Athena Gaskets... Garbage or bad batch?

[Kcwiro]

Besides for my leaking stator cover gasket.. I have had no trouble with mine and I have easily 10k miles on mine...YMMV it seems

[Redneck]

Fyi

FYI at Cycle Nation there are no OEM kits. I did post earlier the cost at cycle nation if you were to replace all your gaskets in your engine. At least for a GS550. The total price was $149 without shipping fees. It was significantly cheaper than Part Shark. Twice the cost of the two kits but it comes down to whether or not I want to gamble on this. Since money is very tight right now I might roll the dice so I can proceed with the rebuild. I have not called Boulevard Suzuki but I don't get home till after 5 EST. Well thats what i have collected and decided. Though I am still curious about the kit from Z1, who makes it or has anyone here tried it?

[sam78gs750]

a picture is worth a thousand words... this is after 3 weeks/150 miles.


this is the worst spot, but the gasket split all the way around and slipped waaaaaayyyy out of place. It was fitted properly and torqued to specs. Athena won't give me a replacement, because they "don't have any loose gaskets, only sets." The parts guy at the dealer said he'd give me an OEM gasket at cost to make up for it since I ordered the Athena set through them.

[sam78gs750]

I found this info in an old thread, but can't seem to find that thread again. you can get an OEM gasket set from the dealer. It'll be on the "optional" fiche, the one with spare keys and such. Not too many people know about it, even the guy at the parts counter had no idea what I was talking about. It ends up being a lot cheaper than ordering all the gaskets separately. Still, with a $230 price tag and a 3 week wait (apparently Suzuki doesn't stock gasket "sets" so when someone orders one, they put it together from loose gaskets so it takes a while) I decided to go with the Athena set seeing as how it was only 100 bucks and enough people on this site had good things to say about them. Now it seems those same people are having problems with Athena gaskets too. Someone mentioned Parts Shark in this thread, so I checked it out. They have the same OEM parts fiche as the dealer site, and offer the OEM gasket set for $170, cycle parts nation has it for $180. I've never dealt with either of those sites, but if you actually get OEM parts when you order OEM parts from them, it would be well worth the $70 more than the Athena set and the wait to not have to do the job twice....

http://www.rizzoncycle.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/1/Suzuki.aspx

http://www.partshark.com/fiche_section_detail.asp

http://www.cyclepartsnation.com/

[mike10]

Athena !

I found this info in an old thread, but can't seem to find that thread again. you can get an OEM gasket set from the dealer. It'll be on the "optional" fiche, the one with spare keys and such. Not too many people know about it, even the guy at the parts counter had no idea what I was talking about. It ends up being a lot cheaper than ordering all the gaskets separately. Still, with a $230 price tag and a 3 week wait (apparently Suzuki doesn't stock gasket "sets" so when someone orders one, they put it together from loose gaskets so it takes a while) I decided to go with the Athena set seeing as how it was only 100 bucks and enough people on this site had good things to say about them. Now it seems those same people are having problems with Athena gaskets too. Someone mentioned Parts Shark in this thread, so I checked it out. They have the same OEM parts fiche as the dealer site, and offer the OEM gasket set for $170, cycle parts nation has it for $180. I've never dealt with either of those sites, but if you actually get OEM parts when you order OEM parts from them, it would be well worth the $70 more than the Athena set and the wait to not have to do the job twice....

http://www.rizzoncycle.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/1/Suzuki.aspx

http://www.partshark.com/fiche_section_detail.asp

http://www.cyclepartsnation.com/

Those are the gaskets I used having leaks with valve cover and stator, now. Crap!

[sam78gs750]

Those are the gaskets I used having leaks with valve cover and stator, now. Crap!

