Gasket mix-up ok? '83 GS650G gasket on '82

[Fenixgoon]

I accidentally bought the wrong year valve cover gasket for my 1982 GS650G - I got an 83 version instead, which is ever so slightly different.

The biggest difference is that there is a screw hole in a different position on the 83, meaning the gasket and my actual valve cover are misaligned, as seen below:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3043/gasket1.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2226/gasket2.jpg

Is this problematic, or can I just cut away the misaligned portions as necessary? Don't get me wrong, I'll get a new one (and definitely a silicon one) if I need to

Thanks in advance!

[Suzuki_Don]

As long as all the 16 bolts that fit the original valve cover go through the gasket then there will be no problems. The earlier gaskets sealed reasonably well without the extra bolt hole. It was only modified to stop a slight weep that could develop in this front portion of the valve cover and cylinder head.

[Nessism]

I'd order up the proper gasket. Oil leaks suck.

[LarryA_Texas]

gasket

Sometimes even good suppliers get the wrong gasket to you. The bolt pattern is important.

[waterman]

You must have a very early 82, I thought only the 81 had the 16 bolt valve cover as opposed to the later 17 bolt style. As Suzuki Don states, the later design does prevent the oil weeping, my 81 is a mess on the top. I think part of the trouble is that the shaft drive 650 uses a high pressure oil pump which will push oil beyond gaskets easily, especially if you have had gas get into oil and soften the gaskets. I am also under the impression that the 650s have a certain appetite for oil anyway.

As you can see, it won't work.

[Fenixgoon]

You must have a very early 82, I thought only the 81 had the 16 bolt valve cover as opposed to the later 17 bolt style. As Suzuki Don states, the later design does prevent the oil weeping, my 81 is a mess on the top. I think part of the trouble is that the shaft drive 650 uses a high pressure oil pump which will push oil beyond gaskets easily, especially if you have had gas get into oil and soften the gaskets. I am also under the impression that the 650s have a certain appetite for oil anyway.

As you can see, it won't work.

A realgasket it is, then!

Now, to finish this week of school so I can work on the bike....

[Steve]

You must have a very early 82, I thought only the 81 had the 16 bolt valve cover as opposed to the later 17 bolt style. As Suzuki Don states, the later design does prevent the oil weeping, my 81 is a mess on the top. I think part of the trouble is that the shaft drive 650 uses a high pressure oil pump which will push oil beyond gaskets easily, especially if you have had gas get into oil and soften the gaskets. I am also under the impression that the 650s have a certain appetite for oil anyway.

As you can see, it won't work.

Two items to address here, as highlighted above:
1. I believe the change was done during the 1982 production run, so some of the early ones had the 16-bolt pattern, the later ones had the 17-bolt.
2. I don't care how high the pressure is on the oil pump, if it's pumping it past the valve cover gasket, there are other problems that need to be addressed first. The area between the head and the valve cover should be at the same pressure as the crankcase, and both of them are vented to atmosphere through the air filter box, so if the oil pump is pushing oil through the valve cover gasket, it means the entire crankcase is under too much pressure.

.

[recycled64]

According to at least one of the on-line parts diagrams, the frame # break-off point between the 16 versus 17 bolt valve covers/gaskets is before and after frame # 1003560- I got lucky and found a 16-hole gasket on Ebay a while back-hope that helps!!