Just wondering if applying bearing grease to both sides of the base gasket would prevent it from sticking and tearing apart one day?
Thank you,
John
I always just oil them up really nice. If rebuilds are frequent it works, when they aren't frequent, they will stick. Just take your time cleaning them up. It's not that bad.
Yeah, the paper base gaskets really aren't that expensive anyway.
Grease em up good and hope for the best.
Seems counterintuitive but it works. I use anti-seize based on advice from John Aylor.
My British friends coat em in wellseal.
I want them to stick a little for base gaskets.
I do a light spray of CRC Marine 100% silicone spray.
Chuck
(https://newcontent.westmarine.com/content/images/catalog/large/279604.jpg)
Someone who was a Kawasaki H1R mechanic recently brought to my attention, that the black oem japanese base gasket material is designed to stick to the aluminum. With thin sealing area at the block, they struggled with the base gaskets shifting, causing air leaks and seizures. When they didnt grease them, they didnt shift. Ive noticed it also takes a certain time or amount of heat to bake them to the aluminum. If you take an engine apart soon after without hard running, they often wont be stuck.
That being said, i had always put a film of grease on my base gaskets, but now recently i use Vibra-Tite 73250. Its a non hardening tacky gasket sealer. I deal with yamahas, and have never experienced a shift.
I guess if you have a thin sealing area of your transfer ducts, using grease or sealant is not the answer. Also depends on the material your gasket is made from.
^ yup.
on a slightly related note, when i had my old reeded H1, the cages had really thin gasket surface. I sucked in an intake gasket one time. the remedy was i took a sharp razor blade, and scored the sealing surface all the way around mid point (like a 50% off set from the outer edge) to give the gasket something to latch onto. worked like a charm.
ok thanks for all the advice guys... I think I'll leave them dry. Even though Ive never seen them get squeezed out... the paranoia has been instilled!
on a side note I am really annoyed with myself... in my leakdown testing i manged to get some soapy water into my brand new bearing on the clutch basket shaft and it rusted inside. :bang: I had to rip the cases apart after all that effort into leak down testing.