head gasket

hello people; I'm new 77 KZ 1000 project. I need one and looking around I see they sell a 1 pc. I like the idea and was wondering if anyone has tried one and how it went? One site shows how to shave those 4 rectangular rubbers so the head would sit flat and I think they say to remove that middle o-ring? Did you keep the o-ring?
IBBY

You can buy a one piece fibre gasket from Cometic..
You need to remove the cam tunnel 'O' ring and fill the groove with RTV and slice it flush with the surface once cured.
You must NOT shave down the four rubber blocks that sit on the idler shafts.

Go to Redline website. They have video on the process.

hello people; That's where I saw it and it makes sense. I'd like to know more on the subject as I guess no one here has tried one?
IBBY

jlat wrote: hello people; That's where I saw it and it makes sense. I'd like to know more on the subject as I guess no one here has tried one?
IBBY

I have one piece head gaskets on all of my Zeds and Drag bike and there are countless other zed owners on here that have them fitted.

hello red1015; I like the idea and could you tell me your install procedure.
IBBY

The method I use is stated in my first reply.
I have been building and racing Zeds for 30 + years using one piece fibre or copper head gaskets and never had to cut down the idler rubbers or had any oil leaks as a result as Redline claims .
There is enough give in the rubbers when they are new so as not to cause the head not to seat fully.
If the rubbers are old and have become hard and brittle they should not be re-used as they can break up causing the idlers and shafts to move and skew in the block causing premature wear.
The rubbers need to be in compression to hold the idler shafts firmly seated in the block and should not be cut flush with the block prior to assembly other wise compression will not take place and the idlers will be free to move more than they should.

I think he was asking about sealing it. In the past we use to put the old one in the oven to make it come back into shape. The copper ones are different. Some say you need a compression ring installed, some don't. I have a fiber one simply because it was on sale. I've used silver paint to reseal old gaskets. Not recommended.
The sealants now can make a copper gasket not seep oil. I was talked out of one two years ago because of this but the aftermarket O ring failed early and I kick myself for listing to a salesman.
The mating surface must be clean and flat. My next head gasket WILL be a copper one.
Steve

zed1015 wrote: The method I use is stated in my first reply.
I have been building and racing Zeds for 30 + years using one piece fibre or copper head gaskets and never had to cut down the idler rubbers or had any oil leaks as a result as Redline claims .
There is enough give in the rubbers when they are new so as not to cause the head not to seat fully.
If the rubbers are old and have become hard and brittle they should not be re-used as they can break up causing the idlers and shafts to move and skew in the block causing premature wear.
The rubbers need to be in compression to hold the idler shafts firmly seated in the block and should not be cut flush with the block prior to assembly other wise compression will not take place and the idlers will be free to move more than they should.

i just put the cylinder block on and the original cam roller rubber dampers seemed ok, and still kinda soft, so i put them back in. I put the head on and torqued it down and the once i removed the head i reached down and the cam roller feels very firm with no slop. I figured it was all good, if they do break down a bit and there is some slop in the damper i don't see it causing wear on the cam chain as it is rubber. but what do i know? I will get new ones for the two idler shafts for sure. I know its not idea, but should I take the block back off and install new ones for the cam roller? getting the pistons in was a real pain and id like to not relive that part of the engine build.

How does the center roller look? I don't use the rubberized rollers anymore. They harden up and come apart. The only rubber roller is the center one. I won a good one and shafts on eBay. The rest are Liska. You can hear them and I like the sound they make. They also out last stock 3/1.
Steve

The rubber roller is brand new. the rubber dampers are not.

[quote="DoctoRot" post=665309.

i just put the cylinder block on and the original cam roller rubber dampers seemed ok, and still kinda soft, so i put them back in. I put the head on and torqued it down and the once i removed the head i reached down and the cam roller feels very firm with no slop. I figured it was all good, if they do break down a bit and there is some slop in the damper i don't see it causing wear on the cam chain as it is rubber. .[/quote]


If there was still some give in them it'll be ok . There's no problem if they are still soft-ish.
It is only when they are old and go solid/brittle. They are usually slightly misshapen and any high spots won't compress if they have been put back in a different position so something has gotta give when the head is torqued down.
It's a slim chance though and the main point about the rubbers was their function of securely locating the idler shafts and prevent them from rotating.
Those rubbers were designed to sit proud and to be compressed on assembly.
Their dual purpose is also to compensate for varying deck heights in relation to the idler shaft recess caused be manufacturing tolerances at the factory and also when replacement liners have been fitted and the liner tops get skimmed flush with the block.
If these rubbers were not used then Kawasaki would have needed a more complicated mechanical means of securing the idler shafts.