Flame Ring now a days?

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I seem to buy head gaskets 2 at a time just in case I screw up but then I forget that I have them. I found 2 which I got from Andover Norton at different times - one about a month ago. Both say Reinz and Victor but one is in script and the other is a more modern font. I also have a new one in the bike now with 3.5 miles on it. Anyway, neither of the 2 I can look at have the ring split like yours. It is continuous all the way around. So I think it is not an inherent problem in the design, just a quality problem. (I don't see this glue on the gasket that everyone keeps talking about.)

Never had a head gasket problem yet (all flame ring - well, except for the time I tried a solid copper gasket and it leaked like a sieve) and this is about my 5th or 6th time doing it over 40 yrs. I do ride it but probably not nearly as much as Ludwig. (3 other bikes to ride and I'm not getting any younger.)
 
I just bought a head gasket from DomiRacer for a spare since I was buying other things. We'll see what it's like. I didn't have any troubles with my original gasket, but had head of in the mid 70's so changed to copper, at the time it was the thing to do. Didn't have any troubles with it until I took it apart in 08 and tried heating it up to soften it and melted a corner. I don't do big miles either and have a flame ring from a Walridge gasket kit. I didn't see any sealer on either side either, can't remember if I put any goop on it during install or not, probably not, since I never did before, but Leo did smooth the head surface. I probably should have surfaced the barrels too.

Dave
69S
 
debby said:
As it happens, I have the head off my 750 right now. Head gasket failed at the pushrod tunnel area and started passing large amounts of oil. Genuine flame ring gasket, installed dry, head retorqued as Windy says above. That was 9000 miles ago. Comnoz says to retorque every year. I never did (until it started leaking) but the bolts always seemed tight. It's hard to get those sleeve nuts torqued properly though. All I can get on them is my curved boxend 1/4 W spanner. I probably didn't have them at the full 25 ft-lbs. Don't know if that had anything to do with the failure.

Just looked at the new gasket this morning. The lettering is on one side only and it does indeed say Reinz and Victor, as Windy said. Also "0.75" and "AFM".

I'll be getting both the head and the block checked for flatness before putting it back together. I didn't do that on the rebuild. :oops:

Debby
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One thing that a lot of people miss when re-torquing is the fact that the fastener needs to be broken loose by backing them up a little bit before tightening torque is applied. Otherwise they will seem tight when in fact they are not. Jim
 
Duh, but if ya don't test each fasteners ease to tighten a bit more then its easy to miss which ones are most suspect. Some may just turn 1/4-1/2 w/o any break loose effort to back off first, ugh.
 
Here's the flame ring I got from DomiRacer and the GB gaskets just for drill. Made by Novus Sealiing Group in UK, at least that's where the HQ is. Head gasket seems to be made of material that feels like it has graphite in it, both sides, the copper ring on one side is not consistent. One cyl has a large piece sticking out and the other side is missing a bit.

Flame Ring now a days?


Flame Ring now a days?


Dave
69S
 
I used to do a lot of business with DomiRacer back when they were about the only game in town. I try to avoid them now if I can help it. My problem is that they find this crappy stuff all over the world and sell it under the Norton p/n. I never saw a copper ring head gasket like that and I sure wouldn't use it.
 
Yeah, I've noticed they tend to sell cheaper stuff in general, and it looks cheaper.

Dave
69S
 
STOP! Alto! WHOA! There is not one gasket in this view I would ever use, unless paid to put any gaskets back in my gearbox but I'd face a gun or just slap head on w/o any gasket before I'd put another one of those FAKE copper foil 'flameThing'. DON"T DO IT unless you first flame jet armor you fuel lines. Trixie's frist one like that blew 10 miles away from my shed taking it easy just commuting to work on first heat cycle. My fear of getting these current crap gaskets was reason I went ahead and tried copper and may yet go back to that as sealed good for first few 1000 miles I kept up on re-torque.
Flame Ring now a days?
 
Those gaskets are nothing like the Andover Norton offering and rest asured we (Andover Norton) do not have the "Novus Sealing Group" amongst our suppliers. Was a customer insisting on me using that head gasket I#d throw him out of my shop (Norton Motors GmbH in Germany).
 
DogT said:
Here's the flame ring I got from DomiRacer and the GB gaskets just for drill. Made by Novus Sealiing Group in UK, at least that's where the HQ is.
Click to expand...

The gasket material may have originated from Novus-but the actual gaskets were probably "manufactured" by someone else.
 
L.A.B. said:
The gasket material may have originated from Novus-but the actual gaskets were probably "manufactured" by someone else.
Click to expand...
You're probably right about that.

Dave
 
ZDF, please set me straight. A decade ago the real flame ring had solid steel rings and labeled surface with goop to match Al and the cast iron, current one with Anover label is like the copper foil ring kind, just a bit tougher look paper and steel foil rings no goop sealer at all. Phil reviewed me on the re-torques, duh, but didn't mention about a sealer helper needed or not. BTW yoose guys realize that copper becomes rather soft when heated so guess what happens to the copper foil gasket ring...
 
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