Rubbing alcohol and rubber gaskets

[Guest]

'79 850 G

This post is about those "half-moon" rubber gaskets that are on the end of the camshaft covers ("half-moon is the best I can come up with). Mine are leaking of course, like a lot of other things, but here's the question:

A guy at a cycle shop said that I could fix the leak by soaking these things in rubbing alcohol (which causes them to swell or something?) and I shouldn't have to buy new ones. I guess I could try it, they couldn't get much worse, but does anyone know anything about this? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

soaking them in alcohol will cause them to swell, but it will also make them softer, typically those 'gaskets' if you will are pretty inexpensive, you can even find aftermarket ones that are chrome and different colors.

[schinae]

$3.99 retail from suzuki. I just ordered myself a set while I was at work earlier this week. Order them, soak the old ones. Use the old ones till they leak again (probably within the week) and then replace.

[graham harron]

I always thought alcohol dryed things up ??

[mark]

Thanks, I'll just let them leak and get new ones.