Installing that $32 valve cover gasket TIPS??

[Anonymous]

Installing the gasket this weekend(Valve cover Gasket for the 1980 750E) I know I need to scrape all the crud off very well......But someone said I should not use gasket sealant?? Is that correct....Any other tips you guys can give me....Do I need a tourque wrench?? Or can I do it by feel?........

Thanks Guys

Al

[lhanscom]

I would put a very thin coat of gasket sealer on the cover side, this is more for ease of install rather then for actual sealing. The valve cover bolts are very easy to strip, very very easy. With my 700, the guy who had it before me stripped one of the holes in the cam bearing block, then he retapped it, and put a new bolt it. When I went to put it back in, I torqued it to spec, and it snapped off because it had less metal to hold it. I could not buy the bearing block separate from the head, so it could have been a very expensive mistake, luckily I found another head on eBay and all was well. This is a long way to say, get a torque wrench. They're a pricey tool up front, but will make your life a whole lot easier, and will save you money in the long run, and that run may not have to be that long.

[daveo]

Hi Al,
For Cleaning.Get some brand new single edge razor blades, open one up and run it flatways down your jean leg, like on a barber strap, to get the ebge going one way of center, this keeps it from galling the surface, carefully remove the bulk of old gasket by hand first, then even more carefully lightly scrape off the built-up old gasket stuff, just don't be real aggressive as you don't want to get into the aluminum at ALL, finish the cleaning to bare metal with a Scotchbrite pad. REALLY CLEAN up good after you're done, under the cam area especially.When re-assembling.put RTV under the 'half-moon' rubber plugs at the ends of the head. I disagree with the using a sealer on the valve cover gasket, from the standpoint of removing it intact at a later point,(valve adjustment) I've tried this both ways (sealer or no) on several bikes and what has worked best has been to soak the gasket in a pan of new motor oil before installing, torque as normal, remember there are 2 bolts that are longer on the cover, if I remember right, it's the front left and rear right

[robben]

I don't know if I read this in here or where it was, but somebody recommended using Pam cooking spray on the gasket... helped seal it, but it made it easy for removal/replacement later on. Tried to find that thread in here, but no luck. It stuck in my mind, because it seemed like a really neat idea at the time. I'm wanting to change my valve cover gasket in the near future too, it's leaking at the half moon pieces, as well as at the external cam end rubbers? Not sure if that's what you call them... That'll be a topic for another post, when I'm ready to do it. I'll just order the new rubbers and get into it this winter...

Robben