Gasket Prep. for Valve Cover KZ1000 Police

I have done the valve adjustment on this bike and am almost ready to replace the valve cover. Do I need to do anything to the gasket or these new reed-valve gaskets before I bolt everything down? Is it possible to put the gasket on upside-down or backwards?



Also, I got new rubber cam-end plugs. Do I need to put RTV around them?Anywhere else? If so, should I use the red high heat stuff on the left?



Thanks!

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.

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.

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.

So just on the bottom of the cam-end plugs where the rubber meets the aluminium? Sounds like a good idea! Thanks!

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.

Good question. Thanks!

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...

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...

It does look like there is something on there. I can see that clean up could be a pain, but this one came from Partzilla so it should be good.

I did the valves on mine too!

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.

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.

I grease the gasket.
Steve

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.

Same here. I've owned my 1977 KZ650-C1 for a little over 40 years and I'm on my second valve cover gasket. Ed

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.

The vacuum is a great idea. I also thought about laying rags down in there with a tack cloth on top to catch the debris.