Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum banner

Head gasket leak

12K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  ducati_999_ciao 
#1 ·
In august I purchased an 05 999. It was serviced by the dealer at the recommended 600 miles and ran well for the rest of the summer. Since I live in Connecticut the bike was winterized and put away in the garage in December.
In January there was a small leak from the coolant hose that runs from the vertical cylinder to the radiator and a small amount of oil seepage along the horizontal cylinder. The dealer picked up the bike and the hose clamp was replaced and the head bolts tightened. Upon its return I took it out for a ride and the lower coolant hose leaked. So back to the shop it went for a new lower hose. When it was returned I took it back out for a short ride and it leaked coolant yet again and this time I noticed white foam in the oil thru the sight glass.
At this time the dealer is saying the head gaskets have leaked causing the coolant system to become over pressurized forcing coolant into the oil and the hoses to leak. The dealer claims no damage was done to the motor from the coolant and has offered to replace the head gaskets, oil and oil filter.
Is it likely no damage was caused by the coolant?
Has anyone else hade a similar problem?
Any advise?
Should I ask for a compression test?
Note that each time the bike was returned I let it warm up to approx. 180 – 200 F
and only rode for a mile or so.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
?? Motor Damage

It's proly OK but you may want to make sure the dealer checks the integrity of the head(s). If you have NEVER overheated that bike, and assuming it was torqued correctly at the factory, you may have original defective machining of them. The dealer, in order to replace head gaskets, will compromise the jug base gasket seal as well. It stinks they'll be tearing the top end of a brand new bike apart.

It's hard to say if the coolant in your block has damaged anything. I guess it depends on how many miles and how hard you ride. Tell the dealer you want to look at the parts when he has it apart.

You may want to take it to a different dealer to make sure the original dealer doesn't just cover their asses.

Good Luck!
 
#3 ·
tough one to call.with the amount you have run your bike,it will have a cloudy sight glass.i'd like to know if they pressure tested(and found the gasket leak)or if it's speculation.if it was leaking ,the norm is to resurface the head.
 
#4 ·
I'd ask that they prove that the coolant is getting into the oil. This time of the year, cloudy sight-glasses are normal on any Ducati, even the air cooled engines. If it's the cloudiness of the sightglass that they're basing this h.g. leak on, I'd be really skeptical of them needing to touch it.

How long has this dealer been around and servicing DUCs? Do you really trust them? I have a hard time trusting my own local dealership!
 
#5 ·
This is the third trip back the to shop. The first two trips they replaced clamps with worm type and the lower hose. Now they say it is a head gasket I have not asked how they determined the gasket was faulty. What else could cause this type of leak without the coolant over heating first?
 
#8 ·
Doubtful you have a head gasket leak or oil contamination.
Oil may be coming form right side of engine at plate behind belt covers.
I have 05 749S that had that problem and am aware of one other 05 bike that had the same problem.
The plate was resurfaced to cure the leak.
 
#9 ·
Note that I ride my ST2 year 'round. I recently discovered that my 20 mile commute is limited to a 14 degree F morning. I have the same foamy/milky looking stuf on my site glass and it doesn't clear up until May. Oil changes won't clear it out. About the only way to clear it is to heat the sight glass w/ a heat gun for a long time. Haven't done this yet myself, because
1) knowing my luck, I'll melt the freakin glass/platic window.
2) I know that 100 mile trips in 30 degree weather don't work, and May weather does (work).

One of the worst things you can do for your bike is what you're doing: Taking it out for 1 or 2 miles, and/or starting it a couple times a week. This just lets water vapor gather in the oil, and exhaust.

It's almost impossible to overheat these engines, unless you've (or dealer) has mucked with the anti-freeze, and then fills it improperly. Ask me how I know...

My dealer did the alt. recall on my ST2 a couple a years ago. Didn't fill it properly, and the beast overheated in their yard. Luckily, I let it run for a long time B4 I left. It would have REALLY pissed me off if it left me stranded on that 15 degree day in Feb.

I helped the tech fill it properly, showing him a few things he overlooked. Like FILL IT ON THE SIDE STAND. This brings the rad. cap to the highest point. On the older SBKs and ST models, there are some extra small screws w/ copper washers...these can and should be used as air bleeds when filling. You gotta "think like a bubble" when you're refilling these machines. Also pulsing the rad. hoses allows some trapped air to burp thru the system.
 
#10 ·
I shoulda also mentioned that I'm a bit north of you, up in Central Mass.. So it's as cold here, maybe colder than CT.
 
#12 ·
First I would like to thank everyone for the replies. It makes me feel a little better to think it is only condensation in the oil. But I still do not understand what else could be causing the coolant system to leak. As I stated earlier this is the third trip back to the dealer for coolant leaks.
 
#13 ·
Shoot, I get side tracked, and forget to mention stuff like my coolant leaks...I've had a couple on the ST2, upper and lower radiator hose. I found that repositioning, and retightening the clamp fixed them both times. I think the hoses (rubber) just get a bit lazy, and the clamps need to be snugged a bit.
 
#15 ·
Well she is back from the shop. After having both head gaskets replaced, oil change ect.Went out for a nice ride and hade the bike put on the dyno. All seems well. I attached the dyno results this was an SAE adjusted run. The non adjusted run was 124 hp. Looked pretty good to me but I have nothing to compare it to. What do you think?
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top