installing lower chain case w/cyl head attached

[paul somlo]

Has anybody here done this? I'm chasing some leaks and replacing the profile gasket between the lower chain case and the cylinder head. The Bentley manual shows the procedure with the cylinder head already attached, so it appears to be possible. They also mention a special tool, a piece of sheet metal - has anyone actually seen one of these in the wild? Wondering how thick it is?

Paul
'96ti 231,000mi

[paul somlo]

In case anybody stumbles onto this in the future, I wasn't successful. I tried a piece of 0.006" thick spring steel, and it tended to distort the profile gasket when withdrawn. I ended up pulling the head.