Leaking coolant from the back of engine

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Not really.

Pulling apart an otherwise well running engine is an opportunity to cause a fault. MID: maintenance induced damage. Unless it's milage is very high or its burning oil, leave it be.

I would drain the oil and check for coolant contamination, but beyond that, the only logical origin for the leak appears to be the head gasket so check it and if confirmed replace it.

I wouldn't call it positive thinking either, but a systematic approach to fixing the fault
 
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Previous owner actually took really good care of it and had all the major service done at his local Ducati dealer including the Desmo service. I did it history check and it was all clean and he only recently started taking it to track days. My first week after I got it I've tried to go through everything that I could and that's when I discovered the leak. Everything else looked really clean and works as it should. @Disco my first thought was head gasket but I checked it a few times after trying to inspect the source of the leak and there is no fluid coming from above, it starting right at the seam (which is the intersection of where the crack and casing seam line up). I want to fix it properly but also don't want to cause more problems as you say. Think I'll clean the area really well and try to watch again and replicate the leak first, then drain the oil, then likely start disassembly process unless I discover something along the way that points to something else...likely do the first parts this weekend so to be continued...
 
One suggestion I have is to use coolant system pressure tester. This will allow you to look for your leak with plentiful time and all other benefits that come with engine not running.
 
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Bo13R, good suggestion, just make sure to do it when the engine is at temp to account for thermal variation. Disco, your post is confusing. Don’t tear the motor apart because you think it’s a head gasket which requires you to “pull the motor apart” to inspect?
 
Some say “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”

I say “A business that does not take inventory usually goes BROKE”

I have to go inside a business to take inventory and someone is gonna have to go inside that motor whether it gets pressure checked or not

To replace one head gasket the whole bike has to come apart and being that this is a 10 year old track bike that is prolly a good thing

Time to do inventory and see what is damaged worn loose etc
 
endodoc said:
Bo13R, good suggestion, just make sure to do it when the engine is at temp to account for thermal variation. Disco, your post is confusing. Don’t tear the motor apart because you think it’s a head gasket which requires you to “pull the motor apart” to inspect?
Click to expand...

I'm referring to splitting the cases. The complexity of taking one head of an otherwise well running engine (assumed) makes more sense than tearing down and entire engine, especially when the owner would rather buy a second hand motor than do it.

In the end, this is the way I would go, but it's ultimately up to whoever has the fault.
 
Well of course but that the confusing part. You have to pull the heads to split the case so regardless, the head is coming off and a whole bunch of other things are coming off and getting moved etc so your looking at a lot of labor and then the frustration will set in and at that point, you start doing the math in your head and then then the drinking starts, then the crying then you throw a tarp over the dead Duc, get your credit card out, by a Honda and go riding. All fixed
 
What would be even more frustrating (and super likely being that it is 10 year old track bike) is to replace the V head gasket only to have the H fail shortly thereafter. Water water wetter propo glycol etc (even ethyl glycol) ph and acidity change and corrosion occurs

And imagine replacing head gaskets on a motor that has worn rod bearings and spins a bearing after all that

A business that does not regularly take inventory usually goes BROKE

I almost always made the call for next round and it’s because I was anal with maintenance inspection and rotating out the tired ....

*and it went in the scrap bin - not on eBay*

**dudes airbox might be ready to fall off. Think of the loads that puts on the cases!!!
 
Or imagine doing all that work instead of just replacing the head gasket and then your lubrication fails and your entire engine is toast! But that would never happen......
 
Disco, what are you missing? You keep making it sound like you can do all this “work”,and not address the head gasket. The head gasket gets checked first “REGARDLESS” you can’t physically do a more extensive case tear down without looking at the head gasket as the case WONT SPLIT WITH THE HEADS ON IT. If it’s a head gasket, ....... great, stop there. If it’s not, ....... great, you needed to pull the head anyhow. Tylenol time. Don, take over
 
That's EXACTLY what I've been saying! Don is suggesting that the motor be split, I'm saying to check the head gasket
 
It’s the same thing, telling him to check the head gasket before splitting the case is something you don’t need to tell someone because you can’t physically split the case without looking at the head gasket. It’s like telling someone to look in the kitchen before looking in the hallway but you can get to the kitchen without going through the hallway.
 
And I’m saying that even if it’s only the one head gasket RIGHT NOW that that whole bike oughta be taken apart and gone thru. Who did he get it from? Some guy on FB that claims it was fine last time HE raced it...

I wouldn’t want to get on ANYONE’S 10 year old race bike and go balls to the wall without first checking everything myself

If it ain’t broke... meh
 
Geez Endo, we've been agreeing the entire time!!!!!!! It's Don that has a differing opinion, which he's entitled to. The main thing is that the OP has some sound ways of dealing with the issue rather than being scared into buying a new motor or a full rebuild
 
All good man. He will figure it out. In any case I think we can all agree that its going to be some work
 
Mine had a bad thermostat housing, later the horizontal head gasket, even bubbling on the gasket when revving a bit hot, check all the head gasket perimeter there might be some coolant marks if it's coming from there, hope is just the thermostat hosing or any other hose!
 

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