can anyone tell me what is causing flames to come out from the cylinder head? is the gasket gone? How bad is it? thanks. https://streamable.com/rz325r
Usually by the time it gets to where flames are blowing out of the gasket, the gasket is severely compromised. I would be really concerned for coolant getting into the combustion chamber. At this point, a compression test would only state the obvious.
forgive my ignorance but what does it usually causes the gasket to brake like this? And why would coolant get into the combustion chamber? I thought that's the part from where the gases after combustion just go out.
Most of the time a gasket gets compromised from engine overheating. Sometimes the compromise can cause the pressurised combustion to find a way out. Sometimes the compromise can allow coolant from the coolant ports to get into the chamber or into the exhaust manifold. I once had the compromise between pistons on my severely abused Mustang 428 motor.
Firstly stop running it, deffo stop riding it… that looks like more than gasket, it looks like the exhaust as split around the welds. Would need to see more pictures up close to know for sure, I doubt it’s the head gasket though, it’s most likely the exhaust split or gasket
I didn’t realize there was a video. Phill sound correct… that doesn’t look like a head gasket from the video. Are the manifold nuts tight ?
I will need to take it apart first to have a look. I hope I won't need to remove the rear shock to get access to it. But yes, it looks like it has split around it.
It could be just bad luck, faulty material but splits like that can be caused by an increase in back pressure. You could get it welded / patched up but remember when welding anything, you are creating another weak spot on the edge of the new weld. Might just be from vibration..
Has it split all the way round? I'd say that's a fatigue crack caused by vibration and possibly something a bit out of line when it was installed or maybe the pipe's been bashed a bit out of line. I say the out of line stuff as it looks as if it has cracked and also moved out of true (bit hard to see with the shadows). If I was asked to weld that back together I'd find it hard to know the best alignment to make sure it fitted back properly/true...
Not only does it appear to have a significant crack , as said above, it is now also misaligned. I would cut your losses and go for a replacement.
Needs replacing not welding. This can happen on a no’s of different bike of many makes, for some of the previously mentioned reasons. Purchase new if you can and ensure exact alignment before evenly tightening all associated fittings and brackets.
Sometimes this can be caused by people doing up latter parts of the exhaust system tight before fitting it all, causing parts of he exhaust to sit under tension
I don't know how the exhaust is fixed to the frame but if fitted, it might be wise to check the state of the rubber damping bushes used in the mounting brackets. I lost one on the Raptor & the link pipe to header union cracked.
