The sweet smell...

[Mr. Wibbens]

..of antifreeze in my exhaust!

Figured it was the head gasket so I replaced it

Still smells like antifreeze!!

[Indawoods]

Is the top of your piston clean?

[Mr. Wibbens]

It is now

[Indawoods]

DOH... Did CC put your gasket on or did you?

[Mr. Wibbens]

yeah Carvr always works on my bikes!

I did it all by meself

[Indawoods]

Just ribbin' ya Wib... Time to see if it's not warped!

[canyncarvr]

Mr. Wibbens said the piston crown had a pretty good coat of carbon, but the head did not.

...and that what was ON the head came off easily.

That don't sound right.

But, if it's bad enough to smell I would think the coolant level would drop pretty quick, and that isn't the case.

It smokes white, too. Well...I've seen it doing that...about the time I smelled it. I don't think that happens all the time.

Why would the piston have carbon and the head not? Don't know, but I'd think the head would get considerably hotter than the piston crown.

Permatex copper coat would have been a good idea.


...but...no one ever listens to me....:(

[skipro3]

Mr. Wibbens said the piston crown had a pretty good coat of carbon, but the head did not.

...and that what was ON the head came off easily.

That don't sound right.

But, if it's bad enough to smell I would think the coolant level would drop pretty quick, and that isn't the case.

It smokes white, too. Well...I've seen it doing that...about the time I smelled it. I don't think that happens all the time.

Why would the piston have carbon and the head not? Don't know, but I'd think the head would get considerably hotter than the piston crown.

Permatex copper coat would have been a good idea.


...but...no one ever listens to me....:(

Every time I take the head off my motor, the piston crown has baked on carbon that needs to be sraped off, whereas the head can be wiped clean with a shop rag.
I think the piston would be the hotter of the two:
A. It isn't in contact with coolant like the head is.
B. The piston also has friction induced heat as well as the combustion heat.

The only part of the head on my bike that gets cabon caked is the sparkplug, which should probably be hotter than the head itself.
So in conclusion, I think it would be normal for the head to be cooler than the piston crown and that the carbon caking on the crown to be a result of the extra heat.

So, it's not using much coolant but does smoke white and smells?
Did you check the base gasket or at least the torque of the nuts holding it down? A head gasket leak should make the carbon on the crown of the piston loosen up. (That's how I used to clean my automobile's top end and get the spark plugs unfrozen anyway, add a little water to a vacume line. )
That's all from the peanut gallery!

[Mr. Wibbens]

Well I went and gotta a can of Permatex Copper Spray-A-Gasket tonite on my DR.

Twas about 35* out!

We'll see if that does any good next time I tear it apart

[Indawoods]

That copper gasket is good stuff... I haven't bought a head gasket yet! It will usually seal what ales ya...

[Mr. Wibbens]

kewl!