KZ1100 valve cover bolt needs helicoil

8mm thread right? Are the available at the Home Depot and such ?

I wouldn't bother. Take the cover off, get a new gasket, clean the surfaces really well. Tighten all the other bolts evenly and tightly and you shouldn't get a leak

JoHNY wrote: I wouldn't bother. Take the cover off, get a new gasket, clean the surfaces really well. Tighten all the other bolts evenly and tightly and you shouldn't get a leak

Already did that with new rubber ends and still leaks out left side front. Where bolt is stripped

76KZ900 wrote: 8mm thread right? Are the available at the Home Depot and such ?

I like Home Depot too and they have a fastener example panel in their hardware aisle that has labelled, male and female examples that you can thread your bolt or nut into or onto so you can ascertain what the size and thread pitch are if you're uncertain.
I've only ever purchased helicoils at auto parts stores though... You can buy them in kit form too with the correct drill bit and tap for any particular helicoil size.
Tip for tap (ha! I'm a poet?) Put a dab of grease on the tap as you use it and the grease will help collect the metal shavings. Clean and repeat as needed with fresh grease until you've tapped the new bore to needed depth.

8mm thread WRONG.
6MM thread on cam cover bolts .
Only 8mm on the exhaust studs.

I don't use the drill on an existing 6mm hole. I use grease and go a little at a time. A baby snot sucker is handy to get the chaff out and a tube on it can get into the hard to reach places.
Also good for fine adjusting oil levels in the forks. :whistle:
Steve








You can see how hot the exhaust cam towers got due to bad valve guide seals.

Thanks Zed..