Wow, so if they are OEM fom parts shark and THOSE are leaking.... I think I'm just gonna take Nessism's advice from another thread on the subject and just start making gaskets from pizza boxes....It'll be much easier that way

[toejams1]

#*&@*!@&

Add me to the Athena is crap list! After work the other day, I quickly cleaned my bike with Simple Green, and sprayed it off with a garden hose. I start riding home and I look down, and oil is all over the place. I pull over, and it is literally dripping off the bike. I got the bike home (pant leg covered and soaking in oil). Last night I degreased it and started it. It looks like it is coming from the head gasket right under the middle two headers. I just replaced that gasket a month ago, and there is only 1,000 miles on the bike since then. I checked all the bolts with a torque wrench and they all seemed OK. I guess I am lucky this happened relatively close to home, and not when I was 300 miles from home last week in West Virginia!

$#&$(#$#!!!!!!!!!!!!! The last thing I want to do is tear that head off again, but it looks like that is my only option. OEM for me from now on!

[sam78gs750]

Add me to the Athena is crap list! .....OEM for me from now on!

Same here... I replaced the Athena crap valve cover gasket that leaked after 150 miles with OEM and so far so good. now I just have to replace the Athena cam chain tensioner gasket that's leaking now too after just 500 miles.... Never again. I'm just glad I didn't do the head gasket yet. The rest of the Athena set is going in the garbage!

[gs road racer]

I’m reversing my position and eating crow on my support of Athena gaskets; noticed last night that the base gasket on my 1000S is starting to protrude out from between the cylinder and crankcase and crack. Apparently the clamping pressure is causing the gasket to fail. This engine only has about 200 miles on it since being rebuilt. I’ve noticed that the head nuts have been loose each time I’ve checked, although the torque falloff is less now than the first time I checked. I was attributing this falloff to the head gasket but obviously the base gasket is compressing too.

Athena = Junk

Part of this maybe that the stock studs are worn out like any fastener it only takes a few cycles of torquing before they start to stretch beyond serviceable limits 3-4 times max..especially with higher performance motors...cam covers warping , this can be a problem even with OEM gaskets check the covers also on a surface plate most machine shops have big enough ones. Check surfaces BEFORE you put a new gasket on.Many times small gouges from removing old gaskets is the culprit not the gasket.Hands up how many have used a hammer to get a stuck cylinder off the crankcases? Was anything bent in that process?There's more to see then saying a product is bad , a gasket for the most part is just paper. Preparation is the key flat clean surfaces and a little grease on the paper ones...

[Nessism]

Part of this maybe that the stock studs are worn out like any fastener it only takes a few cycles of torquing before they start to stretch beyond serviceable limits 3-4 times max..especially with higher performance motors...cam covers warping , this can be a problem even with OEM gaskets check the covers also on a surface plate most machine shops have big enough ones. Check surfaces BEFORE you put a new gasket on.Many times small gouges from removing old gaskets is the culprit not the gasket.Hands up how many have used a hammer to get a stuck cylinder off the crankcases? Was anything bent in that process?There's more to see then saying a product is bad , a gasket for the most part is just paper. Preparation is the key flat clean surfaces and a little grease on the paper ones...

Edit: I generally agree that oil leaks are very often caused by driver error. The gasket surfaces need to be clean and free of old gasket material, gouges, and they need to be flat. As I stated earlier in this thread, for basic applications like the cam chain gasket, valve cover, sump cover, etc, you could use a pizza box and it shouldn't leak if the surfaces are in good condition and the gasket fits the holes properly and doesn't squirm out of place when you tighten the bolts. Please don't use a pizza box by the way, that was just an example.

Regarding my bike, I had both the head and cylinder machined before installing the head - cost me $100. Torqued the fasteners with Snap-On dial type torque wrench that has been calibrated. And if the cylinder studs were stretching the base basket wouldn't be extruding out of place. The base gasket is surprisingly brittle too which is also a bad sign (I was able to easily break off chunks that are protruding out the side of the engine). Athena sucks.

[pete]

For those of you able to get an OEM gasket set, you're lucky.

No matter where I look, the '81 450 sets are discontinued and unavailable, and I have even tried a couple of NOS places here as well as looking through Alpha Sports, Partshark, Cycle Parts Nation, etc. from the US.

