Hi there,

Haven't been since long on the forum.

I'm planning to check valve clearance, so I have bought Hotcams shim kit, and searching for head gasket.

While searching, I have found OEM one, alternative stated

same as OEM quality, and then I started wondering about laser cutting it.

I thought making it in copper with the same thickness.

Does anyone have experience on this?

I will keep researching.

Meanwhile, asking on this respectable forum.

TIA

 

Don't use copper, difficult process to make them seal. Only use as last resort on extreme-boost scenarios.

Best to use is MLS - multi-layer steel gaskets.

Why are you replacing headgasket? Is it blown?

 

Haven't been since so long on the forum, forgot completely how to reply. Hope this works.

No, gasket is not blown.

As I'm taking it apart, thought about placing new one.

Since I own the bike - 20 years- never had been done.

About multilayer, yes I know them. Always I thought they work as a spring - might be wrong -

Do you think it's possible to make a multilayer gasket, laser cutting it?

Ok. Let me add something to understand. I'm from Argentina, where parts are hard to get and a monthly average wage is around USD 300 now - if lucky-.

Cheers

 

If it's not blown, no need to replace it. Factory headgasket lasts forever. It's tuning mistakes that causes improper air-fuel ratios that leads to detonation, overheating and headgasket actually burns through. Usually between two cylinders. Sometimes to outer coolant jacket and combustion pressure "blows" coolant out. But gasket actually doesn't fail from over-pressure, just heat.

So, if you don't have any crazy mods and wild tuning, no need to worry about headgasket.

Yes, MLS uses top & bottom layers of strong spring steel with moulded compression ridges. Then centre layer of mild-steel for proper spacing. When compressed, the ridges acts like spring where they push harder at contact surface for better seal. No need to use unless you have engine build that requires stronger than stock headgasket, such as turbo or nitrous.

Tooling to make MLS headgasket is quite expensive, not worth doing for less than 100 gaskets.