Athena Gasket set

[gordo555]

In particular the Athena head gasket...

This is my first LC build, and when I first got the bike, I ordered an Athena gasket set from PJME as I was planning a complete rebuild. It was described as being a "better" product than the budget sets. I bought it because I'm a big believer in doing it right, and doing it once.

My question relates to the Athena head gasket specifically… As I read the forums, and learn more about these bikes, it has become clear that the majority of forum members believe the Yamaha OEM gasket is the only acceptable part to use, and that all others are problematic. I don't want to do the job twice, but the best price I can find for the OEM gasket in the States is about US$80.00, That's a lot of money for a part I already "have".

Does anyone here have experience (success or failure) with the Athena head gasket? and if  you were in my shoes would you use it, or toss it and order the OEM Yamaha gasket?

Thanks guys,

Gordo

[muttsnuts]

you can use it, just follow the proecdure below;

1. Make sure head and barrels are clean and dry, free from crap, grease etc
2. Fit head gasket, head and torque down to 20ftlbs (of there abouts)
3. Run the engine up with NO water in - allow it to get to the point whereby the barrels are hot to the touch, this won't harm the engine
4. Let the engine cool down - ideally overnight and the retorque the head bolts
5. Fill cooling system up
6. Run engine up to operating tempature
7. Let engine cool down - ideally overnight and then retorque the head bolts

That's it your done

HTH

[gordo555]

Thanks Mutts, is the idea to get the gasket hot enough (in the absence of water cooling) that it takes a "set"? on the first heat cycle?

[foxyjohn]

I am using a Athena head gasket on my Fahron 370 top end with no problems you should not have any problems if you follow muttsnuts advice

[looey]

I do the same process as Mutts when fitting the head gasket.

The only other thing worth noting is that if you're fitting the barrels before fitting the head, then I only hand tighten the barrel nuts until I have torqued the head down for the first time (lets the barrels move very slightly to take up any slight difference in heights there might be).

I like some apply the THINNEST POSSIBLE smear of clear RTV silicone to both sides of the head gasket prior to fitting.

The head gasket I currently have in my YPVS engine is a quality pattern one from Norbo and it's been re-fitted 3 times so far without any problems.

Good luck with whatever method you choose

[gordo555]

Oct 6, 2015 11:26:44 GMT 1 looey said:

I do the same process as Mutts when fitting the head gasket.

The only other thing worth noting is that if you're fitting the barrels before fitting the head, then I only hand tighten the barrel nuts until I have torqued the head down for the first time (lets the barrels move very slightly to take up any slight difference in heights there might be).

I like some apply the THINNEST POSSIBLE smear of clear RTV silicone to both sides of the head gasket prior to fitting.

The head gasket I currently have in my YPVS engine is a quality pattern one from Norbo and it's been re-fitted 3 times so far without any problems.

Good luck with whatever method you choose

Refitted three times? That's encouraging!

[steven]

Hi gordo,
I have an Athena head gasket on my 4L0, and I used a thin smear of hylomar on it, as when pressure and vacuum testing it, it , failed the tests until I fitted gasket goo !

Your original post said " you are a big believer in doing it right and doing it once."

If you are doing it right, you will be checking your squish band using soft solder or the likes.

You will find that if you have standard head and barrels fitted, with an OEM/genuine head gasket your squish band will be quite wide.
You will find that if you have an Athena head gasket fitted, your squish band will be closer to what it should be than if an OEM/genuine head gasket was fitted.

Pattern/Athena head gaskets are thinner than OEM/genuine head gaskets, so your squish band will be tighter and closer to what it should be if you use an Athena one.

You will read on here people stating...."White ones, black ones, yellow ones, pink ones etc etc are the fastest LC,s......in reality, at least on standard engines anyway, that the fastest LC,s are the ones with Athena/pattern head gaskets fitted, as they will have the tighter squish bands !

You wont get your squish band spot on without some machining, but you will get it closer to what it should be by using an Athena head gasket.
Remember to check and trim the base gaskets also, as it is common for the base gaskets to overlap, and sit on top of each other,doubling the thickness of your base gaskets, which also affects your squish band.

If your not bothered about checking your squish band, an OEM gasket will be fine, you will just have a squish band wider than the the bloke with the Athena one, and the bloke with the Athena one will get to the checkered flag before you !

steven.

[Norbo]

As above Athena do cost more but they are not a cheep kit and will be fine however id still as above use some instant with any head gasket

[looey]

The way I see it is,..... if it leaks with a thin smear of clear RTV silicone then something is majorly wrong.

If it leaks without the silicone, then chances are it won't with the silicone, so why not just put some on ?.

It wipes straight off with brake cleaner after use, then just repeat the process with the same gasket

Everyone has a different opinion, you just need to decide/find out what works for you.

[chippy348]

Was the original yam gasket always a multi layer steel type ?? I thought it was a composite gasket to start with then Yam changed to MLS

[gordo555]

Oct 6, 2015 12:56:10 GMT 1 steven said:

Hi gordo,
I have an Athena head gasket on my 4L0, and I used a thin smear of hylomar on it, as when pressure and vacuum testing it, it , failed the tests until I fitted gasket goo !

Your original post said " you are a big believer in doing it right and doing it once."

If you are doing it right, you will be checking your squish band using soft solder or the likes.

You will find that if you have standard head and barrels fitted, with an OEM/genuine head gasket your squish band will be quite wide.
You will find that if you have an Athena head gasket fitted, your squish band will be closer to what it should be than if an OEM/genuine head gasket was fitted.

Pattern/Athena head gaskets are thinner than OEM/genuine head gaskets, so your squish band will be tighter and closer to what it should be if you use an Athena one.

You will read on here people stating...."White ones, black ones, yellow ones, pink ones etc etc are the fastest LC,s......in reality, at least on standard engines anyway, that the fastest LC,s are the ones with Athena/pattern head gaskets fitted, as they will have the tighter squish bands !

You wont get your squish band spot on without some machining, but you will get it closer to what it should be by using an Athena head gasket.
Remember to check and trim the base gaskets also, as it is common for the base gaskets to overlap, and sit on top of each other,doubling the thickness of your base gaskets, which also affects your squish band.

If your not bothered about checking your squish band, an OEM gasket will be fine, you will just have a squish band wider than the the bloke with the Athena one, and the bloke with the Athena one will get to the checkered flag before you !

steven.


Steven, I've sent the head, and cylinders to Scott Clough Racing in the States for Bore, fit new pistons, porting, and machining of head for compression and squish. I'll check the squish when it's all bolted up on my cases, and I've ordered one of Macca's pressure test kits to check the whole thing out under pressure and vacuum. I just wanted to get an OK on the Athena gasket before I set the top end.