the "other" gasket kit from mikes

[angus67]

Im slowly getting ramped up to rebuild the engine in my 1971 xs1-b, and baught the other overhaul kit from mikesxs. Not the Athena one, the other one. Looks like It will have enuf stuff for a upper overhaul. But id doesn't have any seals, just valve cover O-rings, base/head gasket, valve stem seals, breaker housing orings/gaskets. I will have to buy the seals you can see when you take the points housing covers off.
Im doing it because I have found aluminum in the side filter. So Im suspecting the cam chain guide is fubar. But since I will be in there, I may as well clean up the cylinders, and mic the bore. I noticed today the guy that runs the mill at work has a dial bore gauge, and knows how to use it, So I will be able to get a reading on the jugs. Hopefully just a honeing stone will do, but I doubt it.
Is it a worthy gasket kit? Its made in tiawan, but what isn't these days?

 

[5twins]

I've used a couple of those kits so far and they seem pretty good. None of these gasket kits come with seals other than the valve guide ones. Personally, I don't replace those seals in the points and advance housings unless they're leaking badly. The new triple lip seal Mike's sells doesn't work very well, not as good as an original single lip style in my opinion. Besides, that seal is always something you can change later if need be with the motor in the frame. What you will want to do is clean the ends of the cam where the seals ride. Use a Scotch-Brite pad and buff them clean and shiny. This alone will many times cure a slightly leaking original seal.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

The early XS's used 5mm thick cam-end seals, later models used 6mm. If you can, peek in there and see if you can see a -5- or a -6- on the seal part number. I recall 5twins has posted in the past about the outermost seal lip possibly riding on or overhanging the edge of the cam. Something to watch for...

 

[5twins]

That's where the problem arises with those new triple lip seals. They added the extra lips on top of the first one, building outward even more. It's even harder to get these added seal lips on the cam end than the single lip on an older style seal. The added lips don't help much if they're not on the shaft, lol.

 

[Gordon in nc]

<snip> The added lips don't help much if they're not on the shaft, lol.

Is it just me..... or does that sound a little kinky?

Gordon in NC

1975 XS650B.....running like a top, I kinda wish there was something wrong with it again so I could still be working on it.

 

[angus67]

oh....gordo....
Thanks guys.

 

[Gordon in nc]

Sorry angus...just couldn't help myself.

Good luck and hope your summer is the best ever!!!!!

Gordon in NC

 

[angus67]

three bikes crammed in a one car garage? what could be better? I get more joy working on them over ridding them. Weird, huh?

 

[Gordon in nc]

No angus, that's not that weird and I understand it completely.

I love to ride. BUT....I like to get up early in the morning, get on the bike and ride somewhere...with something to do when I get there. The further the better and 3 days to a week is best. It takes me about 100 miles in the saddle before I start to get in the zone...once there I can ride for days. I REALLY don't like short trips....to me it's just not worth the effort.

Second best thing for me......is taking something that somebody else has given up on and get it running. My best one yet was a 1974 Norton 850 Commando I picked up for $235 (the $35 was because the fellow had just purchased a new battery) I ended up putting thousands of miles on that bike before I let it go. My main ride now was pretty cheap ( about half of what it was worth) because the fellow I got it from couldn't get it to run over 55mph????? When I got it home I found out why.......the throttle cable was so dry it wouldn't open the carbs all the way. Lubed the cable and I'm still riding that bike.

Hope your summer is the BEST you've ever had.......Gordon in NC