Cylinder Head Gasket

I took the cylinder head off my KZ1100 to have some work done to it. Do I need to replace any of the gaskets or o-rings while its off? It was not leaking but wasn't sure if I should replace anything while its off.

Base gasket, head gasket, valve stem seals, and every other gasket present within the top end. Piston rings too maybe. Better safe than sorry. OEM Kawasaki gaskets are superior to aftermarket. Some aftermarket gaskets are serviceable, but others are downright criminal in their crappiness.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationWhat about this one

Jeff +1 above also imo maybe get some new m6 high tensile allen head cam bolts and washers, for a few dollars it might save some difficulties with the risk of snapping bolts here. .see recent thread on this.

??? is a cometic one piece better than the oem kawi pair of head gaskets? GPz1100 B motor and i'm going for a fast road 1170 tune with zx1100 cams.

Tyrell Corp wrote: Jeff +1 above also imo maybe get some new m6 high tensile allen head cam bolts and washers, for a few dollars it might save some difficulties with the risk of snapping bolts here. .see recent thread on this.

??? is a cometic one piece better than the oem kawi pair of head gaskets? GPz1100 B motor and i'm going for a fast road 1170 tune with zx1100 cams.

I have never seen a cam cap bolt break. The threads will strip out way before the bolt breaks. The stock cam cap bolts are fine. Whenever you take the head off I always pull the cylinder also and replace the base gasket. When you remove the cylinder head the bas gasket can be disturbed and when you put the head back on you end up with a leak at the base gasket. I really do not want to the job twice so I replace the base gasket. If your rings are in good shape it's just a matter of honing he cylinder and putting it all back together. I have had good luck with Cometic and Wiseco gaskets. I think they are both made by the same company.

Thanks Baldy, I'm probably going or a cometic one piece gasket on this, my original guess and swayed by opinions on this forum.

I've had several cam bolts break, really illogical I known, the soft alloy cylinder head casting should strip long before the steel bolts snap - just how it happened for me, this was on 550 heads. No 1m long tourque wrench, just trust my hands and 'feel' the bolt stretch.

I suspect 550's get a higher share of clumsy bodgers than the 'grown up' big bore stuff, just what I've noticed over the years.