TOPIC:

I have a leak in my top end, I was wondering how hard it is to change the gasket. Do you have to pull the engine from the frame or is there enough room to change it still on the motorcycle?

Clean the oil off your engine using some sort of degreaser. Spray the area with aerosol powder deoderant. The place where the leak is occuring will show clearly. I THINK the valve cover is leaking. You can replace the valve cover by removing the hoses that connect to the reed valves and remove the reed valve plates. After removing the valve cover bolts, lift the cover up and to the rear so it will clear the cam chain idler assembly. Once removed, clean the gasket mating surface and reinstall the bolts. Torque in the pattern recommended by your shop manual and to the correct specification.

Thanks G, I can always count on you!

I am assuming I replace the valve cover gasket while I am in there, right, not just clean it?

be careful!

Careful about what Lemo?

brittle bolts.

Ok, so here it is a couple of months later, I have changed my valve cover gasket, but my engine still looks like this: [/quote]

Could it be my cam plugs? Any other ideas?

Thanks.

Post edited by: Kzbatty, at: 2006/09/28 15:48

For the price, changing just the valve cover gasket is kind of a waste of time.

Full gasket kits can be found for $65.00 on the net. It's worth it to do the job right and do everything you can.

As for your mill still leaking... did you check for cracks?

***It's hard to tell since you reused the same pic from the beginning of this thread. A correct pic of the bike NOW would be easier to help you diagnose from so we can see where the leak is specifically coming from. ***

Post edited by: caffcruiser, at: 2006/09/29 08:17

caffcruiser wrote:

...It's hard to tell since you reused the same pic from the beginning of this thread...

Yeah - at first I wondereing how the oil spots re-formed in exactly the same patterns...

Anyway, on my bikes, it is *mandatory* to slacken the cam chain at the tensioner before torque-ing down the cover bolts, to achive proper gasket seal with a torque wrench.

...Of course, none of this matters if you don't use a torque wrench... I don't know if your model requires the same attention, but I would think it does. I don't know if you already did this, just wanted to give a heads-up...