Gaskets

For O-ring gaskets, be sure to use gas/oil resistant rubber such as Nitrile or Buna o-rings.

Rubber gaskets can sometimes be made more pliable by boiling for a short time.

Harbor freight sells a 397 count Metric Nitrile O-ring set for $8. (Contains the most popular metric o-rings ranging from 1.9 mm ID x 2.8 mm OD to 3.5 mm ID x 47.7 mm OD). This set has almost all the O-rings needed for your bike.

When installing paper gaskets, coat one side with oil. This helps prevent tearing the gasket if the part has to be removed at some point in the future.

• Alternator (Stator)
  • An alternative gasket can be made using standard gasket paper and a hole punch. Beats waiting a week for an OEM gasket to arrive.
• Carb Float Bowl
  • Aftermarket O-rings work fine.
• Carb Fuel Tubes
  • Aftermarket O-rings work fine.
• Clutch
  • Use OEM gasket
  • Why not aftermarket?
    • (per Dave Dodge) Except for the added spacing on the starter clutch idler gear, and allowing the shift shaft excess movement back and forth which could allow the shift shaft arm to touch the back of the clutch basket. Too much play can cause the spring to contact and break, and mis-align the arm on the end of the drum causing missed shifts. The stock gasket measures .022", and after tightening measures about .019". Probably best to not use a gasket material thicker than .025" before tightening, or thinner than .020" after tightening.
• Clutch Slave Cylinder
  • An alternative gasket can be made using standard gasket paper. This gasket is used to isolate the slave cylinder from the engine heat.
• Coolant Tubes (under the carbs)
  • Aftermarket O-rings work fine.
  • The OEM may appear to be "square", but that's just because they've been compressed for so long.
  • Be sure to clean the end of the coolant tube and the block inlet to remove any protrusions that could cut the o-ring upon installation
  • Coating the O-rings/coolant tubes/block inlet with high temp silicone grease when installing the coolant tubes can greatly reduce the chance of cutting the o-ring upon installation
• Heads
  • OEM gaskets are slowly being discontinued. Aftermarket copper gaskets for some models are available and some have had good success with them. However Dave Dodge does not recommend copper head gaskets.
• Valve Cover
  • Use OEM gasket
  • If your valve cover is leaking, installing a nylon or hose washer under the chrome washers will increase the pressure applied by the valve cover bolts. Just be sure not to tighten the bolts so much that the gasket bulges past the edge of the cover.
• Neutral Switch
  • The paper gasket under the cover just keeps water and dust just out of the neutral switch. This gasket can be made using standard gasket paper.
• Rotor Bolts
  • There is supposed to be a gasket under the rotor bolts. This gasket can be made using standard gasket paper. If you replace one gasket, replace all the gaskets for that rotor.
• Thermostat
  • Aftermarket O-rings work fine.