Valve cover bolt leaking | GTAMotorcycle.com

Valve cover bolt leaking

kcalB

kcalB

Well-known member
So i just noticed this today, and posted in bike specific form. Some one told me to pull out the bolt, and clean the grommet. This sounds like good advice, but looking for a second opinion. Also, I'm not all the confident in wrenching with out supervision lol, I have my M2 exit test on monday, is it going to cause issues to ride around a little with out fixing it?

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Thanks
 
Make sure you DON'T over tighten. It can warp your cover. I can't tell at what angle that shot is... you sure it's the bolt?
 
You have to look at that picture from the side. (The right side of the picture is the bottom in reality.)

Take the bolt off and clean the bolt and the gasket, and wipe clean the area around the hole on the valve cover with motions outwards away from the hole only (you do not want to wipe dirt into the hole and thus into your engine). Re-assemble. Do NOT overtighten. The torque is 10 N.m. A wrist-flick just beyond snug is all that is needed. Overtightening will NOT clamp the gasket tighter, because the bolt is a shoulder bolt.

If it still leaks, replace the gasket.
 
Brian P said:
You have to look at that picture from the side. (The right side of the picture is the bottom in reality.)

Take the bolt off and clean the bolt and the gasket, and wipe clean the area around the hole on the valve cover with motions outwards away from the hole only (you do not want to wipe dirt into the hole and thus into your engine). Re-assemble. Do NOT overtighten. The torque is 10 N.m. A wrist-flick just beyond snug is all that is needed. Overtightening will NOT clamp the gasket tighter, because the bolt is a shoulder bolt.

If it still leaks, replace the gasket.
Click to expand...


Thanks! And yes your right the right is the "bottom" Sorry for that. I had to angle my phone in order to actually be able to see the issue. I'm certain its the bolt.

Can I do this with a wrench? I don't have any where to do work on the bike except the side of the road. Not to keen on taking the gas tank up. I know the torque is important, but i don't have a torque wrench. Although the tank is coming off if i need to use one. Kind of burned the bridge at the shop I used to work at, I guess i could hit up my old job at the cage garage and borrow a torque wrench. I don' really want to be messing around with the valve cover though. So i guess I'll have to bite the bullet on that and take up the tank. Even then not sure if i will have clearance.


Thanks for the info guys!
 
Had same problem.. The gasket around/under bolt needs to be replace.. It is very easy to over tighten these even with a torque wrench

I recommend hand tight and quarter turn.. Run the bike. Then if you see a leak do quarter turn more and so on

Point bring you can always tighten more but you cant go back once you over tighten


"If i was educated, I'd be a damn fool"
 
Where are you? If you want I can lend you a tq wrench.


Sent from the future using my GOLDEN iPhone 30 SS
 
cbcanada said:
Had same problem.. The gasket around/under bolt needs to be replace.. It is very easy to over tighten these even with a torque wrench

I recommend hand tight and quarter turn.. Run the bike. Then if you see a leak do quarter turn more and so on

Point bring you can always tighten more but you cant go back once you over tighten


"If i was educated, I'd be a damn fool"
Click to expand...

so i guess i can try witha wrench, good advice thanks



I'm in east york, donlands area. Thanks for the the offer. I may take you up on it.
 
DON'T keep tightening that bolt a quarter turn at a time! You WILL strip the threads in the camshaft cap if you do that - it threads into aluminum.

If you have no feel for bolt tightening torque, just snug it. NO MORE. That bolt needs to be no tighter than needed to stop it from backing out - that's all!

The clamping force on that bolt does NOT clamp the gasket any further after the shoulder of the bolt has bottomed out. Tightening any further than that will NOT make it seal better, it will just strip the threads.

If it still leaks after cleaning it up and re-snugging the bolt - replace the gasket.

Access is probably easiest from underneath by shifting the radiator forward. Doesn't need to be disconnected from the hoses, just the mounts. Unfortunately, that means fairing removal.
 
could this maybe be a slight oil overfill issue. I just finished an oil change on wednesday.

I have my M2 exit, so i cleaned it up and will see if it leaks more (I'm sure it will) and i will take out the bolt after the test
 
From personal experience, use the torque wrench.

