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Message started by DrunkenDwarf on 06/07/09 at 19:04:01

Title: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/07/09 at 19:04:01

Day 1: (no pictures)

Removed seat. Hey, this is easy.
Removed left side cover, disconnected negative battery terminal. No problem.
Attempt to remove fuel line from petcock. Hose takes some coaxing to be removed.
Attempt to remove vacuum line from carburetor. It wont move. Eventually, pliers fix the problem.

Disconnect speedo cable, don't loose the o-ring!

OK. Time to remove the gas tank. Instructions say to slide back.
Hrm, it won't move back. Oh, that's because the petcock is busy scraping the paint off the frame.
Twist slightly left, shimmy, and a wiggle. Got it!

OK, lets get this chrome off. No problem, right?
DARN hose won't let go. Finally, remember pliers solution. Yay!

Before we get to the headcover, lets remove the white spacer.
2 hours later - 1 screw has been removed from the top of the carburetor.
1 hour later and 1 trip to the store, the screws have been removed.
Removing the white spacer was the easy part.

Carburetor is back together.

Day 2: (pictures 1-35 here (http://picasaweb.google.com/mdahrea/Engine?authkey=Gv1sRgCIj6usTgmqW5yQE&feat=directlink))

The pictures are pretty random, in quality and content.

Timing inspection cover, dinged. Nickel, bent. Heavy duty scraper + bench grinder = world widest screwdriver and success.

Decomp cable, that was not fun. Until I read the instructions. Then it was easy.

Valve inspection covers, off!

Spark plug...NUTS. No spark plug tool in the Suzuki tool bag. That's OK, I'll just go buy a 17mm deep socket. Double NUTS. It's 18mm. That's OK, I'll just go buy a 18mm deep socket. *grumble grumble*

Now to find TDC. Hey, that's not so hard. Just keep spinning until it make sense. Did almost bind up a screwdriver in the spark plug hole. That was a bad idea.

OK, time to remove bolts. darn there's a lot of them. The ones a socket can reach, easy! Too bad my 10mm wrench is just rounding the rest of them off.  That's OK, I'll just go buy a decent wrench. *grumble grumble*

Finally, cover is off!

And starting to get cleaned!

Questions:
* Other than rubbing gently with a lint free cloth and alcohol, any suggestions on getting the old sealant off?
* How do I get the head plug out?
* There's only 2 positioning dowels? (I hope.)

Day 3:

Work and family.

Day 4: (pictures 36-39 here (http://picasaweb.google.com/mdahrea/Engine?authkey=Gv1sRgCIj6usTgmqW5yQE&feat=directlink))

Did a little more cleaning of the old sealant.
I'm beginning to worry about engine contamination. I've kept it covered, but it's been 4 days.
Figured out all the torques I need to set.
Figured out how to put a torque wrench on the end of a combination wrench to get the cylinder head-to-cylinder nuts on the fore and aft.

Torqued! That was anticlimactic.

Tape the two bolts into the head cover and practice putting it on.
Sealant!
Put the head cover on.
CRAP! I forgot to anti-seize L70. Oh well. I'm not pulling the head cover off unless I have to.

Put the rest of the bolts in and hand tighten them down.

Head cover bolts torqued!
To get to the bolt under the intake valve timing inspection cover use an offset box wrench at the end of your torque wrench. Only took me 2 hours to figure that one out.

Upper engine mount reinstalled.

Decomp back together and adjusted to 4mm.

Tomorrow, valve clearance.

Day 5:

That was interesting.
Checking the valve clearance? Not so bad once you got the hang of it.
Torquing the lock nut without the adjuster moving? Not going to happen.

All the clearances were about 0.005", but I was curious if I could get them to 0.004". So I attempted to adjust one. Then I spent the next hour trying to get it back to 0.005". Using the torque wrench wasn't an option at all.

So I unadjusted one and left the rest as they were. Everything is bolted back up, I haven't started it yet to see if I adjust it properly. That's for tomorrow.

Day 6:

Work and family.

Day 7:

Engine sounds good.

Decomp makes a much louder clank than I remember.

Bolted everything backup. Will ride tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

-D. Dwarf

[edit]6/12 - Added day 7.[/edit]

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by matt_savage on 06/07/09 at 19:26:16

I just used a razor blade to get the old sealant off and the head plug should just come out with ease or with pliers?  Mine was just sitting in there and wasnt sealed at all.  It was rubber and was hollow while the new one was rubber as well but solid.  I used the same sealant as I did on the head cover and tapped it in place with a rubber mallet.  No leaking as of 1K miles since rebuild.  HTH

-Matt

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by diamond jim on 06/07/09 at 19:52:58

Matt- didn't they change the plug design at some point?  Mine's an 06 and the plug was hollow rubber with a metal support ring inside.  Is that the new design?

