ames Gaskets hardly needs an introduction. The complete lineup of James Harley-Davidson gaskets–offered for all models and years–has been a Harley-Davidson shop staple. Still, there are some new gaskets, seals and nifty repairs just out from James that you definitely want to know about.
     The James Gaskets DL Product Line, for one. The DL Gaskets are designed to be real problem solvers. Here’s a series of gaskets you can count on to seal up all those warped and tough to seal surfaces found on so many of the primary drive inspection covers in the marketplace and those OE covers after years of rough service. These James DL Style Gaskets are made up with a metal core encapsulated in a high-temperature, oil-resistant rubber. There are raised beads on both sides of the gaskets to insure a tight, leak free seal. Problem solved. And the DL Style Clutch Derby Cover seal neatly replaces the O-ring on late model engines. It’s a definite upgrade to any older paper products.      The James Derby Cover Seal requires less torque to seal, retains its torque setting longer, it’ll outlast any conventional gasket or O-ring and can be cleaned and re-used several times before replacement is required. These DL Style Inspection Cover and Derby Cover seals are available for all big-twins from ‘65 on.
     James has the right gasket to seal the Outer Primary Cover to the Inner Primary, too. These gaskets, featuring Silicone Beaded Paper and made right in the USA, exhibit excellent fluid and torque retention. The James high-temperature silicone beading requires no additional sealers and every James Gasket is a perfect fit. There’s never any stretching, fiddling or fudging to line up every bolthole and locating dowel.
     James Gaskets has put all of this in neatly packaged Primary Cover Kits that include everything needed to reassemble a primary the right way. The kits are available for all Harley models and each kit includes all the necessary silicone-beaded gaskets, oil seals, and O-rings.
     Here’s another common sealing problem with a James Gaskets cure. How often have you found a broken sealing groove between the engine case and inner primary cover, that seal incorporating an O-ring fitted into a grooved lip on the engine case? Over time that lip gets bent, broken or damaged and the result is a nasty leak past the O-ring. Repairing the groove itself is difficult at best and complete case replacement is out of the question. Enter the James Gaskets Crankcase Saver Kit.
     The James Gaskets Crankcase Saver Kit is a neat fix-all gasket to solve this problem. It’ll work regardless of the condition of the lip; the lip can be completely removed if you want. Using a rubber-covered steel base material, James came up with a gasket to seal the two units at the flange surfaces. The gaskets are beaded on two sides with a high-temperature elastomer and they’re completely coated with a micro sealant. Installation requires no additional sealers and each gasket includes all the required lock tabs for the primary installation. The Crankcase Saver Kit is available for Evos, Twin Cams and Shovelheads.
     James Gaskets Primary Cover Kits, that Crankcase Saver Kits and individual gaskets, seals and O-rings are all available through Drag Specialties. Next time you’re writing up an order with your rep, put some in stock. Guaranteed, you’ll need them.