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[SID8D2]

I am getting some head work done on my SERG3 and removed my heads as per the shop manual. As I worked my way down from the valve covers everything came apart smoothly and the gaskets all look reusable except for the head gasket. What is the best way to clean up the torn stuck on  head gasket material that remains on top of the cyl? Obviously I do not want to start scraping it off and have debree fall down into the bore on top of the piston. Also, I question whether I need to replace all the other gaskets when I reassemble.

[porthole]

Gaskets get replaced. Unless you feel like doing it again in the middle of the summer.

[sadunbar]

Replace all gaskets....bad place to try and be thrifty...

And all you can do with the cleaning the cylinder mounting surface is be careful...if you find you are dropping debris onto the piston, bite the bullet and pull the cylinders.  Not a place to take chances unless you are prepared to repeat the process a second time... .

[Twolanerider]

Stuff a rag/rags in the cylinders to keep the droppings out of places you might not retrieve them.

[Trapperdog]

1   See above AND have your shop vac nozzle directly behind your scraping tool

or

2   Remove barrels with pistons, turn upside down in a large, soft wood latend vice, and clean from below

[Twolanerider]

2   Remove barrels with pistons, turn upside down in a large, soft wood latend vice, and clean from below

Have always found that to be an absolute pain in the ass.  Especially with one pair of hands.  The effort has made me cuss so much and raise my blood pressure so high a set of rings was far cheaper.

[sadunbar]

Have always found that to be an absolute pain in the ass.  Especially with one pair of hands.  The effort has made me cuss so much and raise my blood pressure so high a set of rings was far cheaper.

Yep...  Certainly possible, but not the easy way and not worth it in my experience...

[porthole]

You could change them the way we did all the head gaskets on Chrysler products years ago.



Pop the valve cover, pull the head bolts, jack up the heads with a floor jack under the exhaust pipe - slide out the old - slide in the new.

[Gecko]

Rotate engine so the piston is at TDC, easier to get the shop vac nozzle into the gap than when it's down in the cylinder?

[Trapperdog]

Have always found that to be an absolute pain in the ass.  Especially with one pair of hands.  The effort has made me cuss so much and raise my blood pressure so high a set of rings was far cheaper.

I agree. I should have added some  after #2. While trying to save money to prove a point, I've gone way out of my way with hours of fustration only to realize in the end it would have been cheaper to do it right. This being one of them. kind of like the original poster questioning weather to replace the other gaskets or not.

[SID8D2]

[quote While trying to save money to prove a point, I've gone way out of my way with hours of fustration only to realize in the end it would have been cheaper to do it right. This being one of them. kind of like the original poster questioning weather to replace the other gaskets or not.
[/quote]

I'm taking it all in 
I was not wanting to turn the motor over to rotate the piston to TDC for fear of moving the cyl and possibly adding to the possibility of creating an oil leak at he base of the cyl like a few of you have reported. But this idea does sound reasonable. I was also thinking of purchasing some 2" thick foam from the Hobby Shop and cutting it into a dia. larger than the bore and squeezing it down in the bore to help seal off the piston.

The shop vac will be used too.

The reason I question weather to reuse the gaskets on the covers was because the bike is new with only 32 miles on it and and I just thought they haven't seen much action and could be reused. Like the old bikes with the inspection cover on the on the primary cover, I never had any trouble reusing that gasket. Just looking for opinions from people that have been there and done that.
   Thanks

[Twolanerider]

The reason I question weather to reuse the gaskets on the covers was because the bike is new with only 32 miles on it and and I just thought they haven't seen much action and could be reused. Like the old bikes with the inspection cover on the on the primary cover, I never had any trouble reusing that gasket. Just looking for opinions from people that have been there and done that.
   Thanks

There's a difference in the calculus there Sid.  I've been known to reuse a primary gasket.  Harley charges a stupid amount for them, they're off at least annually for full primary inspection anyway and (most importantly for this discussion) they're easy to get to if they do leak.  Is it, however, worth wagering the small-ish cost of a set of rocker gaskets against pulling the tank and taking the top off the motor a second time?

[porthole]

Along with Don, the derby cover gasket.

I had mine on 4 years before I changed it, and then only because I did all the trans work. The current derby gasket will probably go another 30-40K miles before being changed. Unless it leaks, then it is simple enough to change.

But all the other engine gasket get changed every time

[SID8D2]

There's a difference in the calculus there Sid.  I've been known to reuse a primary gasket.  Harley charges a stupid amount for them, they're off at least annually for full primary inspection anyway and (most importantly for this discussion) they're easy to get to if they do leak.  Is it, however, worth wagering the small-ish cost of a set of rocker gaskets against pulling the tank and taking the top off the motor a second time?

Got it, Thanks!!!!!

[SID8D2]

I cleaned up the old gasket material today that was stuck to the cyl. I purchased a few feet of 1" thick foam and cut it into circles a little larger than the bore. Squeezed them down to size and pushed them down into the bore to help prevent old gasket contaminates from getting into the bore/pistons. With the foam just below the top surface I used a razor blade and carefully scraped off as much of the old gasket I could, stopping often and using the shop vac to suck up the small pieces of old gasket material. Once I felt I did all I could with the razor blade I put a little lacquer thinner on a rag and scrubbed the surface until it was shiny clean and free of any old gasket. Again using the shop vac to to insure no contaminates are laying around. Once completed removed the foam from the bore and one more time with the shop vac; Job done, just waiting for the heads and new Cometic gasket to arrive.
 

   Thanks for all your input 
My next question is...Should I use HD gaskets or is there a better product out there, if so what is it and where can I obtain it.