I've had to heli coil my head because of a leaking valve cover bolt on my KLR. Drilling out a bolt while watching shavings swirl around onto engine parts makes you want to vomit. Tapping for the coil insert at the correct angle makes your stomach tie itself into knots.

Just saying.
 
If you use a clicker type torque wrench, don't get fooled by the torque setting. A wrench that has a maximum setting of 100 or 120 ft.lbs is NOT going to be anywhere near accurate at 10 ft.lbs.

Whenever you use a device like this, it's going to be the most accurate in the upper 2/3 of its range. If you use too big of a clicker: a) you likely won't feel the click, and b) it won't be accurate either.

Using a 10-100 ft.lbs clicker torque wrench is how people strip or stretch fork pinch bolts and break the heads off brake disc bolts.

In short: match the size of your wrench to the size of your job.
 
^ Aren't properly calibrated torque wrenches accurate across their whole range? Seems kinda far fetched a torque wrench is only accurate for ~30% of it's range. Hell they would probably have a warning printed on them or their range would be smaller.

Reminds me of the going to min or max on ski bindings argument...


Sent from the future using my GOLDEN iPhone 30 SS
 
daught said:
^ Aren't properly calibrated torque wrenches accurate across their whole range? Seems kinda far fetched a torque wrench is only accurate for ~30% of it's range. Hell they would probably have a warning printed on them or their range would be smaller.

Reminds me of the going to min or max on ski bindings argument...


Sent from the future using my GOLDEN iPhone 30 SS
Click to expand...

I have a 5-75 ft/lb snapon that I use for smaller stuff, it works fine for bolts that are only 10 ft/lbs or even less.......Maybe a Canadian Tire or cheap brand wont be the same though

And most that go over 75ft/lbs dont go lower then about 25ft/lbs, so you still have to use the correct size tool for the job....You not going to tighten a M6 bolt with a 2 ft long 1/2" drive torque wrench that starts at 50ft/lbs
 
Canadian Tire sells inch/pound torque wrenches as well. Bought one by accident during a sale.
 
^ i tested a powerfist TQ wrench against a high end calibrated TQ wrench and it was within 1ft-lbs. Same with the CT digital adapter TQ wrenches.

Actually, I am curious, on average how off are TQ wrenches when they go to the calibration shop.


Sent from the future using my GOLDEN iPhone 30 SS
 
Take the bolt off and replace the oring. Then tighten with a torque wrench or loosen use the other bolt as reference if you have the feel for it.

If the rubber seal is broken, i dont see the point of tightening the bolt/tapper cover.
 
Jimsun said:
Take the bolt off and replace the oring. Then tighten with a torque wrench or loosen use the other bolt as reference if you have the feel for it.

If the rubber seal is broken, i dont see the point of tightening the bolt/tapper cover.
Click to expand...

It's a tapered (step down) rubber washer.

If the bolt holding the washer in place isn't righted down - then it might leak. But people usually reef on it and strip the threads in the aluminum cam holders.
 
frekeyguy said:
It's a tapered (step down) rubber washer.

If the bolt holding the washer in place isn't righted down - then it might leak. But people usually reef on it and strip the threads in the aluminum cam holders.
Click to expand...

Well I haven’t done any
thing with it yet, as i have to sort out my break pads first, flush out the
lines, and hope i don’t' need to replace my front master cylinder. Is this
something an armature wrencher can do, or is it better to bring some where, or
get some one that knows what they are doing? Can I do this with a non tourqe wrench? (my ****ing house keeps stealing all my money. If its not a leaking roof, its a crumbleing stair or some ****.) Also can some one explain to me
how the main gasket might have to be replaced (as stated in one of the above
posts),a s the only comes out around the bolts. Nothing is coming from the main
gasket.
 
Flywheel said:
Canadian Tire sells inch/pound torque wrenches as well. Bought one by accident during a sale.
Click to expand...

I bought one of those (on purpose). That said they should really specify in big bold letters that 250in/lbs = ~20ft/lbs and that this is for low-torque applications. Way too easy to overlook "in" vs "ft".

Nice wrench BTW, it came with a handwritten lab certificate.
 
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