Valve cover gasket question

Changing out valve shims on the bike this weekend. I went to remove the old gasket and it was glued on with some type of adhesive. Any words of wisdom on what I can use to get this stuff off of the cover that won't take the paint off with it?

 

You could cook it on the stove in a large disposable alluminum pan using something like CLR.

 

Splaz -
What are the fumes like when you heat CLR up?

 

Im not certain on that actually. My 550 cover doesn't have paint, so i just hosed it off with engine degreaser.

However, I recall a thread where bigfitz recommended using CLR.

 

Not for that. Read the article; some CLR was added to the lime juice boil. I don't know that I'd want to boil a whole pan of CLR.

To get the old gasket off without damaging the paint, use mineral spirits or a "softer" solvent. Anything "hotter" may attack the paint.

DO NOT USE automotive "gasket remover" I use that stuff when Aircraft Paint Remover fails on old clearcoat; it would certainly damage the paint.

The article that was linked to was a step-by-step for refinishing a valve cover that included stripping all of the original finish off. OP wants to preserve his factory-painted cover.

 

Ah, yes. I did not catch that he wanted to preserve his paint.
I think if someone used an entire vat of pure CLR, they'd go blind from the fumes. Just a touch, as in your write-up, would be plenty, but would most likely mess with paint.

Can't tell from OP, but sounds like they may have removed the gasket already, just has gasket adhesive still on the cover.

 

The boiling in lemon (or lime) juice, with or without CLR, is to remove stains from the "natural" metal finish; I doubt it would help with gasket residue.

 

Thanks guys for the reply. I do have the old gasket removed. This adhesive is in the groove that the gasket sits in. I will try the mineral spirits. One other question. Do I use anti-seize on the valve cover bolts when i put the cover back on? I had two of the bolts I thought I was going to break when I took the cover off. Would you also use anti-seize on the ignition cover machine screws?

 

You can go up from mineral spirits to lacquer thinner; it won't damage the factory paint on a valve cover. Nothing hotter though. Try brake cleaner too (spray can from the auto parts.) Depends on what glop you're fighting with.

Re: antisieze compound: BY ALL MEANS. Anywhere you have steel threading into that peculiar Japanese aluminum/butter alloy.

Be sure you replace the "donuts" on the bolts, or your new gasket will leak. You've probably noticed the stop collars on the bolts that prevent over-tightening; that means the donuts are what actually push the cover down against the gasket and head.

The bolts only get torqued to 7.2 ft/lb once they hit the stops.