Any handed down words of wisdom for the removal of old gasket material? Seems like they are paper...but are seemingly now atomically welded to the aluminium covers and also bike casing.... I am soaking the removed cover parts with some nail varnish remover...but the bike side of the removal? I appreciate I can't scratch the surfaces, so what's the best way to remove this stuff!? Thank you in advance!
You need to scrape it off carefully without damaging the aluminium surface which must remain perfectly flat. There are gasket scraping tools and gasket remover apparently but I have never used either. I use a sharp blade such as a Stanley Knife blade which I slide along the mating surface to cut and lift the gasket remains. You could try softening it with WD40 beforehand. Paper gaskets rarely come away cleanly so it's usually a tedious job being extra careful not to gouge the alloy. I am sure someone else will have a better plan?
I've used half of a hard plastic clothes peg, sharpened at one end. Tough enough to scrape the old gasket off without damaging the alloy surface.
........or a sharpened hard plastic double glazing packer. Ask any window fitter and he might give you a handful - 3mm thick (mine are blue) are about the best and a good size around 4" long and 1 1/2" wide (100mm x 38mm).
excellent, thank you - just the kind of advise I was looking for.... I am hoping that the state of these gaskety surfaces is further evidence/confirmation that no one has been in here for a good while (if ever?) and that a good clean and nice new gaskets with a greased face etc will ensure an easier job should there be a next time! (Or is this "normal"?)
In an effort to try and nail this I have set about a bit of an experiment to see what product may be best suited for removing gaskets. In the first instance I feel that these paper gaskets merely need to be suitably softened…and then it’ll be easy? With this in mind I have carried out the following: Test scenario: To remove old gasket material. Test period: Left over night (12hrs). Test method: removability with a plastic scraper/softening of the gasket material. Test products: · engine oil · olive oil (extra virgin) · Plus gas lubricant · paintbrush cleaner · WD40 · tomato ketchup · Bovril · maintenance PTFE spray · washing up liquid · vinegar · clothes washing conditioner. The Test: Immerse/cover gasket material in the above product. Return after 12hrs and test by hand whether the material is dissolved, softened, loose etc. I do not in any way claim for this to be at all scientific; merely a rough test to see if any of these product – ranging from acidic to alkali, oily to penetrating, given 12hrs of “soaking” would sufficiently loosen, or soften old caked on gasket material that a simple plastic scraper would be adequate to remove the stubborn stains without damaging the important aluminium surface. I deliberately chose some items that would adhere to the vertical nature of the engine casings – not all gaskets can be removed from the convenience of a table… The results are as follows: Don't bother! They’re all fuc#ing shit. Didn’t make sod-all difference. It’s all pants. I’m just gonna have to use elbow grease. FFS… Made a great salad dressing though!
It's a true nightmare to remove those old gasket. I've done it very carefully using a razor blade. Took a lot of time. And at the end gently swipe will 000 steel wool.
Thanks @Hubaxe . Getting it off the removed covers is one thing...getting it off the case that's still on the bike...is a whole different PITA!
Blue Hylomar can be removed with cellulose thinners or Acetone. Brake/clutch cleaner (the highly flammable stuff, not the eco friendly water based rubbish) is also a pretty good solvent. Even "dry" paper gaskets are usually impregnated with some form of sealer, so much depends on what that sealer is made from as to what will dissolve it, especially when a gasket has been in there for years with all the hot/cold cycles that entails.
I've only gone and bloody done it . Gasket faces all cleaned...took, perhaps an hour or two. If you get the thickness of the paper off with a plastic scraper...picking at it with fat sweaty fingers...then I can thoroughly recommend this "Zep sticky stuff remover" applied and left to soak for a good few minutes. A bit more picking and gentle scraping. Re-apply... Then a very gentle rub with 400 grit wet n dry dipped in engine oil...keeping the surfaces all moist and oily. Plenty of elbow grease. Then a good clean up with towel and brake cleaner... I'll give everything on the inside a good going over with engine oil so any 'cleaned' bearings will get reoiled (there are a few bearings and shafts that get exposed and 'cleaned' in the process.... All in all...am very pleased with the outcome. Just waiting for the clutch plates, and I'm ready to rebuild! (I'm going to repeat this in Croatian Dreams).
