Topic: Replacing Gaskets

[Veemo]

Hello all!

Before I get started on putting my "Ikea Bike" together, I need a top end gasket set. so firstly, I have been shopping for the Vesrah Upper Gasket set for a cb550K, and it's kind of hard to find. Can any of you recommend a retailer to buy these online?

Secondly, there is some "Gasket Crap" left on the cylinder and other parts where gaskets go. What is the best way to remove this?

Thanks very much, everyone, you've all been very helpful to me in getting my new toy ready for the road.

Veemo

[greasy j]

not sure about 550's gaskets...

but to get the gasket crud off I used a die grinder(drill would work, too) with a cleaning disc chucked in it. like a round scouring pad.

here's a link to show what I'm talkin bout:

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-5-3-inch-medium-fiber-disc-set-99988.html

they sell a kit at Kragen/schucks if you have one by your house. I used simple green and safer thinner as well for the scrubbing.

[harisuluv]

I try not to use scouring pads to remove gaskets where I might un-true where two pieces are going to come together.  If you're not careful you can end up with very uneven mating surfaces which will not seal properly.  If you do use a scotch brite pad then I would use one that is graded as "very fine" and use very, very light pressure.  Even fine grades of scotch brite can remove a lot of material if you push down hard enough. 

With that said, soda blasting is probably one of the best ways to remove that nasty gasket material.  The last head I cleaned had some really hard stubborn stuff that didn't come off with the first blasting.  I used some gasket cleaner to soften it up a bit and then blasted it again and it all came off pretty clean.  You can get some gasket remover at any auto parts store like auto zone or checker.  Hope that was some help.

[greasy j]

I didn't know that. I wouldn't think the pads would take metal off. hope it's all cool... I used the medium ones, the fine ones did nothing.

[blake255]

I was searching for answers to the same questions and came up with this: http://www.youtube.com/user/Hondatechhowto

Blake

[dirtroad]

Hi Veemo, I recently rebuild a 550K and managed to get a complete gasket set from http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/
Price was very good and so was the service and delivery. I shopped around a lot before choosing them and their prices can't be beaten imo. Those gaskets takes a lot of patience to remove unfortunately. You will read about gasket removers, weird chemical concoctions etc etc but there is no real quick solution. Remember those gaskets are made to withstand very high temperatures as well as be chemical resistant. I used a carpet knife blade and worked it slowly. Sure took a couple of days but what the heck.
Enjoy the build