So thanks to Captain from Vince & Hyde Racing, here's the easiest way to install the cam cover and gasket on a CBX that I have seen.
Cam Cover Gasket installation.
(This procedure assumes you have already removed the cam cover and gasket and are now ready to re-install it.)
1. Get yourself at least 6x decent sized rubber bands, approx. 1/4" / 5mm in width and give them a quick spray with WD40 or similar. Here in Oz, the red rubber bands used by Australia Post are perfect.
2. Have a tube of your favourite gasket goo ready to go. You will only use 8x teeny smears of this - 2x either side of each of the 4x D shaped half moons on the gasket, as outlined in the FSM.
3. Carefully clean off every last remnant of the old gasket cement/goo that may have held the gasket in place from both the gasket and the cam cover itself. Important to thoroughly clean out the channel in the cover that the gasket sits in and the part of the gasket that sits in the channel. Take your time and make sure everything is squeaky clean. Good idea to give both the channel and the gasket a blast with carb or brake cleaner and good wipe down just before going to the next step.
4. Now turn the cam cover upside down on a flat surface and carefully lay the gasket into position on the cam cover.
5. Once you are happy it is in position all the way around the edge, press it firmly down into the channel.
6. Take 3x rubber bands per side and install them in the position of the arrows (not the bands themselves) in the picture below. (the bands in the pic are in the slightly wrong position, this was my first time doing this and as usual, had to learn the hard way). You can use more rubber bands on each side if you wish, but three is what worked for me.
The trick is to have the rubber bands cross the area between inlet and exhaust cams right over the top of where the spark plug would sit. This is so the rubber band will sit in comfortably between the pair of cam lobes on each pair of cams for each cylinder. This reduces the risk of the rubber band being pinched by the cam towers or other stuff as you gently screw down the cover with the bands still holding the gasket in place.
7. Now turn the cam cover and the gasket will be held in place by the rubber bands. Put a SMALL dab of your gasket goo each side of the sealing surface of the D shaped 'half moons as outlined in the FSM.
8. Install the 6x oil pool plates (3x per side) on the inlet camshafts. The straight ones go on cyls. 1 & 3 and 4 & 6. The 'wiggly' ones go on cyls 2 and 5.
9. If you have not already done so, to give yourself a bit more 'wiggle room' to easily reinstall the cam cover, suggest undoing all three 10mm bolts that hold the coil mounting brackets in place. Better yet, remove the whole bank of coils completely, remembering the coil layout is as follows: LH coil is for cyls 1 & 6 and has a wire with a BLUE tracer on it, Middle coil is for Cyls 3 & 4 and has wire with a RED tracer on it, and RH coil is for Cyls 2 & 5 and has a wire with a YELLOW tracer on it. In addition, there is a BLACK/WHITE wire (provides 12V to the coils) that jumpers across the remaining connector on all 3x coils.
IMPORTANT: If you remove the bank of coils, or remove the bolts themselves, be ABSOLUTELY SURE to reinstall the green Earth terminal wire from the wiring harness on the RH rear bolt of the coil brackets. Failure to do so will result in some really, REALLY wierd electrical behaviour once you restart the engine. Its a good idea to give it and the bracket a good clean to ensure a good earth.
10. Install the cam cover. Once it is comfortably nestled into position (and still with the rubber bands in place, but now stretched over the camshafts), carefully check the gasket is still seated correctly all around the edge of the cam cover. This is what it should now look like.
11. Install the 8x mounting bolts and sealing rubbers and GENTLY start screwing them down, 3 or 4 turns each in a criss-cross pattern. As the cover gets screwed down, the rubber bands will continue to stretch and hold the gasket in place.
12. Continue screwing down the cover in the criss-cross tightening sequence until there is about 2-3 mm or 1/8" of gap left between the top sealing surface of the head and the underside of the cam cover gasket.
13. Take a pair of side cutters or scissors, firmly grasp the rubber band and cut it. The rubber bands will simply spring out and can be easily withdrawn and discarded. Repeat for each band and remove.
14. Check all around the whole gasket to ensure it is still in the correct position.
15. Only once you are happy the gasket is in the perfect position around the whole edge of the cover, then continue screwing down the bolts until they are seated firmly on the shoulder. You will feel it overcoming the friction of the bolt seal, and then hit a dead stop. Just nip it up at that point. DO NOT overtighten, else you risk stripping the threads in the cam caps, which will take you to a whole new world of pain you really don't want to visit.
16. Continue to reassemble all other removed parts. Once you have the engine running again, the be sure to check carefully for any leaks.
Enjoy!
Cheers....Tony
