head gasket replacement - help quick

[perfdrug]

well, i'm about to pull apart the engine, and a friend who knows infinitly more than i do about engines, asks me if i know about the cam adjustment levels and all that. i said "i dunno, i was just gonna pull the top off the bottom, replace the gasket, and that's it"
what do i need to know besides that? any how-to's or anything like that would be awesome as well. hopefully you guys just say "ain't no thang. pull that shiz off that shiz and replace"

thanks in advance.

[JamesG]

uh...

You do have the manual, right?

[perfdrug]

yea. i'm not as stupid as that post makes me seem, but was just basically wondering how much real skill is going to be needed

[JamesG]

Well, the GS engine isn't exactly a rocket motor. So you should be able to manage.
Reinstalling the cams and setting timing is probably the trickiest bit, and the part that benifits the most from experiance. But if you can read the instructions in the book and don't do anything rash, you should be ok.

[perfdrug]

alright, that's the sorta thing i was lookin for. thanks.

[perfdrug]

in the clymers is the head gasket called the Cylinder Head Cover?

[MarkusN]

There are two main splits in the upper end. The uppermost part is the Cylinder Head Cover, the H-shaped part (silver, also on black motors) with the rubber gasket with four semi circles running al around. This is an easy part to remove and replace the gasket.

The next lower split is the Cylinder Head it contains the valves, the intake and exhaust ports. The gasket below that is aflat, metallic type. Removing the cylinder head is much more involved.

[JamesG]

What Markus said.

[dgyver]

When setting the cam timing, make sure there are 18 pins from the #2 & #3 marks on the cams gears. Double check this, otherwise bent vent are very likely. I learned how to rebuild the top end by just reading the manual.

[beeswan]

I'm about to do the same thing-replace the head gasket.  I have'nt purchased my repair manual yet.  Good luck.  Let us know how it gos.

[perfdrug]

well i didn't get it done this weekend for quite a few reasons that i know you don't want to hear.

do i need head gasket sealant? clymers says yea, but i thought i remembered someone on here saying no - not for the head gasket.

[dgyver]

New head gaskets (& base gaskets) have a coating on them already. No additional sealant is required.

[The Buddha]

OK No one has explicitly said it so far, so I will...
You cannot replace just the head gasket, you will have to replace the base gasket as well... The gasket will lose the presure that the studs exert on it and it will move. It has to be re done, else base gasket will leak. I have seen people make a contraption that clamps the cylinders to the lower end and take off the top end very very gently. Dont know how effe ctive it is... but dont try it wihtout knowing what you're doing and break off some cylinder fins... and no I didn't try it and break the fins.
Cool.
Srinath.

[perfdrug]

so what all will i need? i have a complete gasket set, no lube or oils (aside from my 5w40 dino oil) and a complete set of tools. oh, and my clymers.
most importantly i've got all the time i need to get it done. is there anything i'm missing to be able to do the job myself?

[dgyver]

As long as you have a torque wrench, nothing special is needed. I always put extra lube on the cam journels when I put it back together. I can not remember what the lube is called but it is for engine break-in. A car racer I work with just pours extra oil over the cams.

[perfdrug]

what about a chain link remover?

[newbieone]

Aight,

I got a question. A few days ago I was asking the same question and talking with Bob, JamesG and someone else. Anyways, I asked about which gaskets I should replace and the base gasket was never mentioned.  I asked about it and was told it should be fine with only 8k miles.  Did I misunderstand something?  I'm not pointing fingers for being or anything. I am just wondering because I ordered all my parts but didn't order the base gasket.  I was going to fix the bike this weekend, unless I have to order this damn gasket and it will take at least a week.

let me know

[MarkusN]

what about a chain link remover?

No need to break the cam chain. Just slacken it and you can remove the camshafts. It runs in a single slot in te cyl. head. Just make sure you dont drop it into the abyss, or you may have to poke around in there.

[dgyver]

I was wondering the same thing about the base gasket. During my engine rebuilds, I had always pulled the base gasket as well since I was installing a different cylinder. When I bought my bike, the head gasket had blown and was replaced. No mention of replacing the base gasket.

Why does the head gasket cost $25 & the base gasket is only $8? They are almost identical.

After rotating the cams to the specified location in the manual, loosen the cam chain adjuster. This will provide enough slack to pull the cams out. I use a coat hanger to hold the cam chain out of the way. Yeah, becareful not to drop the chain or get too much slack in it, it may get a kink in it. Also, NEVER rotate the motor without tightening the cam chain first.

I actually rotate the cams so the tab on the rotor points to 12:00. The #1 mark is in the 1-2:00 position. In this location, all the cam lobes are off the valves. I mark the postion of the cams for ease of re-install. Once the chain is tightened, rotate the cams so the #1 mark is even with the top of the head. Then count from #2 mark 18 pins to #3 mark. If they are not, DO NOT rotate any further. My cam positions may be a little different since I have degreed cams and a V&H advancer

[perfdrug]

thanks a lot guys, this post is getting more and more helpful by the day. i'm going to take a lot of pics so future gasket replacers have something to go along with all this helpful info.