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Blown Head Gasket?

7K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  RichD 
#1 ·
My 2004 ST3 has been doing something very strange and I can't make sense of it.

While on an extended trip over the past 10 days (3,500 miles), my ST3 would leak clean coolant when first started up on cold mornings (usually about 5 to 10 tablespoons only).

I could never find the leak because it would not always leak when first started. The two times I peeled the skin off before starting the bike it did not repeat, and the next day, with skin on, it of course leaked.

After the engine warmed a bit, the leak stopped. Have been home two days now, started the bike several times cold, no leak!

Regardless, the bike runs fine.....

A friend of mine called this morning and claimed this is a classic case of a blown head gasket?
 
#3 ·
I agree with hose clamps, Ducati uses these really cheap crimp-style hose clamps that constantly leak when you put them through repeated heat cycles, especially if the bike is outside overnight. I have 05 749S that I have had to change pretty much every hose clamp to the screw style. I would check hose clamps before tearing your engine apart.
 
#4 ·
levine98 said:
A friend of mine called this morning and claimed this is a classic case of a blown head gasket?
Ducatis don't have head gaskets.

Sounds like a leaky hose due to a too-loose clamp, or possible a piece of something or burr not allowing a total seal (I had such a problem after I did some engine work, removing the hose, cleaning and re-assembling solved it).

Tom
 
#5 ·
jack said:
Have you checked all the hose clamps? They may have about 1/2 turn of slop after several heat cycles.
Did check the ones that I could reach with just the lower fairing panels removed (I was on the road when this started to happen). Will take all panels off and double check all clamps are tight and secure.

Thanks.
 
#6 ·
Just be sure you don't over tighten them. I've had a couple that had a bit of seepage. It only took just a bit more to stop them up, not even a half turn. They were both on the left hand side, unfortunately behind the fairings. Good luck.
Bill W.
 
#9 ·
the way we have found leaks in the past was to pressure up the coolant system , i have a small hand pump and different size caps its a snap-on tool , and also pull the spark plugs if you do this and watch for coolant in the cylinder as well or you could do a leak down on the cylinder to see if it push out coolant also
 
#10 ·
3 potential sources but mine is a 4s :
1. Hose clamps as said before (most probable causee)
2. Filling the coolant level to the top (fill it to just above the min level, the rest will be thrown out and end up below your bike)
3. a leaking head gasket

Try #2 and #1 first for elimination purposes, if the volume of coolant in the header tank keeps dropping after that it's a leaking gasket (hope it isn't true).

At my bike it was the LH radiator hose that runs to the top of the radiator that was leaking because of a clip that neede tightening. One of my friends had #3 but that was repaired under warranty.

Ciao
 
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