real gasket questee-awn

[rideOn]

i put on a new real gasket last week with the valve adjustment. it started leaking today just when i got back to my street. the gasket looked to have slid in under the cover on the backside of the exhaust side of the cover and oil was leaking out. i cleaned the cover with degreaser and washed it in dawn dw detergent the other day. the gasket was clean and i'm mostly positive i saw i nice bit of gasket exposed when i installed. it looks like a small spot slid inward. i got everything as dry as possible per their instruction.

anyhow, i cleaned everything again and have it ready to bolt back up. any extra tips?

[Mysuzyq]

Most problems with leaking Real gaskets seem to be caused by incorrect torque when tightening the bolts....the values are specified in inch/pounds, and over-tightening them usually results in leakage & a ruined gasket. Double check the setting on your wrench...if it isn't an inch/pound wrench, finger-tight+1/3 turn comes pretty close to 15 inch/pounds.
Tony.

[mvalenti]

not a know it all but.. use a torque wrench. experienced mechanics can get at best +/-15% by hand. when someone says 1/4 turn past snug, or whatever, is that on a 6 inch ratchet handle? 12? 18? big difference.

Mark

[Steve]

not a know it all but.. use a torque wrench. experienced mechanics can get at best +/-15% by hand. when someone says 1/4 turn past snug, or whatever, is that on a 6 inch ratchet handle? 12? 18? big difference.

Mark

Just use a greasy screwdriver with a smooth handle.

.

[Mysuzyq]

Agreed Mark, a torque wrench would be best. Few applications on the bike call for the low range wrench specified by Real Gasket, however. I suppose some could get the bolts more finger-tight than others, leading to inconsistency but the subsequent 1/3 turn should really remain the same, regardless of ratchet handle size.
Again, to anyone trying this, YMMV....if you want all bolts set at exactly 15 in/lbs, buy a torque wrench for the appropriate range, and then install the valve cover. Check them often too, as they do loosen up with use and will no longer be at exactly 15 in/lbs after a week.
Tony.

[mvalenti]

Yep 1/3 is 1/3, I was going
after the "feel", at 6 inches snug is more easily felt than at 12 inches. But all good points. I've been making it a point during my build to clean the threads of any machine screw/nut I remove. Then putting some anti-seize as a preventative. Also, I have a calibrated wrist, it clicks when the appropriate torque is applied...

Mark

[bwringer]

I use two fingers on a 4mm t-handle (I use button head valve cover bolts).

15 inch-pounds is 1.25 foot-pounds. This is VERY little torque.

The cheapest torque driver McMaster-Carr lists that will work in this range is $112.

The Park Tools TW-1 torque wrench reads 0-60 inch-pounds and is about $40.

http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-TW-1-Torque-Wrench/dp/B000NVCI1U

[rideOn]

i don't have that sensitive a wrench so since thumb tight didn't work, i went with pinky tight. i watched the gasket close as i tightened the bolts. if it looked like it was starting to crush, i stopped. ran it to warm and did step one again. let you know tomorrow after my 30 miles to work and back.

[bwringer]

i don't have that sensitive a wrench so since thumb tight didn't work, i went with pinky tight. i watched the gasket close as i tightened the bolts. if it looked like it was starting to crush, i stopped. ran it to warm and did step one again. let you know tomorrow after my 30 miles to work and back.

That sounds about right. I do it by feel and amount of crush. My RealGasket has about 50,000 - 60,000 miles on it, so I must be doing something right...

[GavinJuice]

my uncle once showed me a trick to installing cork gaskets. when tightening down you watch the square edge of the gasket till it just begins to squish or bulge and your done. I've used this same principle on realgaskets i have on another bike with no leaks.

obviously center bolts on the valve cover you have nothing to watch, but you could get your rhythm down from the outside bolts.

[Mysuzyq]

The cheapest torque driver McMaster-Carr lists that will work in this range is $112.

The Park Tools TW-1 torque wrench reads 0-60 inch-pounds and is about $40.
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-TW-1.../dp/B000NVCI1U

Yes, they are expensive. I did it by feel/eye too, till I lucked out couple years ago and snagged a > $300 Snap-On 'Torqometer' driver (0-30 in/lbs, IIRC) for $35 from an engineering company liquidating all it's tools....an older style, but with current calibration. Anyway, my 'by feel' equation above flowed from there, verifying with the tool showed it was usually within a couple in/lbs of spec. Some do loosen up within a few hundred miles of re-tightening though, so I occasionally finger-check them and tweak a few that are loose with a box wrench where possible, rather than take off the tank etc to use the driver on them. Not too anal about it.
Tony.

[rideOn]

it looks good today, no seepage. i probably just screwed it up rushing the first time, anxious to ride it after the first valve adjustment on this bike. but that $35 deal on the torque wrench sounds good.

[mvalenti]

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...4_200263474Saw this also, check harbor freight as well...