REBUILD SEASON! 700redhead

[roudyroy1]

Sled just turned over 18500km, think it's about time to break her down and do a top end. So what do you guys do for a top end rebuild, looking for opinions.
My plans are:
- re ring
-spec pistons and replace if they need to be. Simple.
My questions are:
-can any of the gaskets be reused?
-is it worth doing to upper rod bearing? I know they usually don't cause problems.
- is it likely that I will need Pistons at this many Km's?

Can the head or base gasket be reused?

 

[sleddineinar]

I reuse the base and head gasket. Clean them off with brake or carb cleaner & give them a light coat of copper gasket spray or black spray paint even. I use the copper gasket spray myself.

 

[super1c]

When I did my viper top end I spec'd pistons (were spot on) then replaced rings, bearings and circlips. Reused base gasket and my opticool head gasket. Could not believe how much more power and responsiveness it had. Also I soda blasted the pistons, cleaned them up like new. Just google home made soda blaster, I made this and it worked awesome. Was perfect for one time deal and only used one large box of baking soda from store. Then rinse in viniger and was with soap and water. They looked brand new.

 

[A couple of bucks]

black spray paint even.

And here I thought I was the only one who did that. I've done that with a h/g from a Tecumseh. Except I dipped it in a gallon of some leftover latex paint and let drip dry. Latex paint has a rubber base(latex rubber)so essentially it's a thin coat of rubber.