SuzukiSavage.com - Making own engine cover gaskets

Yonuh Adisi FSO

Serious Thumper

Offline

Savage Jedi (Knight)

Posts: 3622
Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine
Gender: male

Making own engine cover gaskets
12/29/08 at 19:46:53

I just made a set of engine cover gaskets out of an old car inner tube. Not complete yet, still need to punch the bolt holes, but this is what I have done so far.

First get an old car tube and cut large enough sections out of it. Since the tube won't actually lay flat, I used some plyboard to stretch them out as flat as I could, and using a sharpie, I traced the design onto the tube pieces, using either the old gaskets or the covers themselves as the templates.

Once you have traced the inside and outside of the gasket, trace all bolt holes and oil passages. Then cut them out using scissors, be very careful and only take small bites out of the material so you don't over cut and have to start again.

Home made gasket on the right

Home made gasket on the right

Home made gasket setting on engine cover right side

Home made gasket setting on engine cover left side

Both covers with home made gaskets setting on them

Where I cut them out of

Like I said, I still need to punch the bolt holes.

Back to top

Check out Flight of Destiny http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9130XC

IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #1 - 12/29/08 at 22:30:08 I'm impressed. Thats not easy stuff & youve done a good lookin job. Harbor Freight has some way cheap hole punches. Till I got them I was using 1/4" deep sockets Id sharpened on the Grench Binder.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Bear Junior Member Offline Electrical Engineer - Retired - Ridin' for 43 yrs Posts: 71 Central Washington State Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #2 - 12/29/08 at 23:16:06 Gasket hole punches can be made from shell casings. 45 auto is fairly large, 38 special a little smaller, 30-06 smaller yet, then .270 and .223. You can sharpen the edge if necessary. Put gasket on a wooden block and tap with a small hammer ....hint - NO LIVE PRIMERS.
Back to top	IP Logged

BurnPgh Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1732	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #3 - 12/29/08 at 23:51:51 Id be worried oil from the engine would slowly eat away at the rubber. I assume purchased gaskets are oil resistant. Im not so sure about old car innertubes.
Back to top	IP Logged

T Mack 1 - FSO

Serious Thumper
Alliance Member

Offline

sold 2001 LS650 for
a 1986 XLH1100

Posts: 2919
Emmaus,Pa
Gender: male

Re: Making own engine cover gaskets
Reply #4 - 12/30/08 at 05:49:40

Yonuh Adisi,
Don't do it!!!!! It sounds like a great idea but......from my Jeep'in days, rubber gasket push out when you tighten down the bolts. Oil goes everywhere. (trust me.... Huh

)

Here how you make your own gaskets. Three things you need, scissors, a rubberr hammer & a maniliia folders (from an office supply store, or one of the ones they throw out at work..... ).

1) "Rough cut" the folder to fit over anything protruding the cover.
2) After you can hold it flat up against the cover, take the rubber hammer and tap on the folder where it meets the cover. This will make a nice impression on the folder.
3), two choices now: a) take scissors and cut out the gasket. b) take hammer and hold at an angle and tap again, so that you hit the edge of the cover and that should cut the paper (note: got to hold it really still when doing this).

Remember to use gasket sealer.

T Mack

EDIT, also remember that the clutch adjustment would be affected by the thicker gasket and you might not have much release.

Back to top

Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
---
30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck Wink

IP Logged

Oldfeller--FSO

Serious Thumper
ModSquad

Offline

Hobby is now
"concentrated
neuropany"

Posts: 12671
Fayetteville, NC
Gender: male

Re: Making own engine cover gaskets
Reply #5 - 12/30/08 at 06:11:09

These are good tricks when a bought gasket isn't available. You can also use them with roll gasket material you buy from an auto parts store.

If you use a stiff setting gasket sealer on the case side and no gasket sealer on the motor side the gasket will stick with the cover upon reassembly / disassembly (and if you use proper torque values evenly applied the gasket will not move as it is held in place by the hard setting adhesive).

