Leakage From Head Gasket
 

There's a very small amount of sticky clear fuid leaking from the rear part of my LC4's gasket. The bike is quite new (7000kms) and oil and water levels and colour are OK and the bike has never overheated. What is it?Could it be some excess sealant? Help!!! as KTM mechanics are a rare beast here in Niger....

Thanks in Advance,

Ian.

I dont think this is a problem, i assume that the head has never been off. The only liquids in there are oil, water , or a mixture of the above, water and oil are a creamy carmel color when mixed. If it feels slippery then its oil, water. I dont beleve there is any sealant bettween the head and cases But the valve cover is sealed with only sealant It might not hurt to retorque the head(the specs are in the manual)

Cheers Bob

Hi,

If there is a small leak - it should not be a problem, but this type of leak has been reported & experienced by others before, and at around the same mileage level. Keep an eye on it, and your oil level. There should not be a sealant/gasket, by if there is, it will be of the 'rubbery kind' i.e. the same consistancy as woodglue (which I used as a replecement when mine started leaking from one of the bolts) - more of a seal than a gasket. Re-torqing (as per manual - no-more, no-less) is a reccommended possible solution, but tricky - allow 4 hours +.

Good luck.

James

PS - I've attempted to sort my leaking bolt 3 times, but after a while it starts happening again - not the oil leak is doen to a small dribble - so I just keep an eye on it and will get the mechanics to look at it the next time I can afford to use them instead of my own limited garage & tools!

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KTM LC4 640 Adventure-R 2001

Previous bikes...
KTM Duke II 2000
Kawazaki ZX-6R 1998
BMW F650 1996
+ others...
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Thanks for the advice, actually it is the same consistency as woodglue. I'd appreciate more information on this? In over 3000kms (some very hard) the water and oil levels haven't changed.

If its the studs at the rear of the cylinder base that are leaking on your bike, I've heard that taking the stud out and refixing it with blue loctite fixes it. I had the same problem on my old adventure and applying blue loctite only to the nut did the trick.

Further to this, after several thousand more kilometres of sometimes difficult piste, the leak of whatever it was has stopped. Oil and water still OK.