I have the fenders off, gas tank off and now I need to get at the head gaskets....will I mess anything up before I get to the gaskets or will everything I take off just stay together??

 

Well everything went well....I wanted to see if the gaskets were broken, they aren't so the head must have been loose, because I had oil(or gas) leaking out of the seems. I will have to tighten the nuts and bolts extra tight now.
It isn't all back together yet...any suggestions on what to do while I have the engine apart??(maybe a valve adjustment, because their are valve adjusters)

I checked the cam and crank shaft sprockets they are ok, and the chain is tight.

 

Ohh and how would I get the chain off the cam shaft sprocket??...

I need to get the chain off, then I can loosen the nuts to get at the piston, I can't find where I would take off the chain.

 

dude you really need to take it easy.go buy a torque wrench before you put that engine back together or you'll warp everything and buy some new gaskets and yamabond.you'll have to back off the cam chain adjuster to get the chain off.to adjust the valve it has to be all put back together.have you just got the top outermost cover off or what?where EXACTLY was it leaking?

 

most 200SX's will seep oil from the valve cover, its no problem.. just rember that it uses shim vavle adjustors, no fun at all

 

I know...I have to get a torque wrench.

It's leaking out of 2 places...the cylinder head and where the valves sit.

The gaskets are like a small rubber tube...I thought they would be like a cars gaskets.
The gaskets don't look damaged at all...I don't think I need new ones.

 

it doesn't matter if they look good or not they STILL need REPLACED NO MATTER WHAT!!you just don't reuse engine gaskets.get some yamabond to use with the NEW gaskets.that oil leak could have started from a warped head which isn't good.

 

OK SORRY....Well if JRM says the heads on the 200SX's leak alot then what would be the point of buying new gaskets??
It doesn't need them, it's not like their broken every inch. so I won't buy them just yet. Maybe in the spring.

 

and wanna know why most sx leak oil?? because the gaskets are 13 or 14 yrs old.i don't care if you act like a dumba$$ or not but just think for a second...the gasket has been squished between two tight pieces of metal for 13 yrs and even tho you can't see its shot it will never seal like it did years before.do this before you reuse those used gaskets.....buy some yamabond and just use it...nothing else......its works really good by itself...for the past year you've said you were getting a new quad...so when?

 

instead of using yamabond use yamaseal number 4, it's a higher temp based gasket sealer for the tapet cover and other places as well. It's tons better then anything else that you'd ever find at an auto parts store.