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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Cylinder head cover gasket?
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Message started by Moto Duck on 02/17/15 at 08:10:35

Title: Cylinder head cover gasket?
Post by Moto Duck on 02/17/15 at 08:10:35

So I'm putting this little monster back together (big bore kit, ported & polished head & valves, Stage II cam) and I'm wondering why there isn't a cylinder head cover gasket included in my gasket kit. Then I see in an exploded diagram that there doesn't seem to be a gasket there at all. So I'm guessing that it is a special sealer that is used? Should I just put a thin bead of some high-temp sealer in there? I have some Yamabond #4, or maybe I should get something else?
Thanks all!

Title: Re: Cylinder head cover gasket?
Post by Dave on 02/17/15 at 08:27:30

Yep....a thin layer of RTV sealer. I use the Suzuki stuff - but Hondabond, Yamabond, 3Bond are all acceptable. I would stay away from the normal RTV at the auto stores - it seems to set up really quickly and doesn't give you time to work. Only put a thin layer on - if you get it too thick it can plug up the oil passages and starve the cam for oil - and if the stuff squeezes out in big globs it can come loose and plug stuff up.

Look in the tech section for the proper torque of head cover screws...and easy does it as they are small land can easily strip out the soft aluminum cylinder threads. Also make sure you put the sealing washers in the correct location. And don't put sealer where the little oil reservoir for the cam lobes is.....there is nothing on the cap that pushes against that and the sealer will just be sitting up there waiting to come loose and clog things up.

And....don't do this!

Title: Re: Cylinder head cover gasket?
Post by Dave on 02/17/15 at 08:35:27

And a long discussion about the sealant and the proper application.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1099227295/0

Title: Re: Cylinder head cover gasket?
Post by Moto Duck on 02/17/15 at 14:14:01

Thanks Dave!

And yeah, I know how much to NOT put on with sealer. I was taught long ago that a solid thin coat with no gaps will go MUCH further than sealer applied too heavily. I've seen the proof in both cases.

Title: Re: Cylinder head cover gasket?
Post by Dave on 02/18/15 at 10:02:37

I bought some small plastic syringes - about the same diameter as a one of those beginner pencils you had in grade school. I squeezed the Suzuki bond into the syringe and then put the plunger back in. It made the RTV really easy to apply in a nice controlled ribbon right down the center of the mating surface. The bead was about the size of a normal sized pencil lead. When I bolted down the cover just a small bit oozed out the joint, and I took a small popsicle stick and cleaned off the joint, then wiped it down with a bit of mineral spirits to remove any smears. It looked really nice, and has not leaked in the 5,000 miles since I put the head cap back on!