Replacing Gaskets

[JonE]

Evening

I've got to replace a gasket on my Kawasaki KH 125 and wondered whether most people fit them dry or use a gasket sealant/goo?

Also is it worth going "Blue Peter" and making my own out of a cereal box or is it not worth the hassle for the sake of about £15 for a full set from ebay?

Cheers

Jon

[Kickstart]

Hi

Which gasket?

All the best

Keith
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[JonE]

Hi

It's the gearbox/right hand side of the engine behind the carb and oil pump.

Cheers

Jon

[Kickstart]

Hi

If it is the main cover then it holds the oil for the gearbox and covers the clutch. You probably could get away with a cornflakes box gasket and being a 2 stroke there are no oil passages to get blocked if you over used instant gasket. However I would be tempted to use some gasket paper (try some old dodgy looking motor factors) and then use them without gasket goo (although probably grease them before use).

All the best

Keith
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[JonE]

Yeah thats the one. I think they've got some sheets of gasket paper at work does it matter how thick it is?

Cheers

Jon

[Kickstart]

[JonE]

Thanks Keith

I'll see what they've got and go for the closest to corn flakes packet thickness

All I've got to do now is find time to do it, I also need to check the drain plug when I've got it out as that is leaking a bit but I'm hoping it's just the copper washer that needs replacing. Hopefully that will sort the leaks but I've also got signs of oil on the very bottom where the crankcases join but I've got my fingers crossed that the oil is finding it's way there from one of the other leaks, if not it will mean engine out to split and reseal them which I think would be too big a job and too time consuming for me.

Cheers

Jon

[Kickstart]

[steven_191]

if theres a gasket for it then buy it.

i just stripped an engine thats been 'rebuilt' by some garage, everything was put back together with old gaskets and instant gasket on top

not only that, they used an undersized piston? bodging is not the way forward. you'll only regret it later when it leaks.

if you cant buy it make some out of gasket paper. i think card from a cereal box will soak up too much and evetually leak through.

[JonE]

[hondapartsman]

If the faces are okay and the gasket is genuine then all you need is a little grease to keep it in place, even decent pattern gaskets. Sealant is a waste most times but if you really think you need some them use it very, very thin. When I did the clutch on my 600 the other week I had to reuse the old gasket as I hadn't got a new one, t was broken in one place where I used just a tiny smear of hondabond. No problem. Lots of bikes nowadays use no gaskets at all, just sealant but even then would only use a tiny amount.
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[JonE]

I've decided I'll save the hassle of cutting my own gaskets and get one of the full sets from ebay as there not expensive, has anyone ever used these before and are they all of equal quality/fit?

Cheers

Jon

[stinkwheel]

I've never had a cornflakes packet gasket leak, had a few proper gasket paper ones do so.

The big ones can be a hassle to cut out though so I wouldn't blame you for buying them.

The timing cover, rocker covers, oil pump end caps and oil filter chamber on my Bullet all have cereal packet gaskets.

Kats CB500 has them under both the clutch and alternator cover.

I suspect as long as there is a gasket of some sort in there, it'll be fine. Especially on a stroker where the oil isn't under pressure.
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[Walloper]

If you can get a factory made gasket then that is the easiest way to go. Ask the dealer what they recommend with respect to any applications in addition to the plain gasket. The theory is they may have more historical evidence from OEM world wide sales and can offer advice.
The hassle of re-doing it if the cornflake packet gasket fail is utter buggery.

(And remember, 'If it Doesn't say Kellog's on the box it's not Kellog's in the box'.)
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[chris-red]

I go for a proper one too £15 isn;t a bad price for a full set of gaskets plus you will have spares if you need to take it apart int the future. I normally lightly cover it with engine oil before I replace it.
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[JonE]

Thanks for the replies everyone I've decided that all the sets on ebay are probably going to be of the same sort of quality/made in the same place so am going for the cheapest https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KAWASAKI-KH125-KH-125-83-98-COMPLETE-GASKET-SET-043-/400085396753?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item5d26f2ad11#ht_921wt_1167

I've also decided to put it on dry/with a bit of engine oil or grease as that'll save me the cost of a tube of sealer and funds are pretty tight at the moment.

Thanks for the useful and helpful replies as usual.

Jon