Help: home made cylinder gasket and head gasket; how to?

Hi everybody!

Does any of you have any experience with making your own cylinder or head gasket? I'm interested in where to get the material from, what type, etc., and any tips coming from your experience of having made such thing.

I know a gasket is considered cheap, but let's just say it's too much at the moment for me so I'd like to make my own.

Any advice is much appreciated, as always.

 

I wouldnt even attempt it.

First thing first, I can see you dont understand the concept of these gaskets or how they are used/affect the engine.

These are not gaskets where you can use a manila folder or the cheap gasket material from the parts store...

These gaskets have steel rings in them and are designed to accomidate a crush factor.

Lets just say you will be better off to let the bike sit until you can afford said gaskets. Otherwise you will be doing it for sure again with the correct items and may cause yourself more damage also...

 

Most of my engine experience is with large Detroit diesels. I have made a lot of gaskets by hand, except head gaskets.

Reason being is that the head gaskets are a weave of metal and fiber products. That kind of gasket is designed to be torqued down and not squish out. Head gaskets are stamped in a percision machined jig for perfict fit.

I'm not sure if the gasket on these motorcycles is the same, but if it is, I'd recommend you purchase the proper gasket.

Save any skimping on the other gaskets, just not the head gasket.

Where to purchase, I'd imagine any auto parts store would have many different gasket materials.

 

Not a gasket I would recommend you try to make. If you are of the mind however, read on. In the good old days, one could make head gaskets out of copper sheet (thick stuff too) but the compression on the old model T wasn't anything like the modern day compression ratios. If you were to attempt this, you would need to source copper rings (no split rings either) of the correct diameter and thickness to lay around each cylinder to provide the seal you would need to contain the pressures. I'll back Kryoclasm up on the crush factor, you don't want this gasket squeezing out. Taking all this in should point out that the cost of sourcing the needed components to create your own would exceed just buying the correct one in the first place. I'd set it aside untill the needed funds become available. Spring is here, take all the stuff you've been meaning to get rid of anyway and hold yourself a garage sale. You should be able to score enough to make it happen and clean house at the same time!

 

Was about to suggest the copper gasket but that mongrel Robert beat me again. :wink:

However, it is still a good option as some guys I know use them in race engines all the time. Of course, they rebuild them regularly so I can't vouch for lifespan.

However, a sheet of copper will probably cost three head gaskets.

I would only consider making my own when they become unobtanium. Which ain't far away. :roll: