I have a manual, tools and some coffee, help ...

[NE750E]

It’s fall in Nebraska and my metric wrenches are calling to me (listen closely you might just hear them too). I am tired of my GS acting like a Harley on my garage floor, and my jeans while riding. I have a Cam cover gasket that is leaking and now is the time to replace it. I am experienced at wrenching on my Mustangs, but have never touched a motorcycle in that way. The previous owner provided me with what appears to be the correct gasket to repair the leak. I need your help to understand what I am up against, as well as anything else that I might want to do while elbow deep in my GS. I do have a manual, tools and some coffee. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[txironhead]

This is supposed to be the best valve cover gasket to get, plus it's reuseable:

http://www.realgaskets.com/files/motorcycle.htm

What 'Stangs do you have?

[sharpy]

gasket

Seat up, 12 mm spanner and 1 fuel hose and 1 vacume hose and tank is off. Take off the horns and all the chrome cam-cover caps. Then undo all the 10mm bolts holding down the cover and gently tap the cover free when all bolts are out.. Some oil will run down the front of the engine but thats normal (about 40cc each side) clean all the surfaces with a sraper (gently0 then some scotch pads then wash/wipe the surface clean. If the half moon rubbers (black semi circle things on the end) are shrunk replace them or run a smear of gasket goo across the top of them when ure putting the cover back on. Thats the basics but u should check the valve clearance while u are there. Thats another story.

[txironhead]

If you go with the realgaskets, I believe they have the half-moons built in. I bought my gasket and half-moons before I found out about them, and I paid $16 for the half-moons and another $25 for the gasket. I was rather upset when I found the realgasket site......:?

Be VERY careful scraping the gasket. That aluminum gouges easily, so use a plastic scraper for as much as you can. The scotchbrite idea works great. Make sure you shove some paper towels or something around the valves to keep debris outta there, but you probably already knew that. They do sell some aerosol gasket remover at most auto parts stores, but I've never tried it so can't recommend it personally.

If your bike has a separate vent cover on the valve cover, it'd be a good idea to clean that out, too. It'll cost you another gasket, but you really don't want that area to plug up.

I agree that while you've got the cover off would be a great time to check your valve clearances, there's some great posts here on that. Plus, your manual should give you some pointers, but there have been pros and cons on that posted here.

[arveejay]

If you don't get both mating surfaces completely clean it will leak again. You don't need any gasket cement of any kind. A very simple straight forward job that will take a couple hours.

[mark]

I agree that while you've got the cover off would be a great time to check your valve clearances, there's some great posts here on that. Plus, your manual should give you some pointers, but there have been pros and cons on that posted here.

I agree here too. Correct valve clearance adjustment is very important. If you use Real gaskets remember that the torque spec for those gaskets is very low. Even stock gaskets don't require much torque (6ft lbs or so). Remember to torque from the inside out.

[jinxz]

just remember your working with/on aluminum not cast iron, over tightening anything is bad very bad, i broke an engine case years ago on my 72 suzuki ts185 tightening a motor mount bolt that had vibrated loose, hence i learned to be very gentle wrenching on bikes

[robertbarr]

I recommend the aerosol gasket remover. I use the Permatex brand. It's necessary to mask off the area around the head as if you were painting, but it's nowhere near as time consuming as it sounds. Just be thorough.

This makes it unnecessary to apply a bunch of pressure to your scraping tool, and reduces the probability of scraping an escape path across a gasket surface.

It generally takes a few 'hits' -- spray the stubborn stuck pieces of gasket, let it sizzle (and it does!), and repeat twice more. From there, it's very easy.

For the cover itself, of course, it's just a matter of lying it on its back on some newspaper and spraying it mercilessly.

Be sure to use an impact screwdriver on the ornamental cam cover ends (the chrome circles) or you'll round out the screws (on the way out) or risk losing the circle on the road (on the way back together).

[NE750E]

Thanks for the tips I will go very easy on the head and cam cover while removing old material. I'll also attempt the valve adjustment after reading the book.

txironhead - '65 V8 Coupe, '90 5.0 GT, '84 Vert Race Car - You a Stang guy as well?

[txironhead]

Nice stable there!

A long time ago I had an '88 5.0 severely modified. Modified injected 5.0 from a Crown Vic (or some other 4-dr sedan, can't remember), 5-speed w/Centerforce, narrowed 9" w/posi. Got a little too wild on a wet road and that was the end of her....three days before I was going to the track to see what she'd do in the quarter.

My dream car, though, is a '70 fastback. Don't care what's under the hood (unless it's a CobraJet) because I want to try to shoehorn an injected 460 and a C6 or beefed E4OD in it. Boss 302-style paint, orange and black, shaker or snorkle hood with a black interior. Hooker headers, Magnaflow exhaust, the works. 4-link rear, four wheel disc. Oh, and the louvered rear window cover.

Don't dream small, do I?

Good luck on the bike!

[chef1366]

When you have the valve cover off see if it rocks on a flat surface or you can see daylight through some areas. See a machine shop if it does because it will never stop leaking.

[Boondocks]

If you go with the realgaskets, I believe they have the half-moons built in. I bought my gasket and half-moons before I found out about them, and I paid $16 for the half-moons and another $25 for the gasket. I was rather upset when I found the realgasket site......:?

Real Gaskets are a great product, but they don't come with half-moons built in.

[txironhead]

That is good to know. I was misinformed. Still, $16 for four little rubber pieces? Geez!

They do this so that we'll buy new bikes, you know. The guy at the local Suzuki dealership (crap) told me that they were discontinued. I got mine at the local Harley (gasp!) dealership, who will special order anything for any bike if they can get it. It's the only Harley dealership I've EVER recommended. I just wish I'd lived here when I had my Harley.

Oh, well, that was one bike I wasn't sorry to let go of.

[Tom MLC]

Put those half moons in backwards. There are too many horror stories of those little suckers popping out. Never happened to me personally, but I always try to take the advice of the GS guru's here. I used the silicone realgasket, and put the half moons in backwards. Works fine, lasts a long time!

[omaharj]

when are you doing this? I live in the Florence neighborhood. If you want an extra pair of hands and eyes I can stop by ove r the weekend. I've never done it either but these bikes are pretty easy to work on. If you've got a manual, a decent set of tools, and some mechanical experience you'll be fine. Good Luck!