Oil Leak on Hawk 250

[Zapkin]

Originally Posted by Bill Hilly

I would bet it's leaking around the O Ring, but it sounds like it's not really hurting anything, as long as it doesn't run low on oil.

I just want to fix it, learn from it. etc. i tend to anthropomorphize my vehicles.

[Bill Hilly]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

i will tear it apart. I need to tear it apart. I want to tear it apart. and I will fix it. and then I will laugh at myself for ever being stressed out about it. tomorrow I am going back out. hell i might do it today.

I noticed that you ordered a steel gasket from CSC. You would be using the O-Ring then, but you may want to paint the gasket with some Copper Coat, or something similar. I remember my Dad taking a small roller, and painting copper head gaskets with alluminium color paint of some type, when ever he would work on the tractors.

[Zapkin]

i feel guilty now for even contacting them, but I live on a fixed income and I have a bunch of very needy grand kids and daughters so I am looking to keep things on a budget. Which is why i bought the hawk i love her so. I would put 1000 engines in her to repay the freedom i;ve gotten since may. I cant even explain it. But lets just say, this hawk has change my whole life.

[Texas Pete]

That aluminum paint had a large amount of powdered aluminum which acted as a bandaid for badly machined stuff or scratched up. Filled in the tiny gaps and glued the gasket on. Good for reusing old heads etc.

And the old steel shim gaskets needed every bandaid they would get as they were finicky.

[Bill Hilly]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

i feel guilty now for even contacting them, but I live on a fixed income and I have a bunch of very needy grand kids and daughters so I am looking to keep things on a budget. Which is why i bought the hawk i love her so. I would put 1000 engines in her to repay the freedom i;ve gotten since may. I cant even explain it. But lets just say, this hawk has change my whole life.

After I got hurt on my TBR7 a month ago, I had tried riding a few times, and couldn't stand to keep my knee bent enough to hold my foot on the peg. I think it even made my injury worse. It took a long time for my wound to start filling in, and I started worrying about it, because I am not a Doctor, or Hospital person, but once it covered the bone back up, then it started filling in fast, but I had contemplated just giving up riding. I have been riding a couple times this week, and can now keep my foot positioned on the peg, but I have a new respect for riding. I HATE having to go through the PIA of dressing in riding pants, and wearing a jacket, but I do wear them now. I was just getting to confident on the bikes. I went for about an hour, and a half long trip today , and was on a freshly paved secondary road, that I would have flew on just a month ago, but I didn't. I will miss just wearing a sleeveless shirt, and jeans, next summer, but I intend to ride safer than I have for the past couple of years. I don't really know, if riding has changed my life much, but it is my favorite hobby. I have even concidered trying to combine fishing, and riding, and even bought one of those collapsible rods, but just never used it. I know it's kinda gross, but this is a picture of my wounded knee taken a couple of weeks ago. http://

[chiefmeat68]

You just reminded me of my co-worker who has half of his actual kneecap cast in acrylic as a paper weight!

He lost it in a motorcycle crash in his 20's.

I feel the same about how much my hawk has given me enjoyment and freedom... but I too definitely need to up my safety game!

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

i will tear it apart. I need to tear it apart. I want to tear it apart. and I will fix it. and then I will laugh at myself for ever being stressed out about it. tomorrow I am going back out. hell i might do it today.

It takes longer to remove the plastics and tank than it does to get the head off. 18 bolts in total once everything is out of the way. 2 for intake side, 2 for the head pipe, 3 for the top mount plates. 3 for the valve cover. 3 for the rocker box. 5 for the head itself (4 inside, and the one on the left side that acts as the cam follower pivot retainer.)

Just don't forget to set the engine to TDC on compression before you take the head off. Also, whilst removing the 4 nuts for the head inside the valve cover, stuff some paper towels or a shop rag into the holes where the pushrods come up. This will help protect against the potential for one of the washers to accidentally fall down into places you don't want it to go.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Bill Hilly

I noticed that you ordered a steel gasket from CSC. You would be using the O-Ring then, but you may want to paint the gasket with some Copper Coat, or something similar. I remember my Dad taking a small roller, and painting copper head gaskets with alluminium color paint of some type, when ever he would work on the tractors.

You shouldn't need any sort of gasket spray for the steel gaskets on these engines. As long as the jug and head surfaces are true (flat) and of decent surface finish it should actually seal up just fine.

If it makes you feel better you can use it if desired. Definitely no harm in doing so. I just try to avoid using them because they can be messy.

[Zapkin]

Originally Posted by Bill Hilly

After I got hurt on my TBR7 a month ago, I had tried riding a few times, and couldn't stand to keep my knee bent enough to hold my foot on the peg. I think it even made my injury worse. It took a long time for my wound to start filling in, and I started worrying about it, because I am not a Doctor, or Hospital person, but once it covered the bone back up, then it started filling in fast, but I had contemplated just giving up riding. I have been riding a couple times this week, and can now keep my foot positioned on the peg, but I have a new respect for riding. I HATE having to go through the PIA of dressing in riding pants, and wearing a jacket, but I do wear them now. I was just getting to confident on the bikes. I went for about an hour, and a half long trip today , and was on a freshly paved secondary road, that I would have flew on just a month ago, but I didn't. I will miss just wearing a sleeveless shirt, and jeans, next summer, but I intend to ride safer than I have for the past couple of years. I don't really know, if riding has changed my life much, but it is my favorite hobby. I have even concidered trying to combine fishing, and riding, and even bought one of those collapsible rods, but just never used it. I know it's kinda gross, but this is a picture of my wounded knee taken a couple of weeks ago. http://

I am sorry for your pain, but thank you for reminding me that I need riding gear. I've been putting it off, but I know I shouldn't.

[Bill Hilly]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

I am sorry for your pain, but thank you for reminding me that I need riding gear. I've been putting it off, but I know I shouldn't.

My knee is way better now, and back to more of a normal size. I have been riding a lot more now, but I haven't been back in gravel.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

I am sorry for your pain, but thank you for reminding me that I need riding gear. I've been putting it off, but I know I shouldn't.

Definitely invest in riding gear. I learned my lesson the hard way when I was 18. I did have a helmet on when I crashed. It literally saved my life. Better to have a cracked helmet instead of a cracked skull.

[flopsweat]

I'm glad I never had a moment to get used to not wearing gear, and the least amount of gear I've ever worn on a bike was during the first couple MSF courses. Except for one time when I was camping, I dare say, rode from my site to the host's site with zero gear whatsoever. I felt as naked as a jaybird during that 200 yards at 4mph. I mean I've seen people shatter their collar bone just falling to the side at a dead stop, so I'll take whatever I can get to mitigate the risk and lower the stakes, even just a little.


One of these days I'll have enough for a Helite airbag vest, and then my hand will be forced to full-throttle through Chicago rush hour on a Ducati Panigale V4R. I'm sure it's fairly comparable to my "TT229".

[Zapkin]

gasket is coming UPS from PSM. I took notes Megadan, don't want to mess this up and also have watched Youtube vids. I think I got this! I am waiting now for speedometer so I can do it all at one time, but I want to ride into the sticks and so I might have to do the gasket before the speedo gets here.

[Megadan]

add this to your notes. When installing the 3 bolts for the top motor mount, make sure the nuts are on the right side of the bike. If you install them backwards you may damage your fuel tank.

[Zapkin]

Originally Posted by Megadan

add this to your notes. When installing the 3 bolts for the top motor mount, make sure the nuts are on the right side of the bike. If you install them backwards you may damage your fuel tank.

any particular torque settings for engine bolts?

thanks! the package came to my daughters today. looks like they sent a whole gasket set.