Have a leak on the back of my rear cylinder base gasket. This is my first time doing this job!!! Any tips or tricks out there that can help me?? Or any certain brand gasket to use, also gonna get new rings and hone the cylinders!! Bike is an 85 fxr evo.

 

its not a bad job if you take your time, I used hd gaskets, some recommend james or cometic, I got the cylinders bored and honed, new pistons and the heads were cleaned up, for about 600 bucks, gasket remover helps get the gasket off the base of the cylinder, and the case, but wear gloves and spray carefully, if you can find a truing block (trock used to make it), then use that to true the bottom of the cylinders and the base of the case where it makes contact. I made it a winter project but it can be done in a day or so.

 

Just take your time and do it by the book. Use good quality gaskets and you should be fine.

 

Is it ok to use the same head bolts, and studs???

 

I have read that a lot of people change them, I didn't....1 stud stayed in the case so I carefully removed it by double nutting (one nut on top of another to lock it) and took it out.

The one thing I did was every nut and bolt went on a wire wheel and got a good cleaning and checked that all the threads were good by running a nut on it, like I said I made it a winter project, I also bagged everything separately, tank stuff, front head, rear head etc.... and marked the bags to make it easier to replace everything... a camera or cell phone camera doesnt hurt either.

and fyi I am not a mechanic and found it a fairly easy job, you can always post up and get help or pm me and hopefully I can lend a hand.

 

Just did it myself and found it difficult because it is not easy to get at bolts and you need to contort yourself. The removal of everything is just that taking off and putting them back on, screwing and unscrewing.
The carb replacement was the hardest part for me, PITA.
You'll be fine.