valve cover gasket sealer yes or no

I am replacing my valve cover gasket should I be using any type of gasket sealer?

 

I used a thin smear of Yamabond when I replaced mine. Also, make sure you seal the cam caps/plugs well. I developed a small leak on mine after not properly sealing them the first time.

 

Thanks, being a first time bike owner I wasn't really sure but after taking off the valve cover I noticed gasket sealer residue around the valve cover so I figured I better ask somebody with some experience.

 

Which bike? Most rtv sealer's prevent the gasket from sealing as it should. We don't know what type of glue yamaha used at the factory but the site recommends a thin layer of various glues (including elmer's). I'm chasing that irritating leak. Ordered oem head gasket. Going to use red tacky per bf. Hopefully "It will not leak".

Gary H.

 

some bikes have a paper gasket some a rubber gasket, the rubber gaskets depend on the rubber washers on the bolts that hold the cover down. if the washers are compressed and hard they can't put enough pressure on the valve cover to make it seal no matter what you do.

 

Also, if you're engine is a YICS engine, then the gasket should have the two half-moons as part of the gasket----

IN THAT CASE-- I have found on several bikes, that the casting itself has an overly sharp edge at the top corners of the half-moons......so sharp, in fact, that they will cut into the new gasket, and prematurely ruin them. So, what I do is to just 'kiss' the edge with a very fine file and dress it just a touch so as to get rid of the sharp burr. I have not had any issues with ones that I've done that to, and the gaskets last a good long time. On ones that I didn't do that to, the gasket starts leaking at all for 'cuts' within a year or so......

Dave Fox