Head Gasket

[XJOK2PLAY]

Ya know, Tod... that's weird!
Can't remember now what member it was, but here a while back he posted his was leaking, too... described where.
Several members posted advice, but I could tell EXACTLY where his was leaking as he described it, and the suggestions were all off...
So I asked him if it was this particular place... same as mine...
And he said BINGO!

Then a few others chimed in as well with there's doing it.

I began to see a trend. Cody , Miles, & I have discussed what's been done in detail, and you know more about mine, as you said, than anybody!

Miles told me how they tried to re-torque the head the last time... and made it leak worse. Cody tried a whole new approach to re-torquing mine when it leaked again... didn't help. Got up in there, and could see a 2" piece of the gasket hanging out... dead center, back bottom side, where the jugs notch out. The gasket was a green colored one. The only 3 ways I could see that happening is 1) when we reassembled it, it somehow got torn. 2) warpage, and the pressure forced it out. 3) Design flaw in the head bolt placements & /or torque sequence / specs.
Then Cody began to recall that was the 4th time this has happened to him, and all 4 times he used the green gaskets that come w/ the set, not a Yamaha gasket. Cost was the reason why. Set was cheaper.
All I can think to say, then is ... it's just my luck. BUT, others have had this same problem, too.
It is a mystery I would like to solve... especially if it winds up being a design flaw that's common across the XS line... or crap gaskets, that should never be used again.
Either way... I'd sure like to know the answer why...
For now, all I can say is, if yours is leaking here... take some starting fluid and clean all the oily crap off... apply liberal amounts of high temp clear RTV across about a 6" wide area there... and let it cure thoroughly before riding again. I let mine cure 3 days. It will stop the leak, it's back up in there where you can't see it... fast & cheap fix. Has held up now for 4000 miles.
My boots are a lot cleaner now, and so's the bike...

[mro]

gasket re-use

I've never re-used a gasket on a customers engine but have on my own a few times. If the head gasket is not wrecked I always put a light even coat of copper paint on it and let it dry before reinstalling. That's real "copper" based spray paint. Worked just fine even on a big block ford as well as a few air cooled engines. Don't see why it would not help other gaskets either.
As far as the after market XS kits go, I've yet to have a problem and I've used several.

mro
Now that I've said that ... think I'll take a peek at the last one I did to be sure

Happy Thanks Giving

[trbig]

These green gaskets, though cheaper, are supposed to be made by the same people/company that supplies Yamaha with their OEM gaskets.

I have re-used head gaskets multiple times. As long as they aren't de-laminating.. I throw them back on. I've never had a head gasket problem. Plus, when you use a used one, after you torque it back down, it won't require re-torquing again after a warm up and cool down. I WOULD suggest still checking.. but I've never had them loose.


Tod

[Athedra]

Here in SA, we have a guy making what he calls tripple plated aluminum gaskets. Yamaha quoted me R960 about 3 months ago for a head gasket, and bought a tripple aluminum head gasket from this guy for R350. Big price difference, and according to the guy making them, they are reusable.