Putting clutch cover back on

[p.dath]

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?

[quickbuck]

Okay,
Firstly, get a new gasket, or make one out of proper gasket paper.
You do this by getting the cover and running a bit of oil around it, and stamping the shape into the gasket paper.
Then you punch out the holes with wad punches.... Easy, if you have the tools.

Now, doing up the bolts.... Make sure if there are longer ones (Can't remember on the CBR myself) that you put them in the right place!
Do them up evenly in a criss cross pattern. Do Not do them up too tight. Just firm out of a standard 8mm spanner. If in doubt, find the torque, and borrow a torque wrench.

Make sure there is no foreign objects under the cover, but a little dust and grit, although not desirable, won't really matter.
Sometimes bigger flakes of metal out of your gearbox or clutch end up in the oil system on it's way to the filter.

[CookMySock]

No don't use gasket goo. Try and reuse the original gasket if you are able. Even if you ripped it, try and put it back on and see if it leaks.

Failing that, make one as qb suggests. I wouldn't be using oil on it though. Buy some gasket paper from repco and simply plonk the cover on the gasket paper, hold it down tight with something, and slice around it with the box cutter knife. The inside isn't toooo critical, so you don't need to slice it real accurately around the edge. You will need to find some way to do the bolt holes.

Assemble it absolutely clean and dry. Degrease surfaces with meths or similar. One side of the paper will tend to stick - put this side towards the cover, away from the engine. Sit all the bolts in place and arrange them so they look the same length, and then spin them ALL in finger-tight. They should spin right down and touch the cover. If one is tight before it contacts then you have the wrong bolt in the wrong hole - rearrange and try again.

You don't need a torque wrench. Use a little 1/4" drive socket set and use the following technique ;

Put the correct socket on the short extension and use it like a screwdriver. Tighten them all up in a criss-cross fashion as tight as you can using only the socket and extension without using the ratchet handle.

Now attach the ratchet handle and tighten a stage further in a criss-cross fashion. Use only one hand. Do not use both hands on the ratchet handle. Do not put your thumb out on the end of the ratchet handle to brace and amplify torque. Wrap your thumb around the handle next to your fingers. This limits your torque. Keep tightening until its nice and snug.

Consider stopping tightening at this point. It's just a little side cover - it's not like its holding the bloody swingarm on or anything.

If you must go tighter, then be it on your own head. Use only one hand, and wrap your fingers around the handle and brace your thumb against the ratchet part of the tool, and tweak everything ONCE - EIGHTH TURN absolute max, and then walk away from it and don't touch it. But seriously, covers don't need to be this tight.

Never at any time put two hands on that ratchet spanner.

Steve

[onearmedbandit]

Why wouldn't you use oil to mark out the gasket shape DB?

[firefighter]

I have a torque wrench you could use.

If your going to do that much work on your bike and be that self sufficient getting one is'nt all that expensive and a real good way to ensure piece of mind.

[p.dath]

I have a torque wrench, but don't know what setting I should be tightening the bolts to, but the comments from DB I think are good enough. I'll aim to make all the bolts "firm".

[vifferman]

Remember the bolts are small, and they're going into aluminium alloy - very easy to strip threads. As longas they're tight enough to not come undone by themselves, and evenly tensioned so the cover sits flat, you'll be fine.
If the original gasket is torn, you can get away with just putting a very small smear of gasket sealant/goop just where the tear is, and leave the rest alone.

[dogsnbikes]

PD Just to confuse you even more... if your making your own gasket,take the old one in as you can get differrent types of gasket paper depending on thickness......

as for making the hole's use a punch either a nail or leather one......gasket cement is always handy too I use holts,and you dont need too use alot,best to apply with a artist paint brush(small)

and as Vifferman said you can use a silicon hi temp gasket goo,

[p.dath]

I didn't really expect to have trouble getting a new gasket, so I didn't make a very big effort to save the old one. I'll have to take another look at seeing if I can still salvage it. If I can't get a new gasket in a reasonable period of time I'll make one out of gasket paper (and take some of the old gasket in to make sure I have the same kind of paper (thanks dogsnbikes).

I've noted DB's comments about cleaning the surfaces with meths or something similar to make sure they are clean. So basically I slap the paper gasket in, and bolt it up in a criss cross until everything is firm. And I don't need to put any other substances on the gasket.

Amazing paper those gaskets.

[Tony.OK]

Don't need a gasket for clutch cover.......its not running high oil pressure in there.

Threadbond gasket cement does the job fine, just make sure the mating surfaces are clean.

8 or so pounds on the torque wrench but only if its a 1/4" drive, bigger wrenches go that low but aren't accurate and have too much leverage.

[Squiggles]

If I can't get a new gasket in a reasonable period of time I'll make one out of gasket paper (and take some of the old gasket in to make sure I have the same kind of paper (thanks dogsnbikes).

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...cover-Freebies

[quickbuck]

Why wouldn't you use oil to mark out the gasket shape DB?

That's what I was wondering.... the whole of DB's post.... After all, what exactly does this cover contain????

As for the rest of the post. Well, it is a good explination on how to tighten things up for somebody who doesn't know how, from a man with obvious first hand experience on how not to do it...

[quickbuck]

Don't need a gasket for clutch cover.......its not running high oil pressure in there.

Threadbond gasket cement does the job fine, just make sure the mating surfaces are clean.

8 or so pounds on the torque wrench but only if its a 1/4" drive, bigger wrenches go that low but aren't accurate and have too much leverage.

Umm Tony,
The gasket also prevents two surfaces contacting each other. We are talking two metals here that may not be exactly the same spec, so it can set up an area for corrosion to occur.... Got to be pretty sure the cement will be compatible too....
Now, i realise the CBR will not be flying in 50 years time, so it may sound a little anul... But, that is the way I do things when it comes to engines.

As for re-using them... Yup, don't talk to me about that at the moment either

[MSTRS:Me]

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

[CookMySock]

Why wouldn't you use oil to mark out the gasket shape DB?

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. If it was a rubber valve cover gasket and you got oil on it, the damn thing will skid around everywhere and not seal.

Anyway, its piss easy to hold the fucker down and slice around it with the blade. All done in 20 seconds. Hack the middle out later.

As has been observed, there is only crankcase pressure here, so it doesn't need to be full pedant mode turned on.

All he needs, is it not dripping and no bolts broken - not actually that easy for a total newb.


Steve