What goes between valve cover and new gasket

Hi everyone and happy new year. I'm done doing my valves on my 82 750 seca. I relocated 4 of them and had to buy 4 as all my valves were out of spec. I have a new gasket and new donuts but I'm wondering what is the way ( specific product or none) to get the gasket to hold in the cover grooves.
Thanks
Ben

 

you need some of this, painted onto the valve cover. then stick the new gasket to the cover (its fairly sticky stuff)
then smear some silicon grease onto the head mating surface, and bolt up.


are your donut rubbers in good shape?
stu

 

Thanks and yes I got brand new donuts. I used lithium grease and the triangular tip of a sealer tube to ramp them on.
B

 

a very thin bead of black oil fuel rated rtv works good

 

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I used lithium grease and the triangular tip of a sealer tube to ramp them on.
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that's a good tip to replace the rubbers, I damaged a new one replacing them.
cheers.
stu

 

A few select dabs of glue work, too....

 

I bought the "ramp shaped" ferrule from XJ Forever to get my new donuts on. I think the price was a buck and added it to the order I was placing anyway... worth it... worked like a charm...

 

For the donuts I just dip a fingertip in motor oil and run a light smear in the bolt shoulder and the donut hole, push 'em through by hand .... I do warm them up either with a gentle heat gun, or set in the sun for a few minutes.

 

Hi. I did use the High Tack to keep the bloody gasket in place ( wouldn't stay in place with silicon). Today I got the bike out of the garage
as it was above freezing and had the hardest time starting it. I was expecting a quick start with my all-in-spec valves. It ended up
starting after about 7-8 tries. Is it normal? Do card bikes take a lot of effort to start after a long pause ( 3 weeks)?

 

Well, if it was that cold..... Yeah, sounds normal to me. Mine ALWAYS start hard if its near or below freezing. If I'm gonna ride when it's that cold ( why I would, is a different question...), I make sure the bike stays inside overnight. Otherwise, forget it. I'd drain a battery trying to start in a cold morning like that.

In the winter if it looks like they are going to call for a warm-enough day to ride.... I take a box heater over, and a charger to top the battery to charge and warm them up a couple days before-hand.....

 

Did you put the petcock on prime before trying to start? If the bike sits for more than a week the gas in the carb bowls will evaporate. Setting the petcock to prime will allow them to refill before starting.

I don't normally have any trouble starting my bike in the cold as long as I prime the carbs and the battery has a good charge.

 

I didn't know about putting the petcock on prime, that makes a lot of sense, thanks. And I'm also glad to know my cold start
situation wasn't unique as I didn't want to go riding ( strrets icy and snowy) but wanted to hear how the bike sounded after my big ( and first) valve shims job.
Thank you Hogfiddles and Big T and all others for such good and quick help.
Ben

 

Fwiw, I only use PRI if:
1-I ran out of gas
2-the bike has been sitting more than a month or so. If its only a few weeks they fire right up as long as the battery is up and temps are nice

 

I've noticed mine has become difficult to start... potentially as the weather has gotten colder. It is garage kept and on a Battery Tender Junior when not in use.

When cold, I'll get an initial start right away with no choke, but then she dies out quickly. Twisting the throttle, or adding choke lever in those few moments while running kills her as well.

With choke, then hit the starter button, she tries to start but eventually backfires- No start.

I found that alternately trying to start her first no choke, then with choke, then without, etc, etc... eventually gets her going. It has taken (at times) up to 18 tries (I've counted) to get her running.

I have not tried the prime position as I ride at least every other day, even as the temp drops.

I'm going to try prime. Perhaps that is my problem. It feels like she's not getting fuel, but using the choke gives her too much...

Of course, once warmed up, just a tap on the button gets her going immediately.

This is only in the past month. Prior to that, I was able to throw the choke on (full open position), hit the button and she would start right up stone cold. I'd back the choke off immediately and let her warm up.

 

Sounds like you might be clogging up... Have you put seafoam in? Might be a good time for a good dose of it

 

Interesting... It certainly couldn't hurt... but wouldn't the problem still be present once warmed up?

 

Not necessarily... Especially if it's just your Enrichment circuit

 

I used to have a lot of problems starting but since I started using seafoam at least once every few fill-ups it's much better.

If she's left cold for more than a few days I found that switching to PRI - leaving it for 10 mins and then starting with full choke does the job within 2 or 3 tries. I also have a battery tender on too.

 

It shouldn't take more than 30 seconds to fill the float bowls (and even that is a long time).

 

Yeah 10 mins was cos I have ADD so waiting 30 seconds involves me doing 20 other things that generally ends up taking 10 mins