TOPIC:

I've been having issues with oil leaks from my valve cover rubber plugs on my 1982 KZ1000p. Last time I had it off to add some sealant to the plugs I was told by my mechanic that the torque was 10-12 lbs torque for all the bolts (24 of them) however I just checked my factory service manual and it says 87 lbs torque. I've done some searches and I have seen this low torque value come up saying that it's incorrect so perhaps my mechanic had bad information.

I'd like to verify that 87 lbs torque is correct and won't strip the threads. It seems like a lot for something that shouldn't be under much pressure. I'm thinking this is why I keep getting oil leaks. The previous owner had a bolt over torqued on the cover and it made a small crack that I had to have welded and many of the bolts were stripped, I don't want to make the same mistake.

87lbs will snap all the bolts or strip out the threads and the manual has probably missed out the decimal point ( 8.7 lbs)
8 to 10 lbs is the correct figure for an M6 bolt .
You need to seat the end plugs in the head on a bead of sealant and let it partially cure before fitting the gasket and cover.
Also put bead of sealant across the top of the plugs and extend it a few mill either side on to the heads gasket surface immediately before fitting the gasket.

87 FOOT pounds will strip the threads or break the bolts!! DON'T DO IT!!!! You mis-read the manual.

Instead, take another look at your Kawasaki Service Manual. Does it say 87 INCH pounds? I bet it does. Use a torque wrench calibrated in INCH pounds. Don't simply divide 87 by 12 and use your torque wrench that is calibrated in FOOT pounds because at that low torque level (less than 20% of the UPPER end of the wrench's range) torque wrenches are not accurate. Ed

I bet that's what a previous owner did,

It also says 1.0 kg-m that comes to about 7.2 ft-lbs I think.

I used ultra black around the bottom and top of the plugs. I finger tightened them and waited about an hour before doing them hand tight (didn't have a torque wrench for such low ft-lbs). It was good for about a month but a drop seems to get though every once and a while. I was getting another gasket so I checked out the manual to make sure I don't miss anything and I noticed the torque spec. I'll get a new torque wrench so I can be sure it's correct.

Here is a picture of the KZ1000 KZ1100 Service Manual.

Ahh I see what I did now. It did seem very wrong, why I came here to ask. I saw the "in" but all my wrenches are in ft-lbs so it didn't register. I'm still learning.

You were very smart to ask when it didn't sound right! There have been others that didn't notice it was inch pounds, stripped out the threads, and then asked why. Ed

LOL 87 ft/lbs on an m6 in alloy!!!

I'd put the tourque wrench away and judge it by feel. Most 0-100 plus wrenches are innacurate at low tourques even if calibrated. If you must get a small tourque wrench.

These and the cam cap bolts strip really easily, I always use new high tensile m6 allen bolts on the cam caps as they stretch with repeated tourquing. A dab of threadlock can be used on these once cam timing is corretly set.

Bgi ends, cylinder heads, engine casings all need to be carefuly tourqued both in tighness and sequence, for engine casing and accessory bolts it is less critical.

87 inch - pounds is correct.

I have a 200 I-P (full scale) torque wrench I use for it to get accuracy. A lot of people strip these using a high range wrench like 100 FT-LBS max and trying to get a reading of 7 Ft-LBS which is very inaccurate. If you don't have a proper range wrench, I use a shortie wrench (maybe 4" long) and only hold onto a couple of inches so I can't over twist it. Did that for many years and it worked fine.

I ended up getting a Park Tool TW-2 Bar Torque Wrench (0-600 in-lbs) usually used for bicycles. I've been wanting to get one anyway. My other two are 10-100 ft-lbs and 25-250 ft-lbs click torque wrenches. I got the 250 ft-lbs wrench when I needed 100 ft-lbs because I knew the 100 ft-lbs wrench wouldn't be very accurate. 87 in-lbs should be fine with a 0-600 in-lbs torque wrench I think. The next smallest one they make is 0-50 in-lbs.

Problem is that if the full scale reading is 600 I-P, then 87 is only about 14% of full scale and accuracy is probably not very good that low.

.20 x 600 in lbs. = 120 in. lbs.

Not good! As I mentioned in my earlier posting, torque wrenches are not aurate below 20% of their maximum range. A 600 inch pound torque wrench will NOT be accurate below 120 inch pounds, so it in not a good choice for anything on a KZ that has inch pound specs. There are plenty of appropriate torque wrenches available in the correct range. CDI ( a Snap-On company) makes them as do other tool makers. The range on the one I use is 30-250 in lbs.

Here is a cut & paste from the CDI site regarding use of torque wrenches. Considering they make very high quality torque products I have no doubt that lesser tools are not more accurate at low settings. Ed

Harbor Freight www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-d...que-wrench-2696.html
20-200 inch pounds
Pete