GS1000 Head Gasket question

[Guest]

I have run into an issue that I need an answer from the GS collective knowledge base, You Guys!!

I just got my Wiseco 1085 piston kit. The head gasket that comes with it to accomodate the larger bore appears to be a different design than the OEM gasket. The difference is around the outer head bolt oil passages. The original, and the Vesra has a copper re-enforcement with a rubber/copper o-ring. The Wiseco gasket just has a hole sized to match the ID of the o-ring. In the attached picture the Wiseco is on top, then the Vesra, then the original on the bottom


Has anybody got any experience in the use of the wiseco gasket.
Is it gonna leak if I use it?
I can't use the Vesra gasket because its about .5 mm smaller than the bore.

Thanks Guys

[tone]

Just had those same thoughts with the top end rebuild on a gsx & after much investigation i found out that the oem gaskets have been superceeded about 4 times by gaskets without the o-rings & copper rings as better materials have become available

what i'd do in your case is check with wiseco that it is the correct gasket & if they agree it is just go ahead & use it :-D

[chef1366]

Ask 49er. He would know.

[tfb]

I once put an 'Athena' brand head gasket in a GS1000S I used to have, which lacked the rubber O-rings built in to the gasket, and all it did was leak. So I bought an OEM gasket, which (at the time) came with the rubber O-rings in the gasket, and all was well. :-D

More recently, I put a Wiseco gasket in my Kat1100 after a top-end rebuild, and like you I noticed it just had the plain hole. So I checked with the crew I bought the gasket off, and they recommended a *light* smudge of hi-temp silicone sealant around the oil passage holes. I did that, and haven't had a problem.

Most recently, I rebuilt the top-end on my GS1000S, and I made a point of going to the Suzuki dealership and asking for an OEM gasket. Well, what turned up but a multi-layer steel (MLS) head gasket, without any built-in O-rings. So I queried the Suzuki chaps, and all they'd tell me was that the part I got was the current part that Suzuki supplies for my GS1000S.

Hrumpfff! So I simply put a *very thin* smudge of sealant on both sides of each steel layer, torqued it all down, and it's been fine ever since.

My advice, then? A thin smudge of silicone sealant around each of those oil passage holes on both sides of the gasket, torque it down (not forgetting to re-torque after the recommended mileage), and forget about it.

[BlackStar]

Thanks for the info tfb. I'll do that!

[tone]

In my experiance sealant & oilways dont mix
even the smallest smear of sealant can = a blocked oilway & a wrecked engine

have rebuilt one gsx (top end) & one full gs 1000 in the last month or so without the use of sealant on head or base gaskets with no problems so would advise against its use where possible

just the opinion of a backstreet mechanic who's been messing with gs engines since they where new :-D

[tfb]

Yeah no worries Tone, I know there will be differing opinions on this one...

I think the thing with the sealant is to use the tiniest film of it, otherwise the stuff 'beads' and forms little globules when you torque things up.

So I'm a big fan of the tiniest smudge.

Blackstar will have to decide for himself what to do... 8-[

[Ironriot]

I'd have to agree with tfb on this one. A THIN film of sealant does wonders. Although gotta be careful to make sure its THIN and nowhere near possible covering an oil passage way. Never rebuilt a motorcycle engine but I've done many a car engines and so far no troubles from any of them

[BlackStar]

No worries. I'm very familiar with overuse and abuse of sealant and the problems it can cause.

[Nessism]

Many OE automotive engines use silicone sealer in lue of gaskets in straigic locations. If it's properly managed, you don't have to worry.