New Valve Cover Gasket

I am about to put my motor back into the frame on my Z1-R project. I ordered a new valve cover gasket from Z1 and will install it tonight. I know these gaskets are famous for leaking around the cam end caps. I am unsure if I should use an RTV sealant when I put the new gasket in......any suggestions?

Z1E sells THREEBOND. I use it on some of the gaskets on my bike including the valvecover endcaps.
RTV well ooze out into your motor when you tighten it down...don't use it.

Post edited by: mariozappa, at: 2007/07/23 15:21

Thanks, I will look for the threebond on the Z1 site.

Get the Klasmo all billet cam end plugs to start, a permanent fix. < www.z-klasmo.de/ > I center a small bead of RTV around them and drop them in their slots on the head. I take the gasket and first spray the side facing the head with rattlecan silver paint. After it dries, I flip it over and spray the cam cover side with Permatex Copper Spray-A-gasket. After it tacks up, I line it up and stick it on the cover and place it on the head, snugging it down but not tight. I let it sit overnight, the trick being to let the RTV around the plugs form their shape and dry a little before torquing everything down. This is to prevent what Mariozappa was saying about squeezing it out into the inside of the cam box where it might end up plugging oil gallies. I've done it this way for years, even with the old rubber cam end plugs before discovering the Klasmos. I've had good results. When done properly, you can even re use the gasket for a second valve adjustment. Just clean and re spray the silver paint side, the Permatex side stays completely fixed to the cover.

Stephen

If your cam end plugs aren't leaking, don't touch them. If they are, replace them with new ones. Don't try to seal old leaky plugs. Yamabond #4 at any Yamaha dealer is a better choice than RTV to seal the end plugs. I think the threebond is basically the same. If only replacing the gasket, I just put a little Yamabond #4 on the bottom of the gasket only where the 4 cam end plugs mate with the gasket. Bolt the cover on and you're done. No need for any sealer for this gasket. You can reuse the gasket for the rest of the life of the engine and it won't leak. At least mine never leak.

When I replaced mine I used yamabond. I used a VERY thin coat and they never leaked a bit.