• Can't post after logging to the forum for the first time... Try Again - If you can't post in the forum, sign out of both the membership site and the forum and log in again. Make sure your COG membership is active and your browser allow cookies. If you still can't post, contact the COG IT guy at IT@Concours.org.
  • IF YOU GET 404 ERROR: This may be due to using a link in a post from prior to the web migration. Content was brought over from the old forum as is, but the links may be in error. If the link contains "cog-online.org" it is an old link and will not work.

Let's talk sealers

chrismpero

Guest
Guest
Soo.. Kawasaki Gasket maker, Permatex( that came with Murphs kit) or soap and water (per Fred Harmons DVDs)?!

Reading thru the manual it calls for Kawi gasket maker in certain areas, the corners near the half moons I knew about bit under the valve cover bolts in between the bolt and washer? And it says around the area where the Cam sensor grommet is??
I already put a thin layer of P-Tex on the lower timing cover..

What are YOU doing?


~side note, got all my Valves at .06 and .09, now for the timely task of putting it all back together~
 
Anywhere I need a sealant except for headers on cars (red), I use Permatex Ultra Grey. Anywhere I need a permanent gasket adhesive/sealer, I use gasgacinch. I try not to use silicone anywhere where squeeze-out can cause an issue.

Do not use gasgacinch anywhere you might want to disassemble later. I was able to lift an entire SBC mounted to an engine stand, by the intake manifold that was held on ONLY by paper gasket and gasgacinch.
 
Sorry in advance..
A guy brings his snowmobile into the shop.
The tech looks at it and says " I think you blew a seal"
The guy says, " Naw thats just a little frost on my mustache"
Bad I know.
Nick
2014 C-14
 
Fred's videos are an invaluable resource, to a certain point. But he sometimes does things that do not agree with the FSM. Which he freely admits to several times by saying "this is just how I do it." And that's OK. As for liquid gasket, I used what Murph included in the kit. He wouldn't' include it if it was the wrong thing. There is NO reason to order the Kawasaki stuff and pay the inflated dealer price when you have a tube of it in your kit that you've already paid for. Kawasaki doesn't manufacture gasket sealer. They buy it and then inflate the price 500%. And soap and water is not for sealing. It's for helping various bits like o-rings and hoses to slide into place a little easier.

Finally, my FSM says nothing about gasket sealer at the corners near the half-moons; the picture clearly shows ON the half moons (page 5-14). And it mentions/shows nothing about gasket sealer under the valve cover bolts (page 5-15) or either cam position sensor (page 16-52). So...?
 
Ok so since its asked, here is the equivalent to all the sealers that, Kawisaki, Honda and Suzuki use, only comes in grey though.
It is the same sealant that is used for engine case halves, the corners of Valve cover gaskets.
And can be bought at many many auto parts stores, or here it is on Amazon,
 
Ok so since its asked, here is the equivalent to all the sealers that, Kawisaki, Honda and Suzuki use, only comes in grey though.
It is the same sealant that is used for engine case halves, the corners of Valve cover gaskets.
And can be bought at many many auto parts stores, or here it is on Amazon,
Thanks John. Hindsight is 20/20, I should've just had you do it. It's been a interesting job to say the least. I'm about 8 hrs in and I'm finally ready to put the Valve cover back on.
 
+1 on having it done. While it's been an interesting project, and I've learned a lot about the bike's design along the way, I'm not sure I'll be willing to do the 30,000 mile check myself. There have been too many "gotcha's" of the moderately frustrating type, which have only added to the timeline. I had Fred work up an estimate for me before ultimately deciding to do it myself. Next time I'll probably make the 6-hour ride to his place and let him do it. He's done 50+ so he knows all the tricks. He says he can turn around in 24 hours. I feel like I've been at it for 21 days. :(:(
 
Sorry in advance..
A guy brings his snowmobile into the shop.
The tech looks at it and says " I think you blew a seal"
The guy says, " Naw thats just a little frost on my mustache"
Bad I know.
Nick
2014 C-14

Well this was unexpected
It made me laugh.
Thanks Nick. I needed that.

I canā€™t stop laughing.
What is wrong with me!?šŸ¤£šŸ¤£
Bob
 
+1 on having it done. While it's been an interesting project, and I've learned a lot about the bike's design along the way, I'm not sure I'll be willing to do the 30,000 mile check myself. There have been too many "gotcha's" of the moderately frustrating type, which have only added to the timeline. I had Fred work up an estimate for me before ultimately deciding to do it myself. Next time I'll probably make the 6-hour ride to his place and let him do it. He's done 50+ so he knows all the tricks. He says he can turn around in 24 hours. I feel like I've been at it for 21 days. :(:(
I hear you. I rode my bike from Utah to Texas and back (2,600 miles) to have Fred do a valve adjust on mine. 3 years and 40,000 miles later still not a drip of oil anywhere and running perfectly.
 
Soap and water, huh? Not sure I ever remember recommending that. I use a small dab of Permatex high heat sealant on half moons.

I also replace all the rubber parts on the valve cover when doing valves because of the propensity of these bikes to leak around the valve cover. This includes valve cover gasket, head hole gaskets, O rings on cam position sensors (with slightly larger size) and valve cover bolt gaskets.

I put an article in the Winter 2021 Concourier about changes to the head in 2015 and newer model bikes that looks like it has greatly reduced, if not eliminated, valve cover leaks.
 
Last edited:
Top