Topic: 78 CB 550K gaskets

[AlekStooge]

I never worked with gaskets in my life. I need to replace my float bowl gaskets, one of them tore.

How do you work with gaskets? Do you need some sort of sealant to keep them in place or do you just pop them into the groves.

If a gasket falls out of place when disassembling, does it need to be replaced?

I don't think you need sealant or anything and I don't think they need to be replaced if they fall out during disassembly. I'm being overly cautious and correct in the way I do things to eliminate trouble in the future.

[Duanob]

This has been one of the most asked questions regarding carbs but I will answer it. You can use super glue to hold the corners in place until you tighten the bowl but I prefer not too since it hardens. I use permatex orange because it's gas resistent and stays flexible. Or the better alternative is to find the preformed house shaped gasket set. You can use a bit of silicon spray to keep them from sticking to the carb body. Once it seats in the bowl groove it will be a long time before you ever have to change them.