CX500 GL500 650 Global

Another quick question, when installing the gaskets, do you put the paper gaskets on dry or use some kind of gasket sealant? I noticed in the manual it never says how you install the gaskets and I don't want any leaks. So I thought I would ask if there needs to be any sort of sealant used along with the paper gaskets. I am talking about the rear and front cover gaskets. I am pretty sure head gaskets go on dry, but correct me if I am wrong. I hope to get a response soon, I am trying to get this done tonight!! Thanks!

If all mating surfaces are undamaged and clean then normally I don't use gasket sealer.If I'm re-using and old gasket which I have had to do from time to time then yes I use GS but applied correctly e.g with a small paint brush,thin layer,gasket pressed and then ALL excess sealer removed/wiped clean especially engine side.The less debris in the engine the better.
I have used GS on heads when testing different engine builds to try and preserve the Head gaskets to be re-used but under normal circumstances the Dry gasket is usual but the Manuals usually say to use some.
I'm led to believe that Trials riders use Copper Grease as a gasket sealer so they can re-use their head gaskets as they tend to remove their heads a lot and the cost of new gaskets ll the time would be prohibitive.

There is no harm using GS if applied and cleaned off correctly and will ensure a good seal.


HTH

good quality gaskets should go on clean,ie no sealer.the rear cover gasket is critical in its thickness.it has to be spot on.
get the best quality you can,you dont want to have to drop the motor again[original honda ones,imho]

spanish bandit wrote:good quality gaskets should go on clean,ie no sealer.the rear cover gasket is critical in its thickness.it has to be spot on.
get the best quality you can,you dont want to have to drop the motor again[original honda ones,imho]

Very good point however if the correct rear and front cover gaskets have been used and only a thin film of sealer is used correctly there will be no problem.These is more of a problem if the user tries to fit the rear cover without a gasket and only use GS as this will allow the end of the crank shaft Timing magnet assembly to run against and damage the Advance and Retard ring and lock the engine.
Both my front and back gaskets are,"Home Made" and 0.8mm thick which is a little more than the official ones which are 0.6mm but the Gasket paper is fibrous and compresses unlike official ones and seals superb.I get it from a local engineering suppliers about £6 Gbp for 1.5 metres and a wide enough to do Rear cover gaskets.I keep the cut-outs to make things like Tach drive/Clutch cover gaskets etc.

Thanks for the fast reply's, I was hoping GS was not needed and I could put them on dry because that is what I had planned for. I have a few more questions I noticed while starting the re-assembly. What are the torque specs for the front and rear covers? I could not find it in the manual and it seems these should need a specific torque value. Also, to get the camshaft lock nut to the specified torque, (I believe 58-72 ft-lbs) how to keep the motor from turning while trying to torque it? I don't want to damage any gears by shoving something between them but the motor wants to turn while attempting to torque, ideas?? lastly, I put the transmission in and while I was putting on the gear shift mechanism, I grabbed the shift lever to see if I could shift gears and it looks like the arm that extends over to the shaft that sticks out from the trans doesn't want to spin, causing it to not shift gears, is this normal? will it shift when in the bike? I can try to supply a pic to better describe what I am talking about but Hoping my vaugue description will be enough. Thanks again guys for your help, I am hoping to get it running this weekend!

-Mike

I read my last post and I wanted to clarify, it is the shaft coming from the transmission that doesnt spin, the arm from the shift lever moves like it should, contacting the pins of the shaft, but it just doesnt seem to be shifting, I am not sure if it should at this stage of the build or not. Hope this makes more sense.

For locking the engine I use a spare cog from a gearbox,



But some people have jammed a coin in there but be careful if you do that as you don't want ANY swarf/Debris in the engine.The Manual says use a set of Vise grips on the crank shaft,this is dangerous,don't do it.You can use a Strap Wrench like on removing an oil filter but it has to be a big one on the Starter flywheel.

The bolts are M6 thread so I use the knuckle of my Wrench not the arm and socket so I cannot over tighten them.They are supposed to be a MAX of 9 Ftlbs so I do them just knuckle tight as feels right.