GS1150 Cylinder Head Gaskets

[robert_r_lefebvre]

Late in the fall I removed the top end of my 1150 to replace the valve seals. Soon, by middle of March it will be warm enough and I'll start to re-install the top end.

My question is related to the gaskets, lower and upper cylinder gaskets along with valve cover gaskets, do I need to apply any kind of adhesive or silicone?

Thanks
Bob

[Dink]

No you dont need to, if you choose to, DO NOT put any on the cylinder head gasket, and go as light as possible anywhere else as there are oilways in there you do not want to clog up.

Dink

[jeff.saunders]

it's rare the factory used goo on any gaskets.

I tend to use goo in a couple of places - not to seal the surface, but to keep the gasket in place when assembling - just a very thin coat (either something like 1104, or spray goo in an aerosol can).

I goo the base gasket to the UNDERSIDE of the cylinder block. This gets it out of harms way when getting the pistons into the bore. Before I learned this trick, I'd damaged a couple of base gaskets when a sleeve trapped it on the way down into the cases.

The other place I use goo is the alternator gasket. On some bikes, it's difficult to get the cover on without the magnets pulling to to one side or the other.

[bwringer]

Once in a while I'll use teensy tiny amounts of this extremely gooey blue stuff called Hylomar to stick gaskets in place and make life much easier. It's also good to use a few dabs on scratches or gouges on mating surfaces just to make sure they don't leak.

Don't use anything on a head gasket, though.

On a cylinder head that hasn't been apart since the Reagan administration, it's pretty much impossible to scrape the old gasket off. Last time I encountered this, I had a machine shop shave off the teensiest sliver of material to get rid of the old gasket completely and ensure that I had a perfect surface. It seemed to work great, too. You don't want to remove enough to change compression significantly.


Speaking of gaskets, I just ordered a set from you today, Jeff! It's no problem if you're buried under several feet of snow and UPS can't get to you right away -- I can wait a few more days... \\/

[robert_r_lefebvre]

Thanks for responding.