Cutting your own gaskets

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BigDub

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This is a copied post submitted by BigDub

Why not make your own "real" gasket rather than use "glue"-gasket? The first one you make will cost about the same as

1) If you are near a harbor freight, you can buy your own gasket hole punches(6.99 for punch-hammering out the bolt holes in the gasket material.)
2) Out-line the gasket material with a pen(comes in little rolls at almost any auto parts store.)
3) Razor blade cut your own gaskets and save the time you'de waste waiting for the one that you'de have order for 9.99 off ebay.
4) for orings, try one of those 13.99 o-ring kits! you can usually make those bad-boys work even if the size ain't dead-on. I've rebuilt the carbs without those dang felt washers on GL1100 carbs easily replacing them with o-rings from those. Those 3-400 multi-sized o-ring kits have more than paid for themselves in my little shop.

I'll try to get a tutorial post up here. planning to do mine soon.
 
these items may be helpful
 

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Once you outline the piece you are cutting with wharever marker you like, simple scissors work good for precision to cut around the outside edge.
 

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What is really nice about these honda gl engines? They are machined at such tight parameters that they have really sharp edges. So, you can simply lay the newly cut-outlined gasket exactly over the transmission cover. Make sure it is positioned to cover all edges. Then take a rounded ball-peen hammer and tap lightly or press with the weight of your upper body from your shoulder with your arm locked straight. You will actually feel the gasket cutting the precise hole that you are tapping or pushing the ball tip of the hammer into. When you have cut it, the remaining "dot" of gasket will be lodged in the hole. Use a small screw
 

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Next, all the holes have been hammer-pressed out and the bolts are holding the gasket in its place. Next, the flatter of the 2 hammer tips can be used the press or tap around the inside edge of the gasket to finish the job.
 

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I am posting the additional images with brief commentary. Questions? Just ask! Believe it or not the set of hole punches from harbor freight wasn't used that much.
 

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....I done my rear gasket this way...i got my gasket materail from O"rileys..it was 3.99 a roll....saved a lot of money seeing how they wanted 4 times as much on ebay and just for one gasket.....I also found some great paint from Lowe's for the engine....Rust-Oleum....HIgh heat ,2000 degrees, gas and oil resistant, Flat aluminum, part no. 248904...cost about 7.99 a can....looks great....just like orginal color...I think i have it made going to HF.....my woman likes to go there too :smilie_happy: .....
 
BigDub":3cxgbc9s said:
This is a copied post submitted by BigDub

Why not make your own "real" gasket rather than use "glue"-gasket? The first one you make will cost about the same as

1) If you are near a harbor freight, you can buy your own gasket hole punches(6.99 for punch-hammering out the bolt holes in the gasket material.)
2) Out-line the gasket material with a pen(comes in little rolls at almost any auto parts store.)
3) Razor blade cut your own gaskets and save the time you'de waste waiting for the one that you'de have order for 9.99 off ebay.
4) for orings, try one of those 13.99 o-ring kits! you can usually make those bad-boys work even if the size ain't dead-on. I've rebuilt the carbs without those dang felt washers on GL1100 carbs easily replacing them with o-rings from those. Those 3-400 multi-sized o-ring kits have more than paid for themselves in my little shop.

I'll try to get a tutorial post up here. planning to do mine soon.
BigDub, thanks for the tip. When I was over to HF I picked up the large o-ring kits. They had both on sale. Man did that come in handy.
had fuel leaking from one of the intake to head and pulled the o-ring out, sized it up out of the kit. Put it in, no muss, no fuss, worked out great.
Got enough o-rings to last my life time.
Thanks again. :thanks:
 
Big Dub, that's very impressive work there, thanks for taking the timing and energy to take the photo's, transfer them and write everything up, explaining stuff like you did step by step using photo's is the best way, made everything so easy to comprehend.
 
I love the tutorial, but I would love to know whether a paper gasket is that much better than the goop. I know the goop can make a real mess inside the engine. And I've done a lot of specialized plumbing (high end gov't research aquaculture and public aquatic displays, zoo, etc) wherein cheap short-cuts using silicone were the stupidest thing a person could do under the circumstances. But when it's come to my own engines, other than head gaskets I've found that most of them can be substituted with the goop stuff with no ill effects. So, I guess I should ask you guys. Are the paper gaskets superior for pressure and stuff like that? They work best when you add a bit of goop too, don't they? I've found that they're all just as messy as one another, when it comes to clean-up of old parts, the paper stuff can get just as stuck as the silicone. I guess I can see instances where the spacing is important, for instance the starter clutch cover on my '82 CB750F and other similar systems, the cover contains the outer bearing race for the gear, and I wouldn't want to fit that too tight. With silicone, I always use a multi-stage torque down procedure, even on small accessory covers, so the goop has time to set up into a gasket before it's torqued down tight, that way the goop is also under pressure, like a "real" gasket. Of course, I've only rebuilt three or four bikes over the years. (Some of them more than once, not a good sign!) This is a fantastic process for replacing gaskets, I'd much rather do this than pay for gaskets one by one. Though, there are some pretty good deals on full engine gasket sets. So, comparing to buying them one by one is gonna inflate the savings a fair bit. Still, I love the home-built approach, and I'd much rather say I made my own gaskets than say I bought a ready-made kit. It's just that much more involved, it's bonus points for effort as well as "know-how and make-do". So, I'm definitely gonna grab some of the stuff from Princess Auto. Which is also in some Northern American States, they're not just Canadian. Great place. Incidentally, if you've got the air assisted shocks, you can modify them to eliminate the link tube with a pair of air valves for pressure tanks which I found at P.A. for five bucks a pair. Plus another five for the tap and a couple bucks for the drill bit. It worked great to trim down the fork tube caps so as to adapt a clubman bar with the closest fit for proper bar allignment. On my 'F, of course. Though, a GL "cafe" is pretty damned cool also. If I ever see a cheap 'wing on the market like I've seen in the past, I'll be sure to snap it up, preferably one with all of the Vetter baggage on it, to scare off all of the twits who don't know what's under the hood and thereby get the best price on it! Ha ha. But yeah, there's a lot of great stuff at Prncess Auto, I might want to stick one of their stickers on my bike when it's done! I should talk to them about a race sponsorship....

So what's the consensus? Paper or plastic? "Real" gaskets, or Goop?

-Sigh.
 
hmmm mot to sure i like the pricw of even cheap gaskits if i thought i could get awat with it id do just about anything not to pay such redicules prices for head gaskits ....the whole idea that the new corp modle is to not supply parts and stick it to the old bike onwers on the parts they do have makes honda just another sellout there customers and kill there own products corporation :cheeky:
 
I've used silicone gasket maker in place of gaskets many times, mostly on cooling system parts, and I apply a very thin film to paper gaskets.
Been doing it this way for over 40 years.
Actually my Dad started me on it when after cleaning the part perfectly we couldn't get a seal.
Never had a leak since.

It's true too that many replacement auto gaskets come with a line of sealer on them.

I suggest using high temp silicone, the orange stuff.
It has a stronger bond to metal and to itself making it less likely to flake off inside the engine.
 
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