cruzin image gaskets?

[bren]

how do you guys feel about cruzin image stuff? any experience?

i'm gonna have to take the head off to drill out a valve cover bolt that broke off. oem head gaskets are 100 bucks, on ebay and even partzilla. meanwhile an entire cruzin image repro gasket set is 50. a whole top end set is 30 bucks.

i'm just tired of burning money on the wrong stuff. i've already bought the wrong brake shoes twice

[bren]

well i'm rethinking this idea. i think what i'm gonna do is give up on this bolt. I don't have the tools to take care of it. I don't want to rip open a perfectly good head gasket. I'm gonna get everything else fixed up on the bike and deal with oil leaks from that corner of the cam cover. then take it to a shop who can weld a nut to it or something.

[GregT]

If it's easily accesible with the tank off, welding onto the broken bolt is a good choice.

[unfocused]

You know that you can get brake shoes relined.

When I've used cheap gaskets, and I have used many, i find that the valve cover gaskets are crap and don't seal worth a oh look a cookie...

They work well at first but then start to seep. Check bolts and then you realize... RTV isn't a good choice for a VC gasket but I've used it.

However, I've had good luck with the head gaskets, cover gaskets and such. I do use copper coat for my head gaskets because I don't want to do it again.

As for cruzin image and their stuff, I've used a couple of items with good results and plan on purchasing a big bore kit when/if I tear down my 1000.
Jugs are leaking oil at the base and head gasket... ugh.

[bren]

well let me ask you guys this, if anybody knows:

when the engine runs, is there a lot of air pressure inside the cam cover?

[Rich82GS750TZ]

There isn't a lot of oil/air pressure inside the valve area. Honestly, I'd try to get that broken bolt taken care of first. I was lucky, when I had an exhaust bolt sheered off flush with the head, I have a buddy at work who does welding (and he's good at it, this is important), who threw his portable unit (120vac) unit in his truck and brought it to my house. Took him a coupla tries but eventually got a steel bolt to stick, enough that I could turn out the broken bolt.


If you don't/can't tighten down all the valve cover bolts, it will leak.

[bren]

well, i'll be honest, i f'd it up trying to drill it out. i'm to the point where the head probably will have to come off to fix it - someone will have to probably put it in a bench press and use a diamond bit. then probably helicoil it. My mind goes to, would it be possible to smear some red rtv on it to hold the oil in ....... i know this would be a cop out and a temporary 'fix' and i feel bad about thinking it lol

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Well, just know that if you do remove the head, once you do that, it is well know that this is enough to disturb the base gasket, and cause leaking there, so it's necessary to remove the cylinders and replace the base gasket.

I believe it's past time for you to tell us what bike we're talking about.

[bren]

ah, my bad, i should add it to my sig. i thought i did so already. but anyway

it's a 1982 GS450 txz