so while my vifer is sitting waiting on parts i began reassembling an old cb650 i have laying around -i was gonna get me some cork sheets and cut out a head gasket for it - then i noticed - it has one of them headgaskets with the metal rims on the inside circumferance of the cylinder cut outs - it sells for 60 $ + s&h cork gasket 5 $ a sheet - shame on me for bringing up a CB in a VFR forum - but still a honda plus who alse can i trust?
thats a good question, If I remember from my auto shop days 1986 to be exact, you cant use the cork , becaus the metal ring actually has a purpose....
Cork wont work as a valve cover gasket either...the stuff is junk and it always leaks....for a head gasket you need to buy the real oem thing...been there done that. The cork gasket will leak as soon as the bike gets warm!...Trust me...you dont want to tear everything apart and do it again!! So do it right the first time... The metal gasket has nitrile not rubber...which seals even better...think how long it lasted in the first place? Cork is only for covers and still is no good!!! hope this helps
You may be able to check with a local waterjet shop. Take your old gasket in and they may be able to cut a new one out of .050 copper. In the end, it will likely cost you the same as the OEM. Copper is expensive and waterjets cost $30/hr to operate before you add manhours. But FYI to the rest of you guys if you're trying to restore a bike and headgaskets are no longer available.
There is NO .....I repeat NO engine that uses or could use a cork head gasket!!!!! Forget that. I am 60 years of age and started working in a HONDA dealership when I was 16 years old and There are no engines CARS OR MOTORCYCLES that use a cork HEAD GASKET. ARE YOU CRAZY!!! Sorry but it is way out there. Before the type we use now days HEAD GASKETS use to be a flat copper sheet, They were reused to if the condition was good. But then they made the new style with the metal ring lining the combustion chamber and those were much better. We have been using that style since the 1960's. It IS possible to reuse a REAL metal head gasket BUT it is ALWAYS - ALWAYS best o get a real HEADGASKET. Use CORK for bulletin boards ONLY. Very high performance engines (cars) use an additional actual metal round ring that sits in a groove in the engine block. Those are the nitromethane burners. That was a big break through too. About the same time street cars and motorcycles got the crushable gasket with the metal ring around the combustion chamber. There were some things that used to use cork gaskets on oil pans and timing covers ONLY, but they stopped using those because they were too thick to maintain tolerances AND they were a bitch to scrape off.
"There were some things that used to use cork gaskets on oil pans and timing covers ONLY, but they stopped using those because they were too thick to maintain tolerances AND they were a bitch to scrape off." Don, You forgot to mention they always leaked!!
$5 may be nothing but the aggravation and time you spend would be the equivalent of $1000.00 + if you put that crap on your head!!! $60.00 is cheap insurance...
Damn, Daveyto is quickly becoming a post hooer, watch out senior hooers, here he comes, and with a pit bull too :bolt:
Indeed, I speak softly but, I walk with a criminal canine!!! P.S. Don't tell anyone I don't know what I am saying....or even remotely know what I am doing working on bikes!! BTW....It's illegal to own a Pitbull in Ontario, Canada now...and I fear that it's the beginning of the end for this noble breed. Manitoba has outlawed the breed as well..It's truly horrible as I have known these dogs to be the best pets I have ever had. Guess I will just have to settle for a rottweiler next...
Yes.....there was that too! And the crumbs of cork could end up in the oil and clog stuff up. Cork is for wine bottles. They have a cork tree on the campus at the University of Arizona. IT is green but feels just like a cork.
If you're gonna bother to do it, why not just do it right? If that thing is an old SOHC 650 (which I bet it is 'cause they're known 'gushers'), it's gonna take more than a head gasket to stop the leak. The only way I ever had any luck keeping those old 'bones' from leaking is to replace ALL the gaskets in the top end, including base, valve cover and (if I remember correctly) the quarter shaped rubber pucks the cover the head bolts. The real problem when disassembling is all the little stones from around the lower part of the head bolts (which are nearly impossible to clean out thoroughly beforehand) fall directly into the case threads. This makes it impossible to get an accurate head torque unless you pull the cylinders and thoroughly and carefully (don't let 'em get in the engine) clean the threads for the head bolts. They were such problem leakers I used to advise people not to bother to fix them until the leak got bad enough that the oil soiled their boots while riding. Normally I wouldn't even bother with that much detail but I have an awesome coffee buzz going and I didn't want to waste it.
Thank you everyone for the responce - advise well taken boys - found a fellar on e-bay 39.99 +4.99 s&h - this lil 650 came to me free, only needed a starter clutch gear so i opened it up put the gear in started it an zoom zoom she went.Unfortunetly in the closing process i lost a bolt from one of the outter clutch shift mechanism parts and replace it with a bolt from Lowes which found it self loose and got ground in to metal dust by the clutch busket. re took it apart cleaned it all up and now iam re puting it back toghether. thanks again everyone
