O-ringed Valve Cover for KZ1000??

When I rebuilt my engine and the Athena cover gasket failed immediately, so I made new ones out of 1/32" (.032) gasket material from pep Boys which worked really well.

I switched to an actual OEM gasket now that all the break in valve checking is done. I think the OEM gaskets are at least 1/16" (.062"). They also have a rubberized face to help keep them from sticking. The cheapie aftermarket ones are crushed paper and they are crap.

I wonder if that 1/16" difference makes a significant change on the upper cam chain tensioner that is attached to the valve cover?

79MKII wrote:

I've read that the custom KZ heads like Vortex come with a nice o-ringed valve cover. That would be so cool for valve adjustments. I am SICK of scraping and buying new gaskets every time I need to check my valves (which I do a lot).

Has anyone ever heard of having an o-ringed valve cover on a stock head? Would both mating surfaces need to be machined to accept the o-ring or would a special valve cover seal on the flat surface of the head?

I'd pay to have my head machined if I could. Anyone know of a better set up for the valve cover?

If you use the thick OEM valve cover gasket & apply a thin coating of a silicone type sealer on both sides of it, the valve cover will come off without ripping the gasket.

I've used OEM KZ valve cover gaskets over and over and over again....

Prep it properly with the silicone and use a little care when you take the cover off....

bountyhunter wrote:

When I rebuilt my engine and the Athena cover gasket failed immediately, so I made new ones out of 1/32" (.032) gasket material from pep Boys which worked really well.

I switched to an actual OEM gasket now that all the break in valve checking is done. I think the OEM gaskets are at least 1/16" (.062"). They also have a rubberized face to help keep them from sticking. The cheapie aftermarket ones are crushed paper and they are crap.

I wonder if that 1/16" difference makes a significant change on the upper cam chain tensioner that is attached to the valve cover?

That would be a J motor setup not KZ. J gaskets are thin. Whenever you remove the valve cover on a J motor, you have to remove the side plunger cap on the OEM tensioner before installing the valve cover again. If you don't, you'll over tension the cam chain.

bountyhunter wrote:

Patton wrote:

Have always installed valve cover gasket dry onto perfectly clean mating surfaces and had no leak issue, ever. And torque in a cross pattern from inside toward outside.

No adhesive or sealant should be needed. And might be remembering wrong, but don't recall anything in the FSM about installing other than dry.

True, but they will seep sometimes over the rubber plugs because gasket material can't make a 90 degree right turn. Notice the gasket pushes farther down into the rubber than the aluminum surface which puts a square edge at the point where the al ends and the rubber begins. I put a tiny bit of permatex ultra black across the rubbers and leave everything else dry.

Yes. Was referring to gasket only, and should have noted using a light smear of silicone sealer around circumference of the rubber plugs, whether installing brand new plugs or re-installing the same plugs.

The Permatex® Ultra Black® Maximum Oil Resistance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker sounds like an excellent choice for this application on the half-moon plugs.

Obtained the most recent valve cover gasket (leak-free dry install) from Z1E several years ago, and don't recall the brand, but it has a blue edge (see pic below). It seems plenty thick, but haven't made direct comparison with an oem gasket from Kawasaki.

Good Fortune!

Ok, here's another question regarding dry or not on the gaskets...

Dry only, does this same concept work on performance built top ends as well (no leaks)?

OMR

Old Man Rock wrote:

Ok, here's another question regarding dry or not on the gaskets...

Dry only, does this same concept work on performance built top ends as well (no leaks)?

OMR

[Click on image to hear better.]

:laugh: :laugh: Patton... :laugh: :laugh:

Well I've had good fortune in the little permatex copper or black on both sides of the gaskets with "0" leaks so I'm sticking with it....

Hate to dirty my little princess.... :laugh:

OMR

For anyone not already aware ---

Where using silicone sealant on valve cover gasket, whether applied to both sides or only one side, important that it be used sparingly to avoid squeezing any excess out underneath the cover where it may dislodge and clog an oil passage.

Good Fortune!

alright just looked at z1 enterprises,$10.14 for a 900-1000 valve cover gasket.
im as cheap as anybody(almost)but thats about what i spend in the pop machine at work everyday,so if i have to go without my mountain dew fix for a day to avoid an oil leak versus spending a day getting mad trying to cut a gasket out ill do without the pop! :woohoo:

PLUMMEN wrote:

alright just looked at z1 enterprises,$10.14 for a 900-1000 valve cover gasket.
im as cheap as anybody(almost)but thats about what i spend in the pop machine at work everyday,so if i have to go without my mountain dew fix for a day to avoid an oil leak versus spending a day getting mad trying to cut a gasket out ill do without the pop! :woohoo:

The issue for me was not about spending the money on new gasket but rather the fact that regardless of the brand of gasket used, being Kawasaki or other, i always had oil seeping, either between the the gasket and the cover/head flange (kawasaki) or through the material itself ( all after-market).
Using Viton material soved the problem for me

I wouldn't mind spending $10 each time either, but mine also leaks unless I use a little bit of sealer over the aluminum cam end plugs. Dry gaskets leak, lubed gaskets pop out under the crankcase pressure (happened twice) and whether dry or sealed they always stick and need serious cleaning before installing a new gasket. It's more about the time than the money for me. That old rubber gasket was the best thing since sliced bread!

Here's the cheaper gaskets applied with a little oil on the gasket - major blow out. I think the bolts had come a little loose but I just don't trust it anymore - this leak was BAD: