Topic: Gasket Adventure and Tip

[jmckinne]

Had a squirelly problem with my shift cover gasket recently, thot I'd post it as there is a tip or two in it.

I had a leak from the bottom of the shifter cover for a while and last year I decided to fix it. I couldn't find just that gasket in stock so I bought a whole engine set for ~$90. I put it on but I botched it or the gasket sucked because it still leaked. So this week I was doing some other work and I decided to do it again. I still couldn't find that gasket so I decided to make one. That totally sucked because I hate doing that and I botched it. Getting the correct cutting pattern on the gasket material is always a pain. I've got a tip on that tho so read on...

After botching that first attempt I said the hell with this and just used avaition gasket material - a liquid gasket maker. That worked great and stopped the leak but after doing it I had a real pisser of a problem: the bike wouldn't shift worth a damn. I was sure I'd knocked a spring off inside the case or dropped some debris or something up inside the area where the shift fork cam rotates or something.

I'd take it apart, mess around, it would start to shift in the shop so I'd put the cover back on. WTF? The problem would come back. I did that twice before I figured out what was going on, and that's leads us to the tip section:

1) On my bike at least you need an actual, not liquid, gasket, at least 1/32 of an inch thick. If you don't have that to act as a shim the shifter case binds the shifter shaft and prevents the spring from fully retracting the shifter arm mechanism. Doh. Once I made a new gasket (see tip 2) the shifting trouble went away for good.

2) I realized we have a flatbed scanner/printer/copier combo. I just took the shifter cover and put it on the scanner and did a copy at 1-1 size. Bingo! I had the exact image I needed of the entire gasket surface on the cover. I just tacked the paper version over the gasket material and cut along the lines. Then I used a punch as usual to make the holes. Duh! It was so easy that way I may never buy another gasket

[manjisann]

Nice tip!

Brandon

[Steve F]

Really nice tip!  I'm wondering what kind of glue you used to stick your scanner printout to the gasket material.  I've made some gaskets for the valve cover before, and always would trace around the outside, punch the two dowel pin holes and place the gasket material back on the valve cover.  Then, using my finger, I would press on the gasket material so the valve cover would leave an impression of the inside contour.  Cut and trim, punch the remaining holes, and cello viola!

[fuzzybutt]

my wife is heavy into scrapbooking and has just ordered a machine that will hook up to the computer and will cut pretty much any shape you want by scanning it into the computer. wonder if she'll let me cut gasket material lol

[jmckinne]

  I'm wondering what kind of glue you used to stick your scanner printout to the gasket material.

I'd love that machine above, but to answer this question...

I didn't tack glue the paper on because I was afraid it would damage the thin parts of the gasket when I took the paper off. I tack nailed the paper/cork sandwich to my workbench using some brads going thru the screw and pin holes. When I would come to an area around a brad if it was in my way I would remove it and then put it back when I was past. The brad holes made nice centering holes for the punch too. I used the small (#15 ?) Xacto knife to cut btw.

[Steve F]

 

[OldSkool]

Awesome tip! I think I'm going to make use of this after I pull the clutch cover and pan off of my bike soon!

Thanks!

[new2novas]

i just went through that today....i used an anerobic sealer put it all back together and it didn't shift correctly, and almost to the "T" went through what you did, except the fact that i needed to get home and was gonna try and make a gasket but didn't have a good way to get the pattern on (that scanner tip is one of the best ones i have heard of yet, not sure if you came up with it on the spot or heard of it, but i am so gonna take credit if anyone asks how i figured that out ) instead i just backed off the screws a bit and rode home, but now i have a good way to make my own gaskets...cheers to that one

[jmckinne]

Lol.

I thot of it myself but I'm sure it's been done before by someone else. The really "smart" part was that I was almost on my way to Kinko's to use a copier before I remembered our all-in-one.

Nice to know your bike had the same shifter issue. I mean nice for me, not for you It seems weird that you need that tiny little shim of a gasket, but it appears that is in fact the case and not that we have something else that needs adjusting.

[new2novas]

yeah it is even less that 1/32...it was 1/8 of a turn less than full tight on the couple srews surrounding it....i was just glad i made it home without losing all my oil.....i want a few gaskets (valve cover, dynamo, trans and shifter seal) but don't want to buy a full set especially as i don't see a shifter seal in any of them, but it looks like i may be able to get it from my local honda dealer (as in the same one you might take a civic to?, or whoever sells honda non car stuff)

BTW that machine is called a cricut or something like that, the wife loves scrapbooking (she even went to a scrapbooking convention for a weekend)

[MFP]

Great tip, and a timely post for me.  I have the covers off while repairing my stator wiring and was getting ready to button it back up.  I noticed the PO used a gasket on the shifter cover, but just RTV on the stator cover--now I know why.

[mystic_1]

Just to add to this, your local auto parts store will carry various types of gasket paper by the roll.  I always keep some handy for the small simple gaskets that aren't hard at all to make.  I'd never try this with a 750 valve cover gasket for example.

Also, hole punches made for leather work very well for this sort of thing, and usually have various sizes of punch on the same tool.



mystic_1