Need advice - blown head gasket

[Snorunner]

Block tester. If your head gasket is leaking you will get carbon monoxide into your cooling system. I have never used one on a sled. New to 4 stroke sleds. 4 years ago was my first. But a block tester is cheap. It is a tube with a suction bulb on top. And a rubber cone on the bottom. Fill it with the supplied blue fluid. Start engine. With coolant cap off and engine running. Start squeezing the bulb. If there is carbon monoxide present fluid will turn yellow. But I agree with everyone’s comments on here. Probably not a head gasket.

 

[Mr Mojorisin]

I would take a compression tester hose and put compressed shop air in each cylinder and rotate the engine watching for air bubbles in the antifreeze coming out of the cooling system cap.
If you find bubbles from a certain cylinder you now have proof of a problem. Look closely at the specific cylinder that the bubbles came from. Be sure to have all spark plugs removed when doing the test. If air comes out of an adjacent cylinder when the test cylinders valves are closed the compromise is between cylinders and not into the cooling system. Be sure not to let the engine rotate backwards when introducing the compressed air into the cylinder. Rotate from the clutch being careful not to get your fingers caught and rotate in the normal direction the engine runs. Watch the clutch and bump the key, that's the direction of rotation.
All this test will tell you is that there is a problem. Then you will need to determine if it's the gasket or the head that is the problem after disassembly. Very frustrating to "put a gasket in it " and still have a problem.
To answer your question I don't know if the head can be removed with the engine bolted in place. I have adjusted my valves but have not removed the head.

 

[Rambuctious]

drained the oil
although not milky chocolate as it sat for 2 weeks but not looking good ???

 

[Rambuctious]

next step... leak down test, looking for bubbles in the coolant res. ?

 

[Mooseman]

Yep. Watch for the level to rise as the air gets in the system. Also listen for air leaking into the crankcase, intake and exhaust.

Put the old oil in a large glass container and let it sit. Watch for water separation. An oil sample to Blackstone for testing wouldn't be a bad idea neither.

 

[kinger]

That doesn’t look awful. Here is my sidewinder oil and what it looks like when it mixes coolant and oil.

 

[BADSLED]

New head gasket is $100, will take you a good 3-4 days if its your first time getting 'access' to the engine. Its more time consuming then hard/skilled. Leaving the engine in the sled is also easier then pulling it. Personally I would sign up for VIP here at ty4stroke, get the service manual, and plan a week after work nights to slowly R&R the gasket. It will be rewarding for you when done.

Now larger question is why did it go? Its extremely rare. Did you validate coolant in the oil? I would reassemble with cheap oil, start let it warm up, then drain oil again, fill it will yamalube, and go.

Good luck!

To replace head gasket, does the motor have to be unbolted and tilted to get the head off or will I be able to have enough room to get it off? Looking to do the job without pulling entire engine out.

 

[kinger]

To replace head gasket, does the motor have to be unbolted and tilted to get the head off or will I be able to have enough room to get it off? Looking to do the job without pulling entire engine out.

You have room with motor bolted in.