Gasket Prep. for Valve Cover KZ1000 Police

missionkz wrote: I lightly goop up the plugs with the ultra black, put them in place and install the cam cover with NO GASKET and under torqued bolts.
Do not start the the engine.
Then the let it sit over night so the sealer cures.
Then remove the cover and reinstall it with the gasket the second time.
Retourqe the bolts per the Factory Service Manual in inch pounds ...after the engine was hot and then dead cold.
I very very seldom have a leak doing it this way.

martin_csr wrote: missionKZ, after the sealant for the rubber cam end plugs cures overnight, should he put a small amount of sealant on top of the plugs before installing the gasket? Thanks.

bl_francis wrote: Is it possible to put the gasket on upside-down or backwards?

Thanks!

daveo wrote:

bl_francis wrote: Is it possible to put the gasket on upside-down or backwards?

Thanks!

I am curious about that cam cover gasket, if the squiggly lines on the surface are a heat-activated sealant?
That feature and the graphite coating may seal better than plain gaskets, but that stuff peels off and stays behind on the motor.
The clean-up is tedious, while trying to keep the gasket-graphite scrapings from falling into the engine.

Did mine last night, and an oil-change w/filter is next on the agenda.
Always good to check the valve lash clearances while in there...

RonKZ650 wrote: I don't think the gasket matters $0.02 which side is up. The way I do it is if the end plugs are not leaking, don't touch them. Put a little Yamabond #4 along the top of each end plug extending a little ways onto the aluminum, then install the gasket and cover and tighten it down, and job done. Now the good part, next time the cover needs to come off, be careful all the gasket is stuck to the head as it's being removed, and the gasket can be reused forever. I bet I had the cover off my KZ650 15 or 20 times and never replaced the gasket. Only time it needs replaced is when it gets broken for some reason. Replacing a cam end plug it takes a little luck to separate the gasket and plug successfully without breaking the gasket.

VTEC wrote: Had my bike for 35 years, and adjusted the valves many times. OEM gasket, all the way around the cam plugs with sealant, bolt it down wet, and it doesn't leak.

Never saw it in writing, but I always put the side of the gasket with the extra sections of sealant toward the head. And cleaning off the old gasket I keep a narrow nozzle of a vacuum up close while scraping to prevent junk from falling into the engine.