Author Topic: Source of quality gasket kits  (Read 1474 times)

Online Laverda Dave

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Source of quality gasket kits
« on: February 16, 2021, 09:23:59 PM »
Can anyone recommend a supplier of a quality engine gasket kit such as Vesrah, MP or Athena? The kit I need is for a Kawasaki Z400J. I have now been scammed twice on flea bay. The first was for a full 'new' Vesrah kit. When it arrived it had clearly been opened and the only gaskets left were the barrel, head and rocker cover. When I contacted the shop they just said 'on the mechanic must have opened it and put it back'. I got my money back. Second incident was a shop selling a MP kit with the tag line 'what you see in the photo is what you get'. What I got was a Chinese made High Level kit. When I contacted them I was told 'We send out what we have in stock. All our kits are OEM and made in the same factory as the originals'. Utter BS >:(. I'm still waiting for my money back and now threatened them with trading standards. Every seller on eBay is doing the same, showing a photo of a MP kit but when you ask if this is what you'll get the answer is always a no!
So, can anyone recommend a seller who sells decent kits?
Wemoto are still waiting for Athena kits they ordered in November, they know where they are but couriers are refusing to ship them from Europe.
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Offline taysidedragon

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2021, 12:44:34 AM »
Do Z-power sell them?
Gareth

1977 CB400F
1965 T100SS

Online Laverda Dave

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2021, 12:40:38 PM »
Thanks Tayside, They were my first point of contact but unfortunately they only sell pattern sets that are unbranded. I have used pattern sets before on both bikes and cars and it is always the head gaskets that give trouble, normally blowing after a few hundred miles. Never had a problem with OEM or quality Japan made sets. Vesrah, Athena (Italian)or NP are my ‘go to’ brands. Vesrah are very difficult to get these days.
I'ts just really annoying most ebay sellers lie about the sets they sell, putting a photo of a well known brand on the listing but actually selling cheap parts when you contact them to ask what is the actual make of the set they will send you.
Scooterandbikes is the name of the company on ebay who sold me the NP set that turned out to be a cheap china made pattern set. This was despite their add clearly stating the set will be the same as the photo. They said although pattern it was made in the original factory as the OEM parts!!!They are making it very difficult for me to return the item by delaying any responses to messages and telling me to use ebay to return it, just nothing but hassle. Would I reccomend them, 100%NO.
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Offline Skoti

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2021, 01:01:18 PM »
Hi Dave,

over on ebay.de there's a genuine Kawasaki Z400J head gasket listed.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/KAWASAKI-Original-Zylinderkopfdichtung-fur-Z-400-J-J1-J3-OEM-11004-1110/182648958340?epid=9004540129&hash=item2a86b9ed84:g:5ccAAOSwLa9UXgZi

If you search ebay using "Kawasaki Z400J dichtung" other gaskets come up as well.

Hope this helps

Skoti
Motorcycling is Life, anything B4 or after is just waiting...


1976 Honda CB750F1

Online Laverda Dave

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2021, 04:06:24 PM »
Thanks for the tip-off Skoti. When I checked the website I found a link to another page and to a guy who sells complete Athena kits! He has one for the Z400J in stock, his last one (I dont think he will sell too many Z400J kits anyway as they are pretty rare!). £67.33 inc shipping, I think from Germany, result :D
Thanks for posting the link to the original gasket as without it I wouldn't have found the other link :)
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Offline AndyD

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2021, 04:19:13 PM »
Dave,
I had a similar experience buying NE brand gaskets a while ago from Brooks Barn.
Picture showed NE branded packaging but when the gaskets arrived they were in Hi Level packaging.
The gaskets themselves were marked NE brand however and BB assured me that they were the original NE items, just in outer packaging in Hi Level branding.
They seemed to all fit OK so I'm hoping they are OK and also feel it's misleading to show a totally different image to the supplied parts.
Hope you find the ones you need OK - never worked on a Kwak so can't suggest any sources.
Cheers,
Andy

Online Laverda Dave

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2021, 05:05:04 PM »
Hi Andy. Funnily enough every ebay supplier I spoke to and who had the MP gasket image told me the gaskets are High Level. After being told these are made in the original factory as OEM parts I called High Level directly to find out. They told me the gaskets are made in China, maybe OEM for Chinese made bikes (and future Norton desgined Atlas engines to be built in China following Mr Garner's sell off of Norton engine rights just as the company sank ;)) but not for the likes of Honda, Kawasaki etc.
Normally the paper type case gaskets from pattern suppliers are ok if a bit big sometimes but its the head gaskets where I've had problems. They look alright but they don't seem to last. I had one where the metal ring around the cylinder bore came adrift of the surrounding gasket when in use! I only found this out when I took the head off after it had become almost impossible to start. Luckily this was on a push rod engine and it was easy to get the head off (still a pia though). The gasket to be fair was not from High Level. I don't want to go through the same again with a SOHC or DOHC because that really will be painful (and annoying!).
I've used Athena kits in my last three builds and never had a problem hence why I wanted a kit of known quality.
If the High Level kits perform OK maybe worth a report back and we can add it to the list of decent brands to use especially as it appears High Level are the kits most of the supplies sell these days.
Lucky for me I have found an Athena kit following Skoti's tip-off earlier and I have now collected a lot of the spares I need to get the rebuild of the Z400J back on the go :).
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Online Laverda Dave

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2021, 05:16:28 PM »
Dave,
I had a similar experience buying NE brand gaskets a while ago from Brooks Barn.
Picture showed NE branded packaging but when the gaskets arrived they were in Hi Level packaging.
The gaskets themselves were marked NE brand however and BB assured me that they were the original NE items, just in outer packaging in Hi Level branding.
They seemed to all fit OK so I'm hoping they are OK and also feel it's misleading to show a totally different image to the supplied parts.
Hope you find the ones you need OK - never worked on a Kwak so can't suggest any sources.
Cheers,
Andy
Andy, I've just checked the High Level gasket kit I have and the branding on the paper gaskets is D&K & NE. I cant see any branding on the head gasket though.
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Offline AndyD

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Re: Source of quality gasket kits
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2021, 06:36:42 PM »
Dave,
I think it was the same in the set I received - paper gaskets marked NE but head gasket plain.
When I googled at the time that seemed to be the same on the NE branded sets I could find pictures of.
I have to admit for the CJ I wasn't too concerned - probably hasn't got the power to scare even a cheap Chinese gasket!
On the CB1100F and GS1000S I remember it was very strongly recommended to only us the OEM gaskets as nobody seemed to have found a good aftermarket alternative.
Glad you've found the right gaskets for the Z and hopefully assembly will go smoothly.

Cheers,
Andy

 

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