So, I guess my only option is to keep compiling my list of gaskets and get ready to visit a Suzuki dealer to see what I can still get individually.

There is a place here that sells Athena, but after reading through these I'm really not happy about buying them...

[pete]

So I'm bringing this thread to life again as I've gotten NOS prices for only some of my gaskets, and they're going to kill me.

I'm thinking NOS base, head, and valve cover gaskets, and complete Athena kit for the rest, otherwise I can see it taking another year just to spread the costs of the gaskets out!

Here's what the local Athena dealer had to say about the quality of the gasket sets he distributes:

G'day Peter,

You are correct with the kit 06CS78 but unfortunately I am presently out of
stock and replacement is due around 4 weeks.

The kit includes necessary "O" Rings and gaskets.

Athena is the O.E.M. gasket producer for all the European makes of
motorcycles and therefore their products are beyond reproach.
For obvious reasons without naming them, there are other European gasket
manufacturers and for that matter Japanese and Chinese as well, whose
quality is questionable, so I reast my case.

Should you have the time to wait for my next delivery from Athena, I would
be most pleased to place your order on hold.

Now I do realise he's going to blow Athena's trumpet for him, but this guy is supposed to be a talented and respected ex-speedway racer, so I'm guessing there should be some integrity there...

[gs road racer]

Edit: I generally agree that oil leaks are very often caused by driver error. The gasket surfaces need to be clean and free of old gasket material, gouges, and they need to be flat. As I stated earlier in this thread, for basic applications like the cam chain gasket, valve cover, sump cover, etc, you could use a pizza box and it shouldn't leak if the surfaces are in good condition and the gasket fits the holes properly and doesn't squirm out of place when you tighten the bolts. Please don't use a pizza box by the way, that was just an example.

Regarding my bike, I had both the head and cylinder machined before installing the head - cost me $100. Torqued the fasteners with Snap-On dial type torque wrench that has been calibrated. And if the cylinder studs were stretching the base basket wouldn't be extruding out of place. The base gasket is surprisingly brittle too which is also a bad sign (I was able to easily break off chunks that are protruding out the side of the engine). Athena sucks.

Ed the gaskets were brittle??? Old stock dried/baked up maybe? A gasket like that is a very simple thing ( I like the pizza box and disclaimer!) Has to be a reason for it to squeeze out , crankcase pressure? base gasket surface not flat? Missing or old hard cylinder o-rings? I'd be looking for some other causes as well. I used to glass bead all the motors I rebuilt it was part of our shop estimate. It also gave a nice slightly roughed surface quick way of removing gaskets too! Never had a failure. Yes you have to be very careful damage can result! NOT so quick because of the work cleaning up after. Just a FYI we had a power washer with hot water and degreaser it was the first stop after blasting then cleaned with air and on to the parts cleaner (solvent bath). All surfaces checked for true with a 12" machinists flat bar.Grease is applied to all except head gaskets....helps the gasket flow and aids the next guy when it is removal time. Did a replacement work out ok? Do anything differently? My pet peeve is I want to know why something failed simple replacement sometimes just gets a repeat failure. We do tend to take much more care too when we have to redo something, which is why I asked if you did anything differently.... please post about your replacement .......

Randy

[Redneck]

So my question is now this. If Athena is the sole manufacturer of OEM gaskets for the European market, does that mean I am buying Athena made gaskets if I by the OEM gaskets from Cyclenation? Inquiring minds want to know. As for OEM kits i put together an OEM kit myself from Cycle nation and it totaled up around $150 without shipping. Shipping cost for me here in maine was $44 for 3 day shipping and $27 for ground shipping.

[pete]

Hmmm... I guess I can expect a pretty hefty shipping bill to Aus then if it's $44/$27 for interstate in the US.

Guess I'll just wait and see what CPN says if they reply to my email...

Quick edit... I just answered this thinking of my rebuild thread, so sorry if it don't make much sense and see below if you want to understand what I'm talking about (you'll have to scroll down a way to see it)

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=158670&page=3