Valve cover gasket removal...

[Dogma]

The flame heats through the gasket to base metal and releases the varnish and crap holding it down. I like to see the gasket get a little reddish glow to it as I go along. Its gonna take about a lifetime for the torch to get the head hot enough to start doing any damage.

Interesting. Any danger to the paint?

[chuck hahn]

I havent ruined any paint. I used to have a mini butane torch that was the cats behind for the job. I tried the paint stripper once on a clutch cover and that took what felt like half a lifetime. The torch was done in a matter of a few minutes.

The thing about the aluminum is that it spreads and dissipates the heat rather quickly and on head and engine cases the flame doesnt really heat the metal and paint enough to do damage.

[limeex2]

We have HD toilet bowl cleaner at work, its a really strong acid. Used to clean our machinery. I cut it 50/50

[greg78gs750]

third on the wood chisel. good news is it only sucks the first time, once you start keeping up on the adjustment it is easy peasy

[748cc]

Lots of good advice here, guys. My dilema is simply trying to get the valve cover to lift off the head. I've currently sprayed the seams with WD40 & let it soak overnight-not sure how effective it'll be. Any tips anyone can pass along here too? Thanks in advance.

[cowboyup3371]

What bike? You'd do good to start your own thread on this though

[standswithabeer]

if you've removed all the bolts (double-check this in your manual), a few taps with a rubber mallet around the perimeter of the valve cover should break it free. you'll know from the sound. i'd keep tapping around, rather than using a screwdriver to pry the cover off. this will avoid marring the aluminum mating surfaces. depending on the bike, you may need to remove the breather assy and horn, and tie up the plug wires up and out of the way. make sure to keep the plugs in, this will keep the crap that falls as you wiggle the cover free from getting into the cylinders.

[748cc]

CowboyUp: Thanks for the insight. She's a '78 GS750 that I don't think saw regular service for over twenty years. My quest to figure out what to safely do led me to this thread, and so I simply built upon it (there really is good stuff in here!).
Stands: I've gone back with a hammer & wooden dowel as a tapper. This has to be the original install cause this is on but good!! I've moved on to sending PBlast down the seams for the night & considering a stiff putty knife down the outter edges, aiming dead center of the gasket. Between this & trying to get the intake tubes off I'm bouncing off brick walls. At least THERE I have two screws backed out, so SOME progress!!

Thanks again for your advice. Fingers crossed...tomorrow.

[standswithabeer]

very good, hope you have some luck. my 79gs550 is all original, and most fasteners are unmarked. without my hand impact they'd be well-marked but still in place. : )

i've been refreshing an early UJM or two every off-season for prob 25 years now, i REALLY need to get a set of JIS tools.

[748cc]

"I've been refreshing an early UJM or two every off-season for prob 25 years now, i REALLY need to get a set of JIS tools."

LOL Ya think?!? Thanks for the encouragement : ) I'll post progress if/when.
L8r.

[748cc]

Okay, so with a stiff putty knife & a mallet I was able to get the valve cover free in about 45-60 min.s. Was ever so careful not to go too deep within the cavity, making several passes along each seam I could reach. Overall clean up is needed next, but it got too darn cold & late in the day to move forward (I did also make progress on the intake boots thou-see new post within the 'carb/fuel/exhaust' forum on that experience). It's a good day of progress - I'm happy!

Thanks again for the support, guys! Bring On 2019!!