Can a gasket rust?

Tenere Mikeal

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Jul 16, 2020
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4
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North Carolina
I just bought my 2020 Super Tenere last week. Yesterday, I happened to notice a red smudge on the crankcase. At first, I thought it was red mud. Then I realized it was rust. I know the case material is aluminum. Is the gasket steel? Can a gasket rust? I wiped it off with WD40, but that won't stop rust. Any ideas? (btw, its a brand new bike still under warranty)

gasket rust 1.jpggasket rust 2 (2).jpg
 
R

RonH

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The gaskets are metal of some kind so most can be reused which is nice. Don't know if they are steel, but could be I suppose looking at your pictures. I would just wipe it clean and forget about it.
 

tallpaul

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Whitworth, Rochdale, UK
I would have the cover removed and check the inside of the housing ASAP. If there is a gasket it should stop things leaking out. It isn't. That means it can let water in too. The housing won't rust and neither will the gasket but the parts inside the housing can rust and I would want to check there isn't water in there rusting the parts inside. It definitely isn't normal. Just check, if only for piece of mind. It may just be a shim, which would be steel so could rust, but if the bike is new it shouldn't look like that.
 

Squibb

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Bedford, UK
It's the left side final drive housing cover. Looks like it's been parked on the side stand after washing with an aggressive cleaner or dish washing liquid that has attacked the gasket material. Nothing to do IMHO, maybe just a squirt of ACF50, then just keep an eye on it & take care with cleaning materials in future.

If it was a pro valet then I wouldn't be using them again - I have suffered this type of blunder with car valets in the past.
 

Checkswrecks

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I'd clean it off, spray it with ACF50 or equivalent, and go ride. There is so much steel in the area such as the bolts and above it that water can pick up rust from steel in any number of places and pool to dry there.
 

EricV

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@Tenere Mikeal - Steel center on the gaskets in some places. Welcome to the forum. Please take a minute to add your location to your profile, it adds context to your posts and helps others give you better information when you have questions. The UK members experience a lot more corrosion issues than the US members. Salt air and island living.
 
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