Small oil leak from valve cover

I guess the gasket is suffering because of the cold (as I do).
Question: where can I buy a replacement gasket for a GS500 (in London or
online)?
I found a set of gaskets for 50 GBP at http://www.mandp.co.uk but there
must be a cheaper way, I don't need all that stuff...

Thank you!

F

 

It's a really, really revolutionary idea, I know, but have you tried a
Suzuki dealer?

 

Last time I entered the Suzuki dealer close to my place
(http://www.geomoto.co.uk/) I had the clear impression they don't want to
sell parts: they asked me for 700GBP for a new fuel tank (you can buy online
for less than 300), when I asked "how much to have it fitted?" it was still
700 GBP... But I'll try again for the gasket...

F

 

Or Suzuki Spares Direct (as I think they're called) on the Harrow Road
near Willesden Junction.

 

I wouldn't trust the Camden lot as far as I could kick them. That
dealership has been bust and resurrected in new names more times than I
care to mention. With the amount of money they always seem to owe to
suppliers when they go down, I'm surprised they can find anyone to
supply them with anything nowadays. My old mob were surprisingly
tolerant of that sort of thing, but even they drew the line at them.

--
Lozzo
SV650S K5, ZX-7R P4, CBR600F-W, SR250 SpazzTrakka, SR250 Project
SpazzCaffer
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

The retail price of genuine parts really doesn't vary that much. It's
the same wherever. Some old stock stuff will be discounted to shift
it, and some dealers may hold effectively as-new bits which they'll
let go cheap. Imagine a brand new bike which comes with a tiny scratch
on the tank - that'll be replaced under warranty. Or if it's a new
bike that's been in a slight ding - an almost imperceptible scratch
will mean an insurance replacement. And the dealer will sell the old
tank on.

I don't believe that the retail price of a new GS500 tank will vary by
£400....

 

I didn't believe it either. OK it is possible that I don't understand
English that well, but I really think they said "seven hundred pounds"
at Geomoto in Finchley Central, and "three hundred pounds" at Bob
Thomas one mile down the road. Same day same bike same everything
[even 300 was too expensive so I fixed the tank myself in the end].

F

 

Thanks! I'll try this one.

F

 

RTV is the cheap (& usually effective) method for valve covers.


--
Krusty

'03 Tiger 955i
'02 MV Senna (for sale) '96 Tiger (for sale)
'79 Fantic Hiro 250 (for sale) '81 Corvette (for sale)

 

What he said. But beware tightening down the bolts that hold the
rocker cover on. You need to use less torque than you would if you'd
fitted a conventional hard gasket. Use the same torque and you risk
stripping the threads.

Oh, and this presupposes that the GS500 uses a conventional gasket
rather than one of those rubber ring things that you find on Honda
twins, in which case only the genuine article will do.

 

Its a rather complicated rubber gasket, available as an individual
spare part. Probably just needs tightening with a quick tweak with
an allen key. It is just possible to tighten the cap screws with a
cut down allen key, replacement means removing the fuel tank.

 

That's the one that used to be London Suzuki Centre - used to be
excellent for availability and price.
http://www.sparesdirect.co.uk/home.htm

 

I'm not afraid of removing the tank now , but I need to find the part.
I've a torque wrench but I'd need the allen bit (what's the English for
that?), Haynes says it's 13 Nm

Thanks
F

 

Right, then, as others have suggested, it may just need a tweak on the
bolts. On some bikes, though, these bolts have threads that absolutely
restrict the amount they can be tightened and you can't give them a
tweak.

Best bet is to take the cover off, clean the rubber gasket and the
surfaces, and refit it. If that doesn't work, then buy a new one.

 

Careful how much you tighten them. On the GS500 and most other bikes
the valve cover bolts screw into the cam caps and if you bugger the
thread it's a PITA taking that out to get the thing helicoiled, as I
found out with Stritchy's SO's Triumph Sprint. My Bandit one leaked
because of a buggered thread for all the time I owned it, but I simply
put up with the oil leak

--
Lozzo
SV650S K5, ZX-7R P4, CBR600F-W, SR250 SpazzTrakka, SR250 Project
SpazzCaffer
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned