cam plugs

i ordered my new cam plugs and gasket for my 1979 kz1000 only one was slightly leaking, anyway im replacing all 4, and the gasket, do i need to use any type of sealer? please help, i will be working on it this weekend.

I use 3-Bond gasket sealant for the cam plugs and nothing on the valve cover gasket. You should be able to get 3-Bond from a motorcycle shop, I even saw it at a Harley dealer.

I don't put anything on the valve cover gasket, haven't had a problem.

Good luck with that!

For sure put something on the seals, I too had one leaking so I replaced the 4 and the vc gasket. I put rtv silicone and one still leaks a bit. If you get the stuff mentioned by the above poster perhaps that is good if not I suggest a high heat silicone.

Willo46 wrote:

I use 3-Bond gasket sealant for the cam plugs and nothing on the valve cover gasket. You should be able to get 3-Bond from a motorcycle shop, I even saw it at a Harley dealer.

I don't put anything on the valve cover gasket, haven't had a problem.

Good luck with that!

Seconded.

Synthetic oils seem to like seeping around those pesky plugs more than natural oils, and the hotter the motor gets, the more it likes to drizzle.

Make sure the plug mating surfaces on the head casting and cam cover are clean and free of oil. Use a little laquer thinner on a rag to wipe down the surface and let them dry.

Put a little blob of the sealer on your finger and wipe it into the semi-circular channel on the plug. You don't need much, a fine film will do.

What you're looking to avoid here is leaving great gooey gobs of sealer inside the cover that might possibly drift away with the flow of oil and become lodged in the oil passages. Putting up with a little seepage is far preferable, given the potential consequences.

Place the plug into the head casting and work it on either end, rotating it slightly to set the plug end so that its horizontal surface matches the mating surface fore and aft.

I've not found it necessary to put sealer on the horizontal (top) surface of the plug, but you can if desired.

Put on a clean cam cover gasket, and torque it to spec in the 10-2 9-1 8-3 pattern.

Wipe away any excess with a rag and a little thinner.

That should do it.

Post edited by: Pterosaur, at: 2006/06/03 12:10