smelling antifreeze when bike starts

[CYBORG]

My experience tells me that it IS a headgasket........and it won't get better if not changed. And it won't fail untill you are at least 100 miles from home

[Rat]

Or ... possibly ... 2500 miles from home ...

Gord

[Sagebrush]

If you change one do them both.

[5speed]

He's going to go with the water pump now as it needs to be replaced. If it is a head gasket and it leaves him stranded..I'll get a call.

[sickradsean]

could also be bad O rings/gasket in the coolant crossover tube. I would get a puff of white smoke mid engine and a coolant smell on startup when the headers got hot enough to burn off the drips that had seeped out.

[Whiskerfish]

Yep. Crossover tube leaks run down into the sparkplug wells and out the drain holes right onto the headers. A definite possibility esp if the bike has spent any significant time sitting.

[5speed]

Yep. Crossover tube leaks run down into the sparkplug wells and out the drain holes right onto the headers. A definite possibility esp if the bike has spent any significant time sitting.

I will pass this on to him.
tks guys

[rcmatt007]

Or ... possibly ... 2500 miles from home ...

Gord

but you can put it in the back of a u-haul to get home... or so I have heard

[redglbx]

Too, it’s probably a head gasket as I’ve had a similar deal with bubbles in the coolant, it’s not uncommon to have the bubbles and nothing in the cylinders, this is because you have 130-171psi compression vs 6-7psi coolant pressure, so the less viscous compression more easily pass’s through the head gasket.

Have you tried retorquing the head(s) yet ? Sometimes you get lucky and reseal the head gasket but most times not but it may get better. See if you reduce or eliminate the bubbles in the coolant. I would also pull the spark plugs to find where it’s leaking because the cylinder with the leak the plug will look steam cleaned.

Have you looked at your oil ? If it is leaking through the water pump the oil will look like a chocolate milk shake but a water pump (loose impeller is not good ) will not create bubbles in the coolant! You probably have more than 1 problem here.

[toomanybikes]

Too, it’s probably a head gasket as I’ve had a similar deal with bubbles in the coolant, it’s not uncommon to have the bubbles and nothing in the cylinders, this is because you have 130-171psi compression vs 6-7psi coolant pressure, so the less viscous compression more easily pass’s through the head gasket.

Have you tried retorquing the head(s) yet ? Sometimes you get lucky and reseal the head gasket but most times not but it may get better. See if you reduce or eliminate the bubbles in the coolant. I would also pull the spark plugs to find where it’s leaking because the cylinder with the leak the plug will look steam cleaned.

Have you looked at your oil ? If it is leaking through the water pump the oil will look like a chocolate milk shake but a water pump (loose impeller is not good ) will not create bubbles in the coolant! You probably have more than 1 problem here.

Haven't tried re-torquing the bolts and the Triumph is ~fourth in the winter project queue, but I'll take a look before Spring riding season hits. Oil hasn't changed color and plugs were normal last I checked.

[5speed]

Too, it’s probably a head gasket as I’ve had a similar deal with bubbles in the coolant, it’s not uncommon to have the bubbles and nothing in the cylinders, this is because you have 130-171psi compression vs 6-7psi coolant pressure, so the less viscous compression more easily pass’s through the head gasket.

Have you tried retorquing the head(s) yet ? Sometimes you get lucky and reseal the head gasket but most times not but it may get better. See if you reduce or eliminate the bubbles in the coolant. I would also pull the spark plugs to find where it’s leaking because the cylinder with the leak the plug will look steam cleaned.

Have you looked at your oil ? If it is leaking through the water pump the oil will look like a chocolate milk shake but a water pump (loose impeller is not good ) will not create bubbles in the coolant! You probably have more than 1 problem here.

he checked his plugs and all were the same. No sign of steam cleaning. He hasn't see any bubble in the coolant, just a small bit of oil.

[rcmatt007]

a small bit of oil could easily be from a bad water pump

[5speed]

a small bit of oil could easily be from a bad water pump

and his is bad.. which reminds me..I forgot to order one. oops. lol

[digger]

I concur with Cyborg, personal experience is, the head gasket is just starting to fail. Run it the way it is, but may be a long way from home when it goes.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

I used that kit on our '83 project last winter. Worked great for my son and me.