Valve cover gaskets

[egent]

I have a 78 gs 750 ec that I am trying to baseline. I want to check the valve clearance. However no one in my area seems to carry the gasket. So what I want to know is what are the chances of being able to re-use the gasket? Or are these gaskets never able to be re-used?

Thanks for your advice.
Dirk

[Steve]

If your current gasket is not leaking, and you very carefully remove the valve cover and not tear the gasket, you should be able to re-use it.

When you are removing the cover, lift it very carefully, noting whether the gasket is sticking to the cover or the head. Carefully pry the gasket loose to see which way it would rather go, then lift the cover off.


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[DimitriT]

So what I want to know is what are the chances of being able to re-use the gasket?

The chances of reusing that old gasket are small to none.

If you had put the gasket in a couple of weeks ago you would probably be ok, but a 25 year old gasket will fall apart when you try and remove it.

Check our www.realgaskets.com

He manufactures rubber gaskets for our bikes. They are about the price of 3 regular gaskets but if you install them correctly (get those surfaces clean) they don't leak and are reusable. Get the breather gasket while you're there.

Other places which leak on the valve cover are the half-moon caps and the tach drive. There's a replaceable oil seal in the tach and the half-moons are also replaceable.

You take care of these items and your valve cover (and motor under it) will stay nice and clean.

[JohnnyV]

I have a RG-GS2000 I ordered by mistake. My 82 750T takes the RG GS3000 and I didnt inspect the pics well enough and I ordered by the description. 8-[ This work on your bike? anybody else need it?