Oil Poll

[alimey4u2]

Personally never had a warped valve cover. As stated before, put a touch of sealer in a few spots on the cover ( including the Honda recommendations) & goffer it... Inspect the joint to make sure the gasket hasn't rolled. A mirror on a stick & a flashlight are your friends.. The protrusion should look perfectly uniform ALL around...

If such a beast exists,( warped cover that is) I see no benefit in planing as the gasket area is recessed. However. clamping it to a surface plate & applying necessary heat may normalise it to it's correct position on cooling...

Because it's difficult to keep clean underneath the tank, I have opted with a chromed cover. Some re-paint & some polish, it's up to you...

Dammitt, it looks like I've highjacked an oil thread...

[Rick Pope]

Normally, the cause of a leaky valve cover is that the rubber on the cover bolts gets hard and compressed. Get new washers with the new rubbers.

A trick I've heard of is to use and e-clip under the bolt head to give a little extra compression to the rubbers. I think I'd just try new washers.

The '79s used a smaller washer/rubber than the '80-'82s.

[SteveG]

Question: 1) Any body ever encounter a warped valve/cam cover?
2) If that happens, is it necessary to work it on a surface plate to true it?
3) Is this possibly why covers are hard to keep from leaking?
4) What's the prefered procedure to refurbish the outside surface of the valve cover?

Thanks for the help, George in Delaware

East Coast George -

My answers:
1) Nope.

2) See alimey4u2's answer:

If such a beast exists,( warped cover that is) I see no benefit in planing as the gasket area is recessed.

3) I don't think so. The gaskets are most likely hardened / improperly seated / no or improper use of sealing "goop" (I use HondaBond with very good results) in the correct areas. The 81-82 manual says to use the goop in the sharp angle area where the cam end caps go. I use it there (more than enough, but not so much I worry about overage squeezing out inside the valve cover where it can come off and clog tiny oil passages). I also put a light film in the groove that the gasket sits in to hold the gasket in place while I "finagle" the cover back on over the rear oil line bolt. Further, I put a light film on the rubber of the valve cover bolts before torquing them down. DO NOT OVERTORQUE THESE, as they are shouldered bolts, and will strip threads / ruin cam holders before applying more pressure on the valve cover.

4) My preferred valver cover renewal method is here (hey, rhymes with beer!!!): viewtopic.php?t=4247

Before:


After:


Steve

[George R. Garrison #0857]

Harvey, I ordered both the parts & maintenance manuals from HELMINC on line. Plus, I ordered a maintenance manual for my 1975 GL1000.
Total for the three manual including shipping $106.00


Rick and ye olde Web Video Director, thanks for the comments regarding the rubber washer sizes and possible finish solutions. I would never have thought the sizes would have been different of those rubber washers.

Usually with a surface plate the cover would be moved in a series of circular directions to evenly take off the high spots using a mild abrassive such as valve grind compound. But with the gasket seating in a recess cut to hold it, this would serve no real purpose. Planing and recutting the area for the gasket probably would end up with the thickness of the cover being too thin around the perimeter and making the sutuation even worse since the hardware and mountings in the center of the cover.

Just strike the previous thought from your mind, I've talked myself out of this solution possiblity.

I may just polishing the cover and try to keep it looking nice. I like natural wood and natural polished metal as well.

Later,

George in Delaware

[Don]

I *think* the '79 and '80 valve covers are the same . . . . and the '81 and '82's used the larger studs with the bigger rubbers for the inner 4 studs. The '80 addendum says the 8 studs which hold down the valve cover are all 6mm and get torqued to 6 - 9 ft lbs . . . . just like the '79

Steve's pictures show one of the outer holes on a late model cover and they are the same as the '79/'80 ones - Just the inner 4 are larger

Rick can correct me if I'm wrong . . . . since I'm correcting him ;)

Don

[Rick Pope]

Rick can correct me if I'm wrong . . . . since I'm correcting him ;)

Don

No way. I'm just regurgitating what I think I've observed. The '80 parts bike isn't here for me to check against the '79. You may very well be correct in correcting me.

I'm sure the guys who really know will chime in soon.

[EMS]

I *think* the '79 and '80 valve covers are the same . . . . Don

Correct, Don. There is no -469- part-number which would describe a different valve cover for 1980. 12311-422-000, -305 and -010 are listed.
This section of the part-number usually identifies a different color or supplier, but not a technical difference.