Opinions on Gasket sets

[Guest]

Hey 2 quick side questions related to this thread about my lower end noise that I wish I'd ask days ago:

1.) Am I going to be able to remove and re-install the clutch cover without replacing the gasket? Or does it depend on how careful/lucky I am?

2.) Since I have a rebuild on the wish-list anyway, I'm planning to pick up a gasket set just in case that's what it takes to find this noise - can you guys give opinions on brands/suppliers I should look at first?

Thanks!

[bwringer]

1) Odds are very poor if the gasket has been on there more than a year or two, or if has been mistakenly installed with any sort of sealer. If you install a new gasket and coat it lightly with grease, you can re-use it many times.

2) Suzuki OEM is the only way to go. The aftermarket sets are nothing but crap.

Exhibit A: Vesrah base gasket

[BigD_83]

...or you could be like a PO of my 650GD. No gasket all! He/she/they chose to use a blue (Permatex?) silicone sealer on the magneto cover.

I'll give credit to them, as there wasn't enough sealant on there to really ooze into the case, but there were signs that SOME of it had broken off and was making it's way into the oil. I found a few little flecks on the stator

I broke down and bought a new OEM gasket. Interestingly, the one I got for the 650 was the black, almost rubberized type. The new OEM gaskets that I got through Boulevard were a light brown, and not what I expected at all.

Comparing the two to the gasket material I had previously picked up for making my own gaskets, I'd have to rate the black OEM gasket the best in terms of feel and durability, and the gasket maker gets my least confidence. The thing with the stator cover is that the stator wires (old, dry, brittle, etc) have to be fed through a relatively small hole, and there was only one locator pin on the crank side of the case, which made holding the gasket in place a little tricky. I think I would have mangled the paper gasket trying to get it installed.

The clutch cover is easier to put back together, and I'd lean toward using gasket paper for that application instead of shelling out $$$ for the OEM gasket.

[Roostabunny]

1) Odds are very poor if the gasket has been on there more than a year or two, or if has been mistakenly installed with any sort of sealer. If you install a new gasket and coat it lightly with grease, you can re-use it many times.

2) Suzuki OEM is the only way to go. The aftermarket sets are nothing but crap.

OK, good deal, thanks! I kinda thought as much on that clutch cover. It's never been off since I owned the bike, so it's got at least 6 years and probably more than twice that.

As for the gasket sets, I appreciate the warning. Dang, that leak stinks.

[Roostabunny]

...or you could be like a PO of my 650GD. No gasket all! He/she/they chose to use a blue (Permatex?) silicone sealer on the magneto cover.

...

The clutch cover is easier to put back together, and I'd lean toward using gasket paper for that application instead of shelling out $$$ for the OEM gasket.

Hmm, silicone. Yikes, dude. My PO had ripped the stator cover gasket as a shortcut for dealing with the wires, and when I replaced my stator a couple of months ago I made my own with gasket material. No leaks so far.

I may go DIY gasket paper for the easy-to-get-at clutch cover gasket, but after Brian's warning there's no way I'll feel comfortable using non-OEM for the base or head gaskets. I don't want to have to think about those for a another couple of decades if I can help it.

[Roostabunny]

Mild sticker shock.

Does $95 for an OEM cylinder head gasket seem like the right price range?

And oddly, I think this is the Base Gasket for a more wallet-friendly $12.70?

I'm looking at Bike Bandit so far just based on selection.

[BigD_83]

Oh yeah, I'd definitely be going OEM on base/cylinder/head gaskets...

You might want to check in with Z1 or Boulevard on the base gasket.

That price seems to me to be only a little less than what BS shows for a complete gasket set for my 650. I can't imagine the 850 being much more. You'll have to talk to them to verify, but I recall Ashley telling me that it was for the complete set.