Oil Pan Gasket and Sealant ???

Okay removed the oil pan of my 77' KZ1000A. Pretty straightforward. When re-installing the pan with New gasket, are you guys using any "gasket sealant" at all just to make sure it doesn't leak?
I cleaned the both gasket surfaces of the motor and pan real well. Took a long time to scrape the gasket off the bottom of the motor but got thru it ( razor blade and gasket scraper ). Cleaned the mating surface with Acetone.

I usually just smear a really thin layer of YamaBond 4 or equivalent gasket sealer on both sides of the gasket. Really only use enough to fill in the tiny nicks and scrapes after using scrapers on the metal. It also helps hold the gasket in place too.

Later, Doug

Doug, That's kind of what I thought. I don't have any YamaBond 4 but have Permatex High Tack Gasket Sealant that I think would be alright to use?

This motors you probably know has been a non-runner for 20+ years. Found a lot of metal shavings in the oil when I initially change it a while back. Dropping the pan, noticed a few more. Even the oil pump pickup screen has a few. How hard is to remove the oil pump and inspect?

I'm sure this motor is going to have to be rebuilt sooner or later. Just trying to do a few things to the bike to prep it for running. I've already rebuilt and jetted the carbs., gone thru all the brakes, and fixed all the electrical. Been fun and challenging.

If you would of saw this bike first, it probably was a good candidate for the salvage yard. It's just not me to let it die off. Instead like to give it a new chance to live.

I know many people disagree, especially 650ED, but I use this on any gasket I;m replacing "Permatex Ultra Black Sealant" and have never had anykind of issue. It doesn't dry hard as a brick so no hassle when replacement time comes along, and very seldom is the 2 mating surfaces without some sort of scratch nick or other disfigurement. :whistle: That can lead to leaks, especially if you have been scraping an old gasket off. I've been maintaining my KZ650 since 1979 and have never had a sealant cause an issue, however using no sealant has lead me to the stance I take on them now :dry:
I'd rather be safe than sorry :ohmy:
EZ

Ez, Don't have any Permatex Ultra Black. Have Permatex High temp Red and Copper. Will have to go down and buy a tube of Black. I'm assuming you apply sealant both to oil pan and engine case? Sealant on both sides of gasket?

I'll have to go opposite of the majority. Only time I use sealer is near the cam end plugs. On any flat to flat metal to metal joint I never use a sealer and never have leaks. Don't use any form of RTV whether it red, blue, black or star spangle banner colors. If you must use, use Yamabond #4 or the Three Bond equivalent. My thoughts have always been if the gasket mating surfaces are clean, it will not leak, and it never does for me without sealer.

I've used anaerobic sealer for metal to metal and with gaskets doesn't dry till compressed little bit goes a long way

Loctite 518

ezrider714 wrote: I know many people disagree, especially 650ED, but I use this on any gasket I;m replacing "Permatex Ultra Black Sealant" and have never had anykind of issue.EZ

+1 The Ultra Black is what I used on the gaskets on my rebuild and it worked great.

kzcdw Yes I put it on both metal surfaces of whatever I'm sealing up, Have used the Red in the past, but once they came out with this Black Ultra and I used it it's now my go to, it doesn't take a real thick coat and keep it back a little from the inside edges. You don't want any squeezing into the inside of the motor I use the Red now on thermostat housings and the such on auto's nowadays :blink:

More important than sealant is the quality of your gasket. Many gasket kits use poor quality material and bad patterns. Factory gaskets are best, Vesrah, Doremi, and few others make good gaskets for the KZ's. Athena is not so good IMO.

So from my experience as a mechanic this is what I take away from the Sealant debate..

RTV - red, blue, black, its all WAY over used and most of the time is not correct. Use for thermostat and water pump housings that's about it. NEVER use on oil pans or automatic transmission pans. Excess squeezed into the inside will break off in time a plug up oil passages. Bad for the owners that tried to fix something, great for me who got paid to take it back apart again.

Ultra Black- Much better stuff and good to use when a sealant AND a gasket are used. Needed when you have a stamped steel cover to provide some compliance, stamped covers can bend a bit when tightened up. Great for valve covers, timing chain covers etc. Still WAY overused IMO.

Hi-Tach - Black tar like stuff for bonding thick cork gaskets to stamped metal valve covers and oil pans. Used to glue one side of the gasket to the cover so it comes off in one piece for service. Used on cars with mechanical valve trains that need frequent adjustment. Old MG's, Jaguar inline 6's etc.

Permatex #2 - This is the good stuff, a non hardening oil AND fuel resistant sealant, fantastic for use with complicated gasket schemes like the intake manifold on a cast iron block with aluminum heads, Kawasaki cam plug ends, rubber gasket inserts, and things like that.

Three bond, Honda bond, Yama bond - Non hardening sealant sets up much firmer than Permatex #2. For use without a gasket to seal precision machined surfaces together like case halves. Fantastic stuff and its all the same regardless of the name on the tube.

A Kawasaki oil pan is a strong aluminum casting with a machined surface. The case surface is also machined. NO sealant at all is required there. a good quality gasket a carefully prepped surface is all you need to prevent leaks. If you have damaged the mating surface removing the gasket you can use a small amount of #2 in that are to prevent a leak. You can also use small dabs of a non-hardening sealant to help hold the gasket in place during assembly.

The one thing I hate most in life is cleaning off old gasket material. Especially on the pan / case where the engine is still in the fame and I had to do it laying on the floor. So when I reinstalled the pan/gasket I sprayed it with Permatex Copper Gasket Spray. Not because I was worried about leaks, but only to enusre that next time I drop the pan the gasket will can come off in one piece. At least with the Permatex Copper Gasket Spray that is what I had sumised from reading about it from others. I believe the Permatex High Tack will work in the same way but don't know that for sure.