idiosyncracy, but other than the oil weep at the head this 06 iron delux is a reliable dream bike now at about 8000 miles. well as long as i'm here.... i just measured the thickness of a head gasket i took out last fall it was 20 thousanths when i installed a head gasket last fall i measured the gap between the head and cylinder ( head resting on cylinder no gasket) with a spark plug gauge, 25 thousanths . well i guess thats why i t weeps oil . now do i file down the spigot 8? 10? // thousanths . or get a head gasket  26 or at least over 25 thousanths? 

[The Garbone]

just measured the thickness of a head gasket i took out last fall it was 20 thousanths when i installed a head gasket last fall i measured the gap between the head and cylinder ( head resting on cylinder no gasket) with a spark plug gauge, 25 thousanths . well i guess thats why i t weeps oil . now do i file down the spigot 8? 10? // thousanths . or get a head gasket  26 or at least over 25 thousanths? 

I had the same issue on my 07' iron, but was lucky enough that it was under warranty and had my dealer machine the head.   I think others have posted about filing it by hand.

[bob bezin]

machining the head would only make the gap bigger would"nt it? it would however smooth out any irregularities. .i put a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper on a sheet of glass and rubbed it a little removing a few nicks. but it was basically smooth and flat.

[The Garbone]

I don't know exactly what the shop did other than it was a casting type issue and parts were sent out and machined to spec.      It does not leak from the head any more, So I am happy.

[fredgold52]

I'm kind of glad the new bike doesn't have a kickstart.  I'll probably pick one of these up in a couple years when I get too old and feeble to kickstart my Sixty-5.  But until then, the UCE machine not having a kicker just makes mine that much more special.

I was talking to a guy at an auto parts store about the Enfield.  He was amazed at it.  But, you should have seen his face when I kicked it over and it started right up and idled ever so slowly!  HAH!  that was great!

 

[ace.cafe]

When the head does not seat down far enough on the barrel to compress the head gasket, then the spigot on the barrel is too tall, and is preventing proper seating of the head. This will always cause oil leaks from the head gasket area, at the pushrod tubes.

The proper method is to have the barrel spigot shortened by the necessary amount to let the head gasket be compressed to seal.
Some do this by hand with a file, but care should be taken to keep the top square with the bore, so that it mates evenly all around inside the head for compression sealing.
Obviously this would be best to do with the barrel off the bike, so that no metal filings get into the engine while it's being done.

Whenever possible, it is better to measure the gap with a feeler gauge and measure the head gasket thickness, and have the job done at a machinist, so that it can squeeze the gasket down to half it's original thickness.

[bob bezin]

half the thickness. ok will do .thanks ace.

[Royal.Oilfield]

Moved to the right thread.