SV superbike leaking/using coolant

[Ernest Montague]

Looks like a head gasket leak trickling down the cylinder.  I just 
fixed one that looked like that. From the corrosion looks like it has 
been going on for awhile.






On Sep 21, 2008, at 8:18 AM, Morgan Jones wrote:

>
> Hello everyone,
>
> My '99 SV track bike has developed what I think is a coolant leak.. It 
> was down probably a cup of coolant after my last track day.   I filled 
> it and took it to the track again yesterday.  After a full day of 
> riding it is down about 6 inches.  It still cools fine but of course 
> that's sort of a lot of coolant for a track day..
>
> Well in the middle of the day I pulled off the bodywork and this is 
> what I found:
>
> http://www.philadelphiariders.com/gallery/Pocono_080920/MG_2975
> http://www.philadelphiariders.com/gallery/Pocono_080920/MG_2981
> http://www.philadelphiariders.com/gallery/Pocono_080920/MG_2982
>
> It's definitely coolant--it's just a touch damp and smells like water 
> wetter.  There is evidence that there was fluid in the belly pan but 
> very little (like 1/2 cup).  The pan is totally dry.
>
> I cleaned it up and ran the bike until the fan kicked on and couldn't 
> see evidence of leaking.  I took the bike back on the track and it 
> used more coolant.
>
> A little background: I bought the bike with a popped freeze plug which 
> lead to a blown head gasket.  That was 2 years and 12-20 track days 
> ago.
>
> This is a worked bike:  680cc, carillo rods, valve work, race cams, 
> flat slides.  The work was all done many owners ago and as far as I 
> can tell it was done well..  it has run like a Swiss watch in the 3 
> years and probably 25 track days I've owned it.  It's 90hp at the 
> wheel depending on whose dyno you ask.  It is clearly faster than 
> other SVs on the track.
>
> Any ideas?  I want desperately for someone to tell me that's dripping 
> from somewhere and I just need to look harder..  That's not what it 
> looks like to me.  Could this be a leak from the water jacket at the 
> base gasket?  Does that ever happen?
>
> thanks.
>
> -morgan
>