But there are times (usually the night before a race) that making a gasket is necessary. If you’re on top of things, you had a spare head, base, intake manifold, and clutch cover gasket in your toolbox. But since what is optimum and what is real life are two highly different things, knowing how to make a gasket is very important.

One cannot justify the time necessary to make a base gasket, as opposed to what it costs, but sometimes there is no alternative. In this do-or-die situation, we will suspect that you have no gasket material, which is readily available from auto parts stores for about half a buck per square foot. Ideally, you want to buy real gasket material. But sometimes this is impossible.

So the first thing to go for is a logical replacement. In the past, magazine pages, tablet backs, shoe boxes, manila envelopes, and paperback book covers have been used as gaskets. Whatever you choose to use, make sure that it is strong enough to withstand the gasket-making process, but that it is also the approximate thickness of the original gasket.

In super-fine tuning, gasket thickness can be very important, but we are talking about an emergency situation, so close is good enough.

One example, if you own a vintage or evo bike, is the gasket thickness on the Maico clutch cover. Too thick a gasket here will render the clutch inoperable. Clutch throwout travel on this Teutonic wonder is only 30 thousandths of an inch. A thick gasket will take up this much play.

Since clutch side gaskets are very tedious and time consuming to make, here is a quick solution: silicone seal spread evenly and thinly to very clean surfaces will work quite well, instead of a gasket. Use a points plug type cleaner to achieve an oil-free surface for the silicone. Be sure not to squirt too much sealer. Any excess that happens to float around in your gear oil will cause a clutch to slip.

Remember, on any gasket sealer, when the parts are bolted together, almost all of the sealer is forced away from the mating surfaces, except for a very thin film. Use sparingly.

The most common gasket that ends up as a last minute item is the clyinder/ case base gasket. If you have a new one and are not prone to keeping spares, we suggest that you trace this new one on a chunk of thin cardboard, or gasket material, to use as an emergency spare.

When tapping out a base gasket, keep in mind that what you are tapping against is an aluminum case. It is very easy to disfigure this surface if you have a heavy hand. A small (toy) ball peen hammer is ideal. We used the rounded end of a flex handle wrench. A flat end hammer can be used, but the results will not be as happy.

There are several schools of thought on what kind of gasket adhesive to use and where. Many tuners use only grease on all gaskets, except the head gasket. Some others use a pliable gasket cement like, Gel Gasket, Yamabond. or Gascacinch. Do not under any circumstances use any kind of hardening gasket sealer!

Not only will you spend a lot of hours scraping off the old gasket next time, but they usually do not perform as well as the pliable types. Use grease on your gaskets, unless you notice it’s been seeping, especially the base gasket. This means that there is at least slight warpage. The grease only works as long as both mating surfaces are flat. This is usually a problem with big bore bikes, where the base gasket width is narrow and there is a high possibility of distortion.

Copper head gaskets can be adhered with Copper Coat spray, or aluminum or copper spray paint. Head gaskets usually go on "dry" when they are new. If you are reusing one, or if the gasket slips around during installation, consider one of the adhesives. Aluminum paint helps dissipate the heat and adds just enough filler to take care of uneven spots. Remember, very thin coats, no globs or runs.

When cutting the basic shape (outer dimensions) of the gasket, don’t cut things too close. Many times the gasket will slip around until the main holes are punched, so give yourself a little buffer zone.

First locate the holes. If you have studs in the cases, they can be removed. I don’t usually like this method, because when you’re pressed for time, the stud will inevitably break, or strip the threads. If they will come out easily, fine, but don’t give yourself another headache. If you decide to leave the studs in, cut the holes first. Then cut out the center, enough to allow the rod to protrude through.

Tap lightly on the inside surfaces at a slight angle to the edge. Press the gasket down firmly to keep it from sliding around. Keep tapping until the center separates from the cases. Be careful, as this is usually where the gasket gets torn.

The outside of the surface can now be tapped out. If you’re squeamish about this, because the gasket starts to get thin, leave the extra on if it doesn’t interfere with anything. It can be trimmed with a razor blade after the barrel is installed.

Intake manifold gaskets can usually be traced and cut with scissors, then trimmed with a razor blade. Same goes for ignition cover gaskets. For these, you can use silicone seal.

Weighing the cost of the individual gaskets against the time and hassle involved, it is not very good business to make your own gaskets, at least from scratch. If you do have a fresh base gasket handy and want to trundle down to your local auto parts house, you can trace and cut out gaskets for very little money.

Or, you’re 50 miles from the nearest dealer, you may want to make your own. Plan ahead.