Putting clutch cover back on

[quickbuck]

Get yourself some Hylomar Blue. You'll never need a paper gasket again.

This is ALMOST true. Great stuff.... Will probably get some horrid incurable disease in the near future, as the RR Viper 680 (Aermacchi MB339 CB Engine) used the stuff in quite a few places..... and I used to have it on my fingers on a regular basis.....

Thing is though, a few bike motors are actually built to quite a high tolerance, that a missing gasket or two can lead to a bit of interference of some components.
I am not pulling the wizzer here. We had a 4 wheeler that a customer has reassembled without gaskets, and the darn thing wouldn't go to well. Yup, spinning parts actually contacting the stationary cases as they were 50 thou or so closer!

[Squiggles]

This is ALMOST true. Great stuff.... Will probably get some horrid incurable disease in the near future, as the RR Viper 680 (Aermacchi MB339 CB Engine) used the stuff in quite a few places..... and I used to have it on my fingers on a regular basis.....

Think is though, a few bike motors are actually built to quite a high tolerance, that a missing gasket or two can lead to a bit of interference of some components.
I am not pulling the wizzer here. We had a 4 wheeler that a customer has reassembled without gaskets, and the darn thing wouldn't go to well. Yup, spinning parts actually contacting the stationary cases as they were 50 thou or so closer!

Had that with a CX500 missing the gasket at the back of the crankcase, wouldn't shift properly... cant remember what it was but something was binding!

[quickbuck]

Had that with a CX500 missing the gasket at the back of the crankcase, wouldn't shift properly... cant remember what it was but something was binding!

Yup, it would be something like the shift shaft used a boss in the housing to be located.
When it was all bolted up without a gaslet, it would move squeeze the shaft up too much.....

Funny, the 4 wheeler I mentioned was a Honda too......

[The Stranger:Me]

After binning my bike recently I had to take the clutch cover off and have a minor weld done to it (had a tiny hole in it). That's part is sorted. But I have a few questions about putting it back on (have never done it before and are of meagre mechanical skills).

It had a gasket on it. I'm starting to get the impression getting a new gasket might take a little while. How important is it to get a gasket, as opposed to using one of those "gasket goo" substances I see?

Do you need to do the bolts that hold the clutch cover on to a certain torque, or is "tight" fine?

While the clutch cover has been off I've kept the exposed area covered up with a cloth to try and prevent any foreign debry from getting in. Do you do anything special to make sure it is clean, or just give it a bit of a wipe with a clean cloth?

I wait with bated breath.

[p.dath]

Get yourself some Hylomar Blue. You'll never need a paper gasket again.

Just read up on this stuff. It sounds amazing.

Do you coat the first metal surface, apply the gasket, then coat the other surface before pushing it together?

[MSTRS:Me]

Point taken about tolerances...
To use the stuff, though, lightly smear on ALL surfaces that are going to touch...wait until it tacks off...fit the parts and bolt up. Done.

[onearmedbandit]

If you get oil on the gasket before they're tightened down, they usually always drip oil. It's just not what you are supposed to do.


Steve

In all the times I've done it, seen my brother (A Grade Mechanic with his own sucessful business) do it, observed others do it, I've never witnessed one drip. But fair enough.

[CookMySock]

In all the times I've done it, seen my brother (A Grade Mechanic with his own sucessful business) do it, observed others do it, I've never witnessed one drip. But fair enough.

Ok. A Grade mechanics are bound my little concerns such as making money for the boss, saving customers money where they can, and not breaking things - it's just a business reality. A customer complaining about a weepy gasket six months down the track can safely be ignored.

I have an engine that has the stator cover removed and refitted with the old gasket while it was sopping wet with oil. I wiped it down afterwards and its not leaking and I don't lose sleep over it at night. In time I bet it will weep though, and I'll be wiping that area with a rag before I wash it and then I'll wish I hadn't.

I also have an engine with a reused (laminated steel) head gasket (air cooled! no water jacket!) and it will probably weep before long.

The dry-fit method is just gold-plating pedanticism I'd use at home because I don't charge myself an hourly rate, so I gold-plate if I have the parts or if I'm in the mood.

Steve

[p.dath]

I got my cover back today from the engineers today and they have done such a good job I'm going to name them - Bruger Engineering on Barry's Point Rd in Takapuna, Auckland.

They welded back up the aluminium hole, but I also asked if they could do something to make it look "prettier" (as it had a lot of scratches on it). I have to say, they have done a great job! It really exceeded my expectations. And the price was very reasonable.

I think they are actually marine engineers, but I guess they are used to working with aluminium.

I don't know if they filled in the little scratches, or push polished them out, but either way it looks much better. You can still tell it doesn't look "stock", but the way they have polished it you might think from a distance that it came that way.

[CookMySock]

So bolt the fucker on already and let us know how you got on.

Steve

[p.dath]

So bolt the fucker on already and let us know how you got on.

Steve

I decided to be patient. I have the proper gasket coming in from Japan. About $20 from memory. Hopefully it will be here within the next two weeks. With my lack of skill if I try and "rescue" the old gasket or cut a new gasket I'll probably end up with a leaking mess of oil. Next thing it'll be on my back wheel, and I'll be making another similar post ...


