gasket questions

[AKMac]

This may be a stupid question, but I'm young and still learning. I've read every post on this forum about putting the engine covers back on but I still have a few questions. It seems that some guys like to glue the gasket to the cover using Yamabond (which kind?), let it dry, then bolt the cover and gasket to the engine. It seems others like to put the gasket on without any yamabond. While others like to use just yamabond and nothing else!

I'm getting ready to install my covers, and I decided to buy a gasket kit. So should I use the first method?

I've also read that you shouldn't use yamabond to put the half-moons back in. Has anyone tried this?

[mro]

Covers?.....what covers?

valve cover?
if top of head and the valve cover (gasket mating surfaces)
are both straight and clean....just use gasket.
Re torque after a few hours of riding.


mro

[Winterhawk]

No sealant on a clean dry surface will work fine.

[trbig]

For the half-moons, I used ThreeBond Liquid Gasket (1104) from my local bike shop. No leaks. I don't remember who it was that suggested puting Pam cooking spray on the gaskets such as the valve cover and cam adjuster gaskets to help with removal next time and not tearing up the gasket. After installing the valve cover and torquing, 2 days later, all my bolts were just finger tight. I re- torqued, and have had no problems.
I will add that my cam adjuster gasket was leaking, so I went to remove it and add some Three Bond to it. The Pam cooking spray apparently didn't help with that one. That gasket was stuck like a big dog, and after removing it (Destroyed) I went back with just straight ThreeBond... no problems... but I am sure there will be much more surface prep involved if I ever choose to remove it again. Good luck.

Tod

[prometheus578]

"I'm stuck on you, Baby"

This may be a stupid question, but I'm young and still learning

Yeah, and I'm old and losin' it... so ask questions while I still 'member the answers.
Rarely use sealers on gaskets, but I do goop up old brittle halfmoons. Just use sealers in a few spots to hold gasket in place so that it doesn't dance around. I put sealers on the cover-side, not the engine side. Easier to clean a cover... than have to fight your fingers around shift levers and odd protuberances on an engine casing... scraping the old gasket off. Half the labor time on any repair is just scraping the old crap off.