sbt head gasket issues

has anyone had issues with sbt head gaskets? specifically for 61x motors? ive put 2 down so far and they both have leaked water out of the side of the head within 5 minutes of riding. im 95% sure i am installing it properly, lap head and bock till flat. use new gasket, torque in two stages while following the correct tightening pattern, one at 11 ft lbs and the second at 22 ft lbs, which is what the yamaha service manual says. i even used avation sealer on the second try to remove any possible way it could leak, i even let i. cure for 2 days. has anyone else had this issue or am i just a poor mechanic? are there specific gasket makers i should avoid?
 
Yes, sleeve could have moved (visibly). Fortunately, "aviation " sealer has nothing to do with aviation and should not be used on this application. (Permatex "High Tack", maybe).
 
From our friends at Group K....
"Head Gasket - All Group K kits are intended to be used with the stock .040" head gasket. There are many aftermarket alternatives to this gasket, i.e. .020" copper gaskets, and "O" ringed heads, etc. It has been our experience that the primary cause of most head gasket leaks is low spots on the cylinder deck surface. To address this problem, all Group K kits include cylinder decking to assure a totally flat deck. While all of the after market gasket replacements may be capable of maintaining a seal, none of them can resolve a leak caused by an irregular cylinder deck surface. "

To add to this I have not seen a quality gasket come out of SBT.

Also the stock head gaskets have a tacky surface treatment from the factory that helps them seal. Finally on a composite head gasket it is best to start the engine and let it idle until it is hot to the touch then let it cool and re-torque the head.
 
From our friends at Group K....
"Head Gasket - All Group K kits are intended to be used with the stock .040" head gasket. There are many aftermarket alternatives to this gasket, i.e. .020" copper gaskets, and "O" ringed heads, etc. It has been our experience that the primary cause of most head gasket leaks is low spots on the cylinder deck surface. To address this problem, all Group K kits include cylinder decking to assure a totally flat deck. While all of the after market gasket replacements may be capable of maintaining a seal, none of them can resolve a leak caused by an irregular cylinder deck surface. "

To add to this I have not seen a quality gasket come out of SBT.

Also the stock head gaskets have a tacky surface treatment from the factory that helps them seal. Finally on a composite head gasket it is best to start the engine and let it idle until it is hot to the touch then let it cool and re-torque the head.

i have ordered an oem yamaha head gasket, and this time i will run it and re torque before i reinstall the motor, addition to all of the steps i followed above. hopefully that does it, if not i guess ill take it somewhere to get the head and block machined.


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