Sealing options for head/cylinder/base gaskets?

Ready to put the top end back on the '77 KZ1000 and I have a few questions about sealing it up.

The gasket kit I bought came with 4 large o-rings for the base of each cylinder sleeve. I can't see how these will fit. There is a tiny little groove there, but these will not fit into it at all, and it seems that the paper base gasket will do a plenty fine job anyway.

I have a 1075cc kit and am using a one-piece Wiseco head gasket. Do I still use the cam chain tunnel o-ring or just leave it out?

-Dave

Dave, If you can't persuade the cyl sleeve orings into their respective grooves, omit them. (if they won't stay in place by themselves, they would'nt do their designed job any way, & could escape.) When using a 1-piece head gasket, Omit the cam galley oring, but. for added insurance, fill the cyl channel with a semi-hardening sealer. 3M makes one (sorry I haven't its # at hand,but it's extreemly viscous, & white, perhaps someone else can chime in.) Asside from that, I prefer an OE base gasket, all serfaces cleaned w/acetone or other which leave no residuals, & assebled dry. with a 1 piece copper head gasket you might spray head gasket w/Coppercoat, especially if running 10:1 or better, Be aware.. adhesives tend to make dis-assy down the road a pain. luck G

If you do want to seal the base gasket... and BTW, my '79 came from the factory with sealer on the base gasket.... use something like a thin bead of yamaha 3-bond or similar. It will be a bugger to get off again, but that won't be for many years (assuming the rebuild goes well).

As for the large O rings that go around the base of the cylinder tubes: mine had them too, not exactly sure why they are needed if the base gasket does it's job. But they do use them.

The base O rings were used only on a few models where the sleeves fit into the block snugly. they were to prevent the sleeves from weeping. They can be omitted. The base gasket I like to leave dry. I never had one leak. On a two piece fiber headgasket also leave dry. On a one piece coper gasket I use a non hardening "Permatex" aviation grade sealer that I apply on both sides of the gasket and let sit for about an hour before I put the gasket on.

What brand of gasket set did you get?

beefsquasher wrote:

Ready to put the top end back on the '77 KZ1000 and I have a few questions about sealing it up.

The gasket kit I bought came with 4 large o-rings for the base of each cylinder sleeve. I can't see how these will fit. There is a tiny little groove there, but these will not fit into it at all, and it seems that the paper base gasket will do a plenty fine job anyway.

I have a 1075cc kit and am using a one-piece Wiseco head gasket. Do I still use the cam chain tunnel o-ring or just leave it out?

-Dave

i would use the large orings.....the orange are the cheaper ones...the black ones are better.....just push them up as high as they will go....if you try to roll them, they like to unroll.....fill the oring groove with
black rtv ...i put it in and try to scrape off excess with a razorblade and let it set up a day....rtv is room temp vulcanization...it needs a little time to firm up....dont go bannanas with that stuff.....dont ask me how i know!!:laugh: .....

Jay - Vesrah gasket kit, Cometic head gasket.

-Dave