'81 KZ 1000 Slight Head Gasket Oil Leak

Hello All!

I just picked up an '81 KZ 1000 K1, and after riding for about 60 miles noticed a slight oil leak in the head gasket (the gasket below the spark plugs, not the valve cover). Since it is only a slight leak (maybe one or two drips of oil ooze out on to the garage floor every few days), and I don't want to swap the gasket out yet - has anyone ever had success running a bead of the red High-Temp RTV along the gasket to seal it up, or keep oil from oozing down the front of the engine?

Not looking for a permanent cure, just a stop-gap type deal to clean up the bike.

Thank You!

Not an uncommon problem with age. If its coming from the pressurized gallery at one of the corner studs, it's pressurized oil being forced out. Don't think a bead on the outside will keep it in. Consider re-torquing the head nuts and bolts to factory spec. Follow the sequence in the manual. It may or may not work. If it's the neoprene O-ring around the cam chain tunnel that's leaking re-torquing the head probably won't help.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

The only way to correctly fix this leak is to replace the head gasket and O-ring.

If your leak is in the front center, you may also want to check the tach cable drive. The seal is a common source of leaks. Being right above the cylinder/head mating surface, it's easily mistaken for a head gasket leak. Much easier fix than a new head gasket.