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Cleaning gasket off

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr.Mom
  • Start date Start date
M

Mr.Mom

Guest
Hi,
Waiting for my club shims to show, how do I clean the gasket remnants off of the head? Tried kerosene and used a sharp putty knife, but there is still quite a bit of stuff stuck to the engine.

Thank you
 
Utility knife blades and gently fillet the gasket off. Do all you can to NOT gouge or otherwise damage the machined surfaces.
 
believe it or not, i think a sharp wood chisel is the best tool here. i find it easier to control than a scraper or razor blade, less likely to gouge the bike or you. good news is cleaning that gasket is the hardest part of the job.
 
I use the square end of 1/2 by 6 inch stainless ruler-has little tendency to gouge as it flexes nicely under pressure. But it takes longer to clean these surfaces than check/change shims !
 
1980GS1000E said:
Permatex gasket remover
Click to expand...

Good suggestion here. Gasket remover will eat any paint it touches so be careful where the stuff goes. Spraying it into a cup then dabbing it onto the gasket surface with an acid brush or similar works well. Dab and wait a while for it to work then scrape. It will take several applications before you are down to the metal. Take your time and don't rush. It's important to avoid gouging the aluminum.
 
I've never really had great results with the Permatex gasket remover. I think the best method I've found is using the sharp wood chisel. The utility knife blades work in a pinch but the chisel givers you better control.
 
theresthatguy said:
The products I found on Amazon had terrible reviews. Could you provide link to the specific one?
Click to expand...

Permatex is the stuff. Poor reviews are due to people misusing the stuff or expecting too much. As mentioned, spray it in a cup, dab it on, and let it soften the gasket before you scrape. Use your prefered scraping tool but don't gouge the aluminum. The top surface of the gasket will be softened but it will take a few applications before the gasket is all gone. It would be nice if there was a better product on the market, but there isn't. Scraping without the sauce is more work than with but decide for yourself.
 
Last edited:
Does the head have to be completely free of old gasket? I don't have very many raised bumps but do have what looks like tar spots all over.
 
Yes, it does need to be clean

Keep at it

I use aircraft stripper in a pinch, same method Ed uses, dab it on the stuck on spots, let it bubble off, the gently scrape it off
 
There are usually some discolored spots that the pores really seep into. Long as its flat, smooth and undamaged youll be ok and not have leaks. Have doubts, then use a utiity blade ( or anything else you know is perfectly flat ) and hold the sharp edge across any usupect areas and see if theres a lot of light visible under the edge. Or if it rocks back and forth across any suspected areas.
 
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