Caution on the clutch side case cover -- increases in gasket thickness play for/against your total clutch adjustment range that currently determines our "clutch life".

Inner tubes are made from butyl rubber compounds which are noted for being relatively impervious to air penetration. No "natural rubbers" other than bunta-n compounds are noted for oil resistance over time and hard experience from all of us say that they get hard over time when exposed to heat. Yet they rubber impregnate natural cork material to make the upscale roll gasket materials -- go figure.

I have used inner tube gaskets in the past when I was young and very broke. One was very successful, most probably because I didn't over-crush it. Tighten the case down with a torque wrench to a light minimum side value and tell us how it goes.

Back to top

Former Savage Owner

IP Logged

Kropatchek Serious Thumper Offline Why more than 1 cylinder? Posts: 1457 Alphen a/d Rijn Netherlands Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #6 - 12/30/08 at 07:25:29 Gaskets made of rubber? You must be joking! Happy leaking!
Back to top	Never ask your bike to scream before her throat is warm. '93 Sav in '96 ( yellow) looks IP Logged

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #7 - 12/30/08 at 07:37:56 I'd worry about the thickness of the material. As in both sides hold parts inbetween the engine case and cover.
Back to top	Versey's Place Tech Section Index IP Logged

Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #8 - 12/30/08 at 10:31:57 So most of ya'll are saying that I spent three hours tracing and cutting for nothing?
Back to top	Check out Flight of Destiny http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9130XC IP Logged

T Mack 1 - FSO

Serious Thumper
Alliance Member

Offline

sold 2001 LS650 for
a 1986 XLH1100

Posts: 2919
Emmaus,Pa
Gender: male

Re: Making own engine cover gaskets
Reply #9 - 12/30/08 at 10:36:40

Yonuh Adisi FSO wrote on 12/30/08 at 10:31:57:

So most of ya'll are saying that I spent three hours tracing and cutting for nothing? Angry

Well...... you could try it..... it would be interesting to find out if it works. Think of it as being the guinea pig for the benifit of others. Wink

If it does work, great. If it doesn't, then you can truely use the "trust me" phrase......

Back to top

Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
---
30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck Wink

IP Logged

Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #10 - 12/30/08 at 10:37:25 Got a better idea, I will also cut some out of manila folders as suggested by T Mack and test both sets.
Back to top	Check out Flight of Destiny http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9130XC IP Logged

T Mack 1 - FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline sold 2001 LS650 for a 1986 XLH1100 Posts: 2919 Emmaus,Pa Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #11 - 12/30/08 at 10:38:57 Yonuh Adisi FSO wrote on 12/30/08 at 10:37:25: Got a better idea, I will also cut some out of manila folders as suggested by T Mack and test both sets. There you go....
Back to top	Engineers design things, Technicians make them work. --- 30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck IP Logged

Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #12 - 12/30/08 at 10:44:53 That's what I will do then. How long do you reckon I should run each set? Never mind, I will run each set till they start leaking and post results accordingly. Now I just need to get some manila folders.
Back to top	Check out Flight of Destiny http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9130XC IP Logged

T Mack 1 - FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline sold 2001 LS650 for a 1986 XLH1100 Posts: 2919 Emmaus,Pa Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #13 - 12/30/08 at 12:30:16 When you get it back together, make sure you have oil going to the head. One of the right side rear head cover bolts goes thru the oil passage. Loosen it and oil should come out. It may take a few seconds to work it's way up there.
Back to top	Engineers design things, Technicians make them work. --- 30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck IP Logged

Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Making own engine cover gaskets Reply #14 - 12/30/08 at 12:47:30 I'll be sure to do that. Thanks. Would hate to destroy the cam I got from Lancer because of no oil to the head.
Back to top	Check out Flight of Destiny http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9130XC IP Logged