When I originally started riding I didn't know anything about it, or even anyone else who even had a motorcycle. I just thought "that's a bit of me", got the BHS and started figuring it out (this was quite some time ago). Learning to ride on your own is a shit way of doing it. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Anyway, have that sorted now. Have people I can turn to with lots more experience than me, and found training systems like ART and RRRS. My riding has improved more in the last 12 months than all the other time I've been riding.

But back to my original thought. Working on my bike very much has the same feeling as when I tried learning to ride way back then. I've tried asking around about basic servicing classes, but I couldn't find any that existed.

Maybe I should find a mechanical mentor.

[CookMySock]

With my lack of skill if I try and "rescue" the old gasket or cut a new gasket I'll probably end up with a leaking mess of oil. Next thing it'll be on my back wheel, and I'll be making another similar post ...

Nah you worry too much. You're working on a bike, not a nuclear weapon. There's no rocket science.

You can easily boof the cover back on and torque it down, wipe the oil off, degrease and re-wipe, and warm the bike and see what's up with it. Idle it for a full ten mins, and then a quiet ride around the block. If there's no seepage after that, it is really unlikely to piss it all over your back tyre in horrific fashion etc.

Theres really only one rule, and that's "take your time - think - dont break anything." As long as things are fitted nice and square and flat, and a corner is not hooked up on something, you have the right bolts in the right holes, and you torque down evenly, theres not a lot to go wrong. That's famous last words of course, coz shit does go wrong, but hey thats par for the course, and some of us are more prone than others. Ok, so there's lots of other rules too..

It's important to know when to stop. "Right, this is out of my league", and either stop and look at it for a day, or ask advice here, or have someone experienced glance at it for you, or all of the above. If no one will touch it or offer advice, then it's either bike shop time, or "you're on your own - trailblaze it" time - up to you. I had an automatic trans go belly up at a critical time and no one could touch it for ten days - so against all odds I pulled the fucker out and fixed it myself. Sometimes you just bite the bullet and do it.

If you have a great trading/other relationship with just one bike shop, the possibly they will give you technical advice, but that is not usually done.

When I originally started riding I didn't know anything about it, or even anyone else who even had a motorcycle. I just thought "that's a bit of me", got the BHS and started figuring it out (this was quite some time ago). Learning to ride on your own is a shit way of doing it. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Anyway, have that sorted now. Have people I can turn to with lots more experience than me, and found training systems like ART and RRRS. My riding has improved more in the last 12 months than all the other time I've been riding.

But back to my original thought. Working on my bike very much has the same feeling as when I tried learning to ride way back then. I've tried asking around about basic servicing classes, but I couldn't find any that existed. Maybe I should find a mechanical mentor.

Yep, you are right at the same position now with your mechanical work, but as you observe, with the right support, in 12 months time from now you will be an order of magnitude ahead. Either that, or you will be a complete fuckup haha.

That you are still considering this after your recent sump plug episode speaks volumes, so don't give up.

Steve

[p.dath]

Yep, you are right at the same position now with your mechanical work, but as you observe, with the right support, in 12 months time from now you will be an order of magnitude ahead. Either that, or you will be a complete fuckup haha.

That you are still considering this after your recent sump plug episode speaks volumes, so don't give up.

Lets just say that when I bought my current bike I didn't get one with pristine body work, as I was expecting a few hickups along the way.

Might wonder down to Repco then and buy some gasket paper.

[neels]

Is there anybody near you that makes gaskets? In chch we have a place where you can take in the old gasket and they make a new one for you while you wait, it costs bugger all.

If you're reasonably mechanically competent then all you really need is some good tools, if you have a manual then follow the instructions, and if something won't work stop and think before you try and force it or get a bigger hammer out.

I was trying to weld a new sidestand bracket on my trail bike the other day & couldn't get a decent weld on it, thought my welder wasn't up to the job until a mate came over, tweaked a few things & had the job done in 5 minutes. Don't be afraid to get something done by somebody more skilled than yourself, it can save you a lot of grief later.

[p.dath]

Just as a final follow up for this thread, I finished re-assembling everything on my bike this week. Everything seems to be running well, and after a week there is no signs of any leaks, so I think I have managed to get everything back together. No left over bits. That's always a good sign.
No stripped threads or anything either.

Had one funny instance. After assembling everything back together I went to start it for the first time. Dead. Nothing. I had the foot stand off and a few other bits and pieces as well while I was working on something else. Had to remove one earth lead as well. Instantly my mind starting thinking of the possibly more complex problems. Had I broken the foot stand switch or something. Bad earthing?
Took a breath, and thought better check the obvious things first. Key on. Check. Kill switch in run position. Doh. Then I remembered I had engaged the kill switch just to make double sure there was no way the engine would get turned over by accident.

So thanks for all the help people. Been a steep learning curve (going from zero to almost zero knowledge). After putting everything back together, slow as I was, I feel more capable of doing basic mechanical things on the bike now.