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Valve cover leak
- Thread starter dion1951
- Start date
1983 R100RS rocker cover gaskets
I've recently experienced the very same gasket issue with my airhead. I accidentally tore one during a valve check, so I bought two new gaskets from the local dealer. I noticed they are different. First, they have no cement on one surface; second, they are harder than the ones I replaced. And, wouldn't you know it, they leak. I'm not going to risk stripping any of the three threaded fasteners, so I'll use silicone gaskets or try my hand at home-made cork gaskets, since I have a sheet of the material at hand.
(I'd used silicone rocker cover gaskets some years back, but don't recall them being so expensive! On the bright side, they are now available in black.)
The change in material that BMW has made is foolish. The only reason for the use of a gasket is to seal, and the new ones don't!
I've recently experienced the very same gasket issue with my airhead. I accidentally tore one during a valve check, so I bought two new gaskets from the local dealer. I noticed they are different. First, they have no cement on one surface; second, they are harder than the ones I replaced. And, wouldn't you know it, they leak. I'm not going to risk stripping any of the three threaded fasteners, so I'll use silicone gaskets or try my hand at home-made cork gaskets, since I have a sheet of the material at hand.
(I'd used silicone rocker cover gaskets some years back, but don't recall them being so expensive! On the bright side, they are now available in black.)
The change in material that BMW has made is foolish. The only reason for the use of a gasket is to seal, and the new ones don't!
rocker cover gasket
I've now had a chance to field test my home-made cork rocker cover gasket. It works great! Not a smidgen of oil escaped after a ride of a decent distance. I'm so pleased with it that I'm going to cut another for the right cylinder, even though it's not now leaking.
When I was fitting my cork gasket, a light bulb when off. With cork, you can feel the gasket compress as you snug up the fasteners of the cover. With the OEM gasket, there is very little "feel" involved as it doesn't compress at the level of torque one should pull on the fasteners. I'm convinced that that is one of the reasons the center cover studs are so often pulled out of the head on our bikes.
I've now had a chance to field test my home-made cork rocker cover gasket. It works great! Not a smidgen of oil escaped after a ride of a decent distance. I'm so pleased with it that I'm going to cut another for the right cylinder, even though it's not now leaking.
When I was fitting my cork gasket, a light bulb when off. With cork, you can feel the gasket compress as you snug up the fasteners of the cover. With the OEM gasket, there is very little "feel" involved as it doesn't compress at the level of torque one should pull on the fasteners. I'm convinced that that is one of the reasons the center cover studs are so often pulled out of the head on our bikes.
The head surface on later airheads are known to warp. You can check this by putting the valve cover on witout a gasket and looking at the area where they meet. If there is a gap, more often than not the head is warped. There are as many fixes for this as there are riders.
The gaskets can only be put on one way, and it doesn't matter which way up the cover is installed.
The gaskets can only be put on one way, and it doesn't matter which way up the cover is installed.
