Z1OwnersClub GB

Hi guy's ,
I'm just putting this out there to see who else is suffering from Zed OCD like me ? if so - what are your experience based findings and opinions on this curly conundrum . Started assembling a Head I've been working on & I have brand new sets of ( green in colour ) Athena valve seals & ( Black in colour) Vesrah valve seals . I have however just found some unsettling variations between them ..but like most on here I think both of them are of a reasonable quality and supposedly quite OK. Having said that .... heres the issues !

The Vesrah valve seals with spring attached have only a very light sliding resistance on a brand new lubed 6.96mm O/D Valve stem & they have an unfitted I/D of 6.5mm yet they have a very snug & good grip on the head of the new valve guides again with it's spring attached it has an I/D there of 10.0mm .

The green Athena seals ( on the same lubed valve stem ) & again with springs attached has a better more pronounced valve stem grip & it's has an unfitted I/D of 6.0mm ( .5 less than above ) yet these have a looser fit on the head of the Valve Guides and have an I/D there of 11.0mm ( 1.0 mm more than the Versah above ! ) as you'd expect when fitted they seem to wobble a little bit easier on the head of the Guide but even giving them a fare tug they don't seem to want to come away with there spring attached ...but with the spring off however, they come away reasonably easily compared to the Vesrah... but you still need to hook the lower lip up a bit & give em a little hand to get them off.

Personally... based on the above, I'm leaning towards the Athena but I'd appreciate the input from any one else out there thats trod these board before me.
Thanks lads.

Hi Lee,hows it going? Only ever used Viton or Gen oem Kawasaki seals meself,all the ones out of gasket sets i used in the past failed in very short order,pain in the arse when all the other work is good..Cheers Mate Paul J.

I going with Paul on this one. After all my cockin about with my issues with faulty seals, I'm sticking with OEM in future.

Hi Johny
as mentioned above by Paul and Wrigers: OEM or Viton valve seals. Saves a lot of work and disappointment for the future.
GrtZ
Philippe

Vesrah source their seals and gaskets from the OEM manufacturers in Japan.

Vesrah, Athena or Viton valve guide seals you get in the full gasket sets. Do not waste your money and time on any of these, use genuine Kawasaki seals every time. I am not going to use any of these in the cylinder heads I do, I will only be using Kawasaki seals it's not worth the hassle. There is some shit seals around, that's my opinion and experience I've learnt. Buzzard@thebuzzworkz.

PAULJAC47 wrote:Hi Lee,hows it going? Only ever used Viton or Gen oem Kawasaki seals meself,all the ones out of gasket sets i used in the past failed in very short order,pain in the arse when all the other work is good..Cheers Mate Paul J.

Hi Paul, nice to hear from you. I'm good mate & you ? Thanks for input , like you and the other guys below I normally use OEM where ever possible.. but have in stock both Vesrah & Athena and thought I'd maybe save a Dollar & use them. Both & especially Vesrah are normally deemed OK ..hence my post . Obviously you can't go wrong with OEM & Viton one's seem all the rage now ( for longevity ) & there a similar price to OEM as well . It's good to get varied tangible input as we never stop learning aye .... but Buzzards convinced me below...... as he eats, drinks & sleeps Zeds and has more constant exposure to internal issues than most of us. Thanks for your reply mate ....take care & ride safe aye !

Wrigers wrote:I going with Paul on this one. After all my cockin about with my issues with faulty seals, I'm sticking with OEM in future.

Thanks for the input Bud, I followed your thread & hoped you got it all sorted. I hope your wow's are now distant history & your now clocking up the miles !

Charlie wrote:Vesrah source their seals and gaskets from the OEM manufacturers in Japan.

Hey Charlie, I hear ya mate !!! Your right too... as I have a complete new set of Vesrah Kawa 900 valves in stock & I know 100% for an absolute--- take it to bank truth !... that both the OEM valves that were and likely still are sold as complete Kits & almost certainly the individual sold ones too (= as, why the hell wouldn't they be ? ) were / are actually made to the exact same OEM specifications & standards in ..." the exact same factory in Japan that Vesrah" use to supply their valves !!!! Kawasaki & all the other Jap marks use to massively out source of course ....and likely still do !
Your bang on mate !!!! Had the Vesrah seals grabbed these valve stems a little tighter , well I doubt i would have penned my post !!! However Buzzards reply has hit home with me...as he see's it all every day & although I get my hands dirty...... he gets em dirtier aye !!!! Thanks for your input , appreciated mate !

buzzard wrote:Vesrah, Athena or Viton valve guide seals you get in the full gasket sets. Do not waste your money and time on any of these, use genuine Kawasaki seals every time. I am not going to use any of these in the cylinder heads I do, I will only be using Kawasaki seals it's not worth the hassle. There is some shit seals around, that's my opinion and experience I've learnt. Buzzard@thebuzzworkz.

Thanks for your frank & factual reply ...it's much appreciated and obviously based on a lot of past real experience . I've built a good few Zed motors over the last 3 or 4 decades ( but no where near what you would have done ! ) As you point out, for certainty ...the OEM seals are the way to go & I'll now follow your lead . Like you... in the past I have always used OEM valve seals but there so F @#$ing dear . I was contemplating in considering to be a cheap skate here but your standing and experience has convinced me otherwise ...having said that ,we all... well, 95% of us, still use after market gaskets = prodomanantly Vesrah or Athena ....but i guess thats where most of us really try to draw a line in the sand ! Thanks a lot for your sound advise, much appreciated.