Making Gaskets, is it OK?

[Wrong Way]

I thought I had all the gaskets I needed and now I find myself short a cylinder gasket. I am working on my little NSR 50, so I am dealing with very little compression and it is a two cycle.

My question is…..

Is there any way to make a gasket? Should I use the rolls of paper gasket that you can cut out? Should I use some sort of liquid gasket maker? Should I just put it back together with the old gasket and break it down again when I get more gaskets?

[07chuck]

Head gasket no, base gasket yes. You can make head gaskets out of thin sheet copper if you are so inclined.

[Wrong Way]

Yeah it's a base gasket. I was looking at the cylinder and it has one area that the gasket blocks a coolant channel. I suppose making a paper gasket would be the way to go here. the channel would otherwise be against the case

[afm199]

Auto parts stores typically have three weights of gasket paper, from thin stuff to really thick stuff. I have all three in my shop, and have made my own gaskets for years. To make it easier get a set of punches for those perfect holes.

[Stormdragon]

Phone book covers make excellent base/clutch/points cover gaskets. Ahem... or so I've heard. :teeth

[brichter]

Yamabond.

[RcrBoy]

2 part epoxy. Just "set it and forget it". Never worry about base gasket leaks again! :twofinger


:loco Mark :loco

[FrigginChi]

i used to use cereal boxes when i was poor:)

[afm199]

Loctite makes an anaerobic gasket material, it is red and you glop it on and set the part and torque it. It fills ALL the holes and hardens to a fairly hard plastic substance. Not gooey, not sploogy, but hard. I used to use it on Nortons for base gaskets, they blew them all the time due to crank pressure, and the loctite stuff worked great. It's not red loctite, it is a purpose made gasket material.

[VroomVroomVroom]

I have recently experimented with reusing old metal head gaskets by removing the black goop the factory installs and coating them with Permatex Copper Coat spray. Seems to be doing the job well. If it is a leafed gasket, spraying on all sides of the leaf is likely best.

[SFO]

2st base gaskets, I have had good results using aluminum beer cans. It'll change your deck height though...

[OldFatGuy]

Originally posted by SFO
2st base gaskets, I have had good results using aluminum beer cans. It'll change your deck height though...

+1

Base gasket thickness will affect your compression ratio and piston clearance.