Checking Drive Belt + Cracked Gasket

[heypete]

Hi folks,

As available time has been brief as of late, I've been doing my 3,000km service for my Kymco Bet & Win 150 over the period of a week or two. As money's been tight, I've been doing it myself, rather than take it into the local shop -- with the help of people here at the forum, I've been able to do rather well, considering my near-total lack of knowledge of engines until a month or two ago.

Anyway, I digress. I decided to check the drive belt to ensure it was in good shape (I also wanted to check in the transmission compartment because I had a slight suspicion that the final drive was weeping gear oil in there -- fortunately, it wasn't!). However, when removing the cover, the gasket between the cover and the transmission body cracked. Evidently it was quite brittle. Most of it stuck to the cover while some stuck to the transmission body. A few bits fell out and couldn't be replaced.

How critical is it that this gasket be replaced promptly? I live in Arizona, and it's quite dry -- no real risk of driving through puddles or anything. The transmission has a breather at the rear, so I suspect that normal atmospheric dust and whatnot isn't a major problem.

Naturally, I plan on replacing it, but I'm curious if it needs to be replaced immediately, or if I can ride it around for a few weeks while the replacement gasket comes in?

[axy]

Glue the pieces back with plain glue and you'll be fine. Or remove everything and use liquid-rubber-gasket thing that you can buy everywhere...
I had the same issue with my A125 and did the first thing...

[zombie]

I would suggest exactly the same thing, and when you get a new one, you can use gasket sealer to "glue" the gasket to ONE surface. This will prevent it from doing the same thing again

[heypete]

While I wait for the gasket to arrive (maybe 1-2 weeks), would it be suitable to cover the seam (it has some gasket material) with tape, so as to prevent dust and dirt from entering? I was thinking electrical tape, as it's rather impervious and comes off easily.

Unfortunately, the gasket cracked and crumbled in certain areas, so I can't glue all the parts back together; there'd still be gaps.

[Shaka]

You guys are talking about the gasket between the cvt cover and the housing, correct?  I always thought that gasket didn't matter.  I have seen many "vented" cvt's.  Is that gasket really needed?  I don't even think I have one, plus I now have a vented one cause I broke a piece off of the housing awhile back.

[heypete]

You guys are talking about the gasket between the cvt cover and the housing, correct?  I always thought that gasket didn't matter.  I have seen many "vented" cvt's.  Is that gasket really needed?  I don't even think I have one, plus I now have a vented one cause I broke a piece off of the housing awhile back.

That's exactly the gasket I'm referring to.

Being that the housing has a serpentine breather on the back end of it that allows unfiltered air into the housing (though the serpentine path should effectively slow down any particles that get admitted), I suspect the main purpose of the gasket is to keep water, dirt, and other gunk kicked up from the road out of the housing. That, and probably reducing vibration.

[Shaka]

That's what I figured.  I've been running open (a quarter sized hole on the front/bottom) and no gasket for probably 8 months with no ill effect.  I don't think that gasket is all that critical!

[zombie]

Just use a THIN film of silicone based gasket sealer. remove all the old gasket first. If there is NO gasket (dry surfaces) the vibration will cause the mounting bolts to come loose. Most of us don't ride off road so intrusion is not really the purpose of the gasket. It's more for stability of the metal to metal contact.

[Shaka]

That's makes sense!

[wordslinger]

..my A50 has a rubber seal around the cvt...it's was a PAIN IN THE AS_!!! once it broke freee from the case..

..I slobbed on a light coating of some adhesive, and it's still sticking so far..

..my question is, isn't there some concern about the belt, clutch getting wet when riding in the rain?

..of course, not everybody rides in the rain, but I had attrtibuted some of my rainy day performance loss to a possible wet cvt, since the cover does have a hose for cooling air induction.....

[Shaka]

I haven't noticed any performance loss with a hole in the front bottom of mine, even in the rain.  I just figured more ventilation for cooling!  Mine is completely sealed otherwise, with no breather, at least that I've noticed.  I would think that with all of the centrifugal forces and heat from friction that water wouldn't really be an issue.  Oil on the other hand I'm sure would cause problems.