Head Gasket Tricks

About to install a new head gasket on Bike#1 as it spat some oil out a couple of days ago, is the dental floss trick on both sides of the head gasket or just on the head side?
Regards Mike

Head side as softer and more thermal deforming than the barrel. Anneal copper to beyond cherry red if possible then handle careful after air cool not to thermal shock contraction work harden somewhat before install. Copper spray coat is common additive inbetween. Keep up with retorques each heat cycle till ya think its all crushed down stable, then do a couple more, just in case because it is a Commando ya know.

Thanks Steve, onto the retorquing no problem wanted to give the dental floss a try, have a Comstock crank case breather so no pressure there normally, was out running with another C'do last week end , 3 hour trip to get there , 3 hour back , Friday a'noon travel there, Sunday a'noon back, a lot of 70 to 90 + stuff, gasket looked a little weak in places.
Head and barrel prep prior to going back together tomorrow.
Regards Mike

Ah cool Mike, refreshing to read of a pair of Commando pilots breaking speed limits for hours on end. I've not done anything major to Trixie in a few months so getting pensive just to hop on and ride w/o responsible nip ups and inspections on returns or before leavings. Just avoid synthetic fibers as it melts and breaks to leave gaps w/o goop set up in the spaces left. Silk was the original aircraft standard weep sealer. Deer are freaking everywhere, see em each trip and others telling me of their excessive counts of em. One struck my car a couple weeks ago and cracked some chrome plastic enough to trap fur and roll under enough to detach air spoiler lip but bounced out before tire crushed to go spinning down hill side off road. Neighbors said they saw one limping, so should be easy to collect now. Your ride and return give me some nerve to enjoy a Commando again soon.

You really ought to check out this thread as I layed out a proceedure which fixed my head problems.
If you haven't already put it together yet.

850-head-gasket-oil-leak-t13474.html?hilit=%20head#p159374

Dental floss is for teeth

Hi Guido, thanks for that and in fact had read your thread prior.
In the process of doing that right now, if i can cant get the head to level out may even take it to a reputed machine shop and skim it until level.
Problem was oil pumped out (gasket blown from push rod tunnel) not just weeping as I had cured all leaks prior to this happening.
Thanks for all the responses and agree , dental floss is for teeth or bikini strings!!!!
Regards Mike
Check the link out , maybe this what I shouldve been doing instead of trying to get my C'do to go flat out all weekend!!!!
this whay young guys can go fast!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnO1EdcD ... re=related

Ok if a head fault then fix the fault, duh, but consider that hobot IS Not the One who recommends dental floss, I was just relaying what Jim Schmidt recommends, so take it up with him on his slack mechanical methods, as that's who you are really popping fun at, not me. hobot uses silk or Mercerized Cotton Thread after seeing what synthetic tread ended up looking like in hotted up Peel. I'll take all the ribbing you like on those two fibers even in race quality fitted parts, when run at race level elastic deforming engine rpms.