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I just bought my first bike, a 1973 CB450 K6 and in order to get it up and going, I need to replace a gasket. The previous owner had this to say about it:
Really - this is my first attempt at anything like this, so any tips would be greatly appreciated. And if you don't think that it's something a novice should attempt, i'm willing and open to listening to that as well.
He also said this when I asked him to explain it further to me:Since the oil leak is at the head gasket, it loses a lot of oil and is getting fuel into the oil, which has made it very hard to shift. The gasket is cheap, but the problem would greatly compound itself if you were to run it for an extended time period in it's current condition.
He purchased the gasket and I'm picking it up in the next day or two. In the interim, I'm looking to gather any advice that you folks might have had or tips/tricks to pass along when performing this gasket swap procedure. Of course, i'm assuming that at least one person knows what he's talking about. *fingers crossed*The engine runs. In these bikes the clutch, transmission, and engine all share the same oil, but since the head gasket leaks, it not only lets oil out, but gas into the oil, If you ride it while there is raw gas where there should be oil you will ruin a perfectly good bike. Its worse than riding it with no oil at all because gasoline is a solvent and it will dissolve all the other gaskets and seals. plus there is the risk of explosion due to the agitation and heat from all the gears. right now its a very simple fix, but that would seriously complicate the matter. I would only start it, rev it, and then shut it down. only to prove that once the gasket is replaced, everything else works fine.
Really - this is my first attempt at anything like this, so any tips would be greatly appreciated. And if you don't think that it's something a novice should attempt, i'm willing and open to listening to that as well.