'81 GL1100 - removing shift mechanism and placement dowels

[robin1731]

Honestly I don't think you need to do anything. Going by the pic it doesn't look that deep. Just put the gasket on and go. If you want you could put some permatex aviation sealant or similar on it. But I would just use the gasket. But it could be worse than the it looks from here.

[Sidecar Bob]

Epoxy is softer than aluminum so it shouldn't be too hard to work it to level with the metal, especially if you only apply enough to fill them barely above level.

Depending on how seep the gouges are you might get away with adding a bead of silicone to the gasket but DO NOT assemble it while the silicone is wet because beads of it can be squeezed out and enter the crankcase and eventually block oil passages.
That can't happen if the silicone us fully cured before assembly. Apply a thin bead (1 - 1.5mm thick and no more than 4mm wide) of automotive grade silicone (Pematex black or orange would work) all around the gasket and then let it cure overnight. The end result should look something like what you see on the genuine Honda GL1000 water pump gasket below

[toomanybikes]

Depending on how seep the gouges are you might get away with adding a bead of silicone to the gasket but DO NOT assemble it while the silicone is wet because beads of it can be squeezed out and enter the crankcase and eventually block oil passages.
That can't happen if the silicone us fully cured before assembly. Apply a thin bead (1 - 1.5mm thick and no more than 4mm wide) of automotive grade silicone (Pematex black or orange would work) all around the gasket and then let it cure overnight. The end result should look something like what you see on the genuine Honda GL1000 water pump gasket below

Thanks. I have some Permatex #2 (non-hardening), which seems like it should work fine per the description. Also have Permatext Red RTV and Ultra Copper as backup

[Sidecar Bob]

DO NOT use the Permatex #2 Gasket Maker. It is for use where 2 parts must be mated without a gasket (like the crankcase halves, but I was told to invest in a tube of Threebond for that) and is not intended to fill gaps.

Either of the silicone sealants you have should be OK.

BTW: It really bugs me when people refer to silicone sealant as "RTV". Room Temperature Vulcanizing refers to any rubber like material that cures without the application of heat. All of the silicone sealants that are available to the general population do not require heat for curing but "RTV" could mean a number of non-silicone products.

[toomanybikes]

DO NOT use the Permatex #2 Gasket Maker. It is for use where 2 parts must be mated without a gasket (like the crankcase halves, but I was told to invest in a tube of Threebond for that) and is not intended to fill gaps.

Either of the silicone sealants you have should be OK.

BTW: It really bugs me when people refer to silicone sealant as "RTV". Room Temperature Vulcanizing refers to any rubber like material that cures without the application of heat. All of the silicone sealants that are available to the general population do not require heat for curing but "RTV" could mean a number of non-silicone products.

Good catch and thanks. For the record, I only used RTV when describing the Red tube because that how it was labelled by Permatex.

[flyin900]

Permatex does make a small tube of sealant specifically for coolant related uses. Available at Canadian Tire as you don’t show where your located. So it seems that some of these sealants may not be able to handle the chemical composition of the coolant. JB weld has a stick of the epoxy that Bob has mentioned and that would be my choice. Chemical resistant can be sanded or drilled etc and very easy to work with just knead a small amount apply it once it’s dry sand away.

[Sidecar Bob]

I'd use the 2 part epoxy in tubes and just apply a tiny amount with the tip of a nail or other pointed object. I think epoxy putty (the stuff in sticks) would be too hard to get the tiny amount you need into those little gouges, not to mention that by the time you are done working the epoxy putty with your fingers it will contain a lot of contaminants (not to mention being covered with oil from your skin) that can't be good for the bond in such a small area.

[Lucien Harpress]

It's probably a bit late for the original problem, but for areas without much access (like the top bit of the front cover gasket) I've had decent luck with a straight chisel-type hobby/xacto knife. You've got to be careful to not gouge the block with it, but that kind of blade is usually not substantial enough to do a whole lot of damage if you angle it wrong.

I've still got to get some fluids in my block before I know if this is a bad idea or not, but I figured I'd toss my two cents in.

[toomanybikes]

It's probably a bit late for the original problem, but for areas without much access (like the top bit of the front cover gasket) I've had decent luck with a straight chisel-type hobby/xacto knife. You've got to be careful to not gouge the block with it, but that kind of blade is usually not substantial enough to do a whole lot of damage if you angle it wrong.

Not too late. I'm still wrestling with that exact spot. The upper right dowel above the shift shaft is still stuck in place, making it even more difficult to get the gasket surface clean.

[toomanybikes]

thanks all for the suggestions. The chisel faced exacto knife was great for the hard to reach areas and i have a batch of new dowels for ones that were damaged during removal. The stubborn one (upper right of image) that wouldn't come out got a little knicked up, but I filed off any rough burrs.

Below is a pic of the latest status. It's not perfect, especially the surfaces near the outer coolant channels, but I'm assuming the orings around those passages are the primary sealing mechanism rather then the gasket.

That being said, I'll probably dig into those areas and the oring grooves a little more before finally sealing it up.

PXL_20210523_145429696.jpg (166.55 KiB) Viewed 214 times

[Sidecar Bob]

The o-rings seal the coolant passages but the gasket still has to seal the space under the cover (keep oil in and dirt out) so those areas still need to be pretty smooth.

[Old Fogey]

Make sure that there are no metal filings hiding in that sticking dowal. It is the part of the pressure relief for the water pump.

[toomanybikes]

Make sure that there are no metal filings hiding in that sticking dowal. It is the part of the pressure relief for the water pump.

I took the shop vacuum to all exposed parts to remove any scotchbrite residue from cleaning the gasket surface. It should have gotten any dowel filings as well since I held it right over the dowel for a while.

Current status is that the Permatex Copper sealant is curing for re-assembly tonight. Coolant pump already mounted, but I need to re-check the torque. I don't trust my 3/8" drive torque wrench at the low end of it's range (9 ft-lb).

[toomanybikes]

Update - I mangled one of the gaskets during a first failed assembly, so the fix has been on hiatus for a while waiting for another. Everything is now buttoned up and has been through two test starts with zero leaks ... so far.

The extended layup seems to have clogged the carbs a little, so it's not yet idling as well as before.