Proper gasket installation question

[GS750GUY]

Hello GS family! GS750Guy here again.
Some tell me that when installing new valve cover or fuel bowl gaskets on my 78 GS750 that I should use only the gasket alone and not use any kind of rubber gasket sealants. Their reasonig is that in the case of the carb bowls; any squeeze out could find its way into the fuel system.
The problem I have with using the gasket alone is that when cleaning off the old gasket it is very difficult to remove all of the old gasket material from the soft aluminum without creating even small scratches in the surface. In my mind the gasket alone would not fill all of these minute surface scratches that could cause fuel and oil to pass through.
I would love your thoughts on the subject and recommendations for the best gasket sealants to use...... if any. Some of the sealants I have used seem to want to get stringy and ball up under and on top of the gasket possibly causing my fuel bowl leak. I'm also getting ready to check the valve clearance on my 78 GS750 which means removing and replacing the valve cover gasket.
Thanks,
GS750Guy.

[chef1366]

Don't use any on your float bowls. If you use any silicone (Permatex high heat silicone) use a very thin almost transparent layer and let it cure before installing the cover.
Ask bwringer about realgasket. Great for valve covers.

[Clone]

Very few sealants will hold up to prolonged exposure to gasoline. The paper gaskets are all you will need on the bowl gaskets.

[bwringer]

If you're using an OEM or Vesrah valve cover gasket, coat it with a layer of grease (use the plain stuff, not the moly grease). It'll seal a little better, and it'll come off easily next time you check the valves.

All other gaskets are installed dry.

Use silicone sealer on your old Chevy if you want, but don't use it anywhere near a motorcycle.

If you need to deal with gouged sealing surfaces, use a very thin layer of hylomar -- it's a very thick, sticky blue inert goop that won't harden or dissolve.

I use and heartily recommend RealGasket lifetime silicone valve cover gaskets for all 8 valve GS engines http://realgaskets.com . Make sure you pay attention to the very, very light torque needed with one of these -- 15 inch-pounds is very little past finger-tight. Since a torque wrench that reads that low is incredibly expensive, you'll have to use your judgement -- maybe half a turn past finger-tight, just enough to compress the gasket a little bit.

Don't forget to get a breather cover gasket, too.

Realgaskets also work well for the 16V engines, but these have more intricate valve covers with thinner sealing surfaces, and there have been incidents of a Realgasket slipping out. OEM or Vesrah might still be best for these.

[79-GS550-L]

ooh, I can chime in on this one! I recently discovered Permatex gasket remover. You spray it on the surface and it starts foaming immediately. It turns into this bubbly gel-like goo that clings on to the gasket. Spray some on, wait a minute, and scrape it off with a piece of plastic. It
will come right off.

I wish I'd known about it sooner, it would have saved me a LOT of time. I ended up scraping my old valve cover gasket off with an xacto and some carb cleaner, then having to wet sand the mating surface. It was a real mess!

Oh and if you get a realgasket make SURE you get the correct thickness if you have a mechanical tach drive! You might want to call/email them to verify.

[Greg O.]

Not long after I bought my 1979 GS 750 L I removed the valve cover to check the valve clearance. I installed a OEM gasket, along with a small amount of Permatex silicone. Just a couple of weeks later it started leaking, so I took the cover off again, and found the gasket had shifted enough in one spot to allow the oil to leak. I believe the silicon caused it to move. I installed a new gasket, and it has never leaked since in 10,000 miles. I am going to check the valve clearance this winter and plan to try a Realgasket.

Greg O.

[80GS1000]

Any recommendations on how to install the stator cover gasket? Is it OK to use gasket sealant like Permatex Black to "glue" the gasket to the stator cover before installation so it stay put while you're bolting the cover on?

[BassCliff]

Any recommendations on how to install the stator cover gasket? Is it OK to use gasket sealant like Permatex Black to "glue" the gasket to the stator cover before installation so it stay put while you're bolting the cover on?

Mr. 80GS1000,

Use a couple of long headless bolts. Temporarily screw them into the case to hold the gasket while you slip on the stator cover. I suppose any wood or plastic pencil-shaped object would work too.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[robertob]

Any recommendations on how to install the stator cover gasket? Is it OK to use gasket sealant like Permatex Black to "glue" the gasket to the stator cover before installation so it stay put while you're bolting the cover on?

Hylomar.

In general NEVER use silicone unless the part is designed for it AND you are not also using a gasket.

Hylomar is wonderful stuff.
Sometimes I use it to glue the gasket to the removeable cover, but you don't really need it.

[GS750GUY]

If you're using an OEM or Vesrah valve cover gasket, coat it with a layer of grease (use the plain stuff, not the moly grease). It'll seal a little better, and it'll come off easily next time you check the valves.

All other gaskets are installed dry.

Use silicone sealer on your old Chevy if you want, but don't use it anywhere near a motorcycle.

If you need to deal with gouged sealing surfaces, use a very thin layer of hylomar -- it's a very thick, sticky blue inert goop that won't harden or dissolve.

I use and heartily recommend RealGasket lifetime silicone valve cover gaskets for all 8 valve GS engines http://realgaskets.com . Make sure you pay attention to the very, very light torque needed with one of these -- 15 inch-pounds is very little past finger-tight. Since a torque wrench that reads that low is incredibly expensive, you'll have to use your judgement -- maybe half a turn past finger-tight, just enough to compress the gasket a little bit.

Don't forget to get a breather cover gasket, too.

Realgaskets also work well for the 16V engines, but these have more intricate valve covers with thinner sealing surfaces, and there have been incidents of a Realgasket slipping out. OEM or Vesrah might still be best for these.

Won't grease increase the chances of the gasket slipping out of place?
GS750GUY