DD, did you by chance pull the clutch cover and measure your cam chain tensioner plunger from housing to shoulder?  

I was able to pull most of my factory sealant off.  It was very thin.  For the little bit left I used a rag with some carb cleaner sprayed on it, rubbed the residue and got it off.  A razor blade will be handier the next time you remove the head cover.  Just be careful with it.  Imagine it is a part of your body that you are shaving.  No, make that your woman's body.  You'll be even more careful then! 

Use a thin bead of sealant. I squirted the sealant into a syringe with a 16ga needle.  It gave me a nice bead without being too thick.  What you see squeeze out on the outside is likely about the same about that will squeeze out but on the inside.  If it's a lot and it breaks loose then you could plug an oil pathway.  Don't do full circles of sealant around the bolt holes that are closest to the cam.  Might squeeze into the cam area.  Both a plugged oil pathway (oil starvation) and sealant in between the cam and cam journals would certainly hasten journal wear.  Use anti-seize when you reinstall the bolts.  Be sure the plug, vent screen, two metal guide dowels, left front chrome cover bolt, and head cover center bolt (the one that is in the middle right on top) are in place when you reinstall.  

One last thing, when I had adjusted my valves prior to head removal, I could only get a consistent .005 to .006.  I wanted them at .004 though.  My tools, hand size, etc., just couldn't seem to do any better.  So when I had the head cover off, I loosened each adjuster, tightened them maybe 1/16th of a turn and snugged up the bolts.  When I put the cover back on all the valves were at a nice .004.  

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by verslagen1 on 06/07/09 at 21:19:12

Yes DD, you've gotten it this far, I'd take a look and the cam chain adjuster.  If it's extended to 16mm I'd concider taking it off and inspecting it.  stiff links and stretch.

The newer design plug is solid.  To get it out, I used an aluminum Ø1/4" rod and bent the end about 1 1/2" at a 45° angle and pried up from the bottom.

What miles?  What year?

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/08/09 at 08:20:07


4F424A4644454F4142462B0 wrote:
Matt- didn't they change the plug design at some point?  Mine's an 06 and the plug was hollow rubber with a metal support ring inside.  Is that the new design?

That's what mine looks like.


4F424A4644454F4142462B0 wrote:
DD, did you by chance pull the clutch cover and measure your cam chain tensioner plunger from housing to shoulder?


4D5E4948575A5C5E550A3B0 wrote:
Yes DD, you've gotten it this far, I'd take a look and the cam chain adjuster.  If it's extended to 16mm I'd concider taking it off and inspecting it.  stiff links and stretch.

I didn't drain the oil before I started this adventure, so no. I'm due for an oil change as soon as I'm riding again. I can do it then.
Any advice for not spilling hot oil on a hot header when I do it?


4F424A4644454F4142462B0 wrote:
Use a thin bead of sealant. I squirted the sealant into a syringe with a 16ga needle.  It gave me a nice bead without being too thick.  What you see squeeze out on the outside is likely about the same about that will squeeze out but on the inside.  If it's a lot and it breaks loose then you could plug an oil pathway.  Don't do full circles of sealant around the bolt holes that are closest to the cam.  Might squeeze into the cam area.  Both a plugged oil pathway (oil starvation) and sealant in between the cam and cam journals would certainly hasten journal wear.

Where did you get the syringe/needle?
Can you identify the bolt holes I should be concerned about in a picture?
I was planning on following the red line that Mrs. Savage_Greg is illustrating in this thread (reply #2): http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1099227295


4D5E4948575A5C5E550A3B0 wrote:
The newer design plug is solid.  To get it out, I used an aluminum Ø1/4" rod and bent the end about 1 1/2" at a 45° angle and pried up from the bottom.

I don't have random piece of metal available. I'll try pliers first.


4D5E4948575A5C5E550A3B0 wrote:
What miles?  What year?

2007.
1480 miles currently. Bought it with about 700 on it.
Previous owner did an oil change at 600 and put 55 pilot, 155 main, and dyna exhaust on it.

-D. Dwarf


Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by verslagen1 on 06/08/09 at 09:12:17

With so few miles on it, looking at the cam chain and adjuster is optional.

For preventing hot oil from getting on a hot header, drain then let cool.  Otherwise you burn your fingers, who cares about a little burnt oil.

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by Phelonius on 06/08/09 at 09:58:23

As for finding top dead center, you now have a tool to open the inspection plug so put a 17mm socket on the nut on the end of the crankshaft. Now bear in mind that the engine rotates forward when it is running so it would make sense to rotate it until the intake valves open then close, then line up the mark inside the hole with the mark on the sidecase. DON'T DO IT!  there is a better than 50/50 chance you will unscrew the nut. It is a real pain to torque it back on without taking the whole sidecase off.  Roll the crankshaft backwards until the exhaust valves open then close. Then when you look in the hole, the mark will be about a half turn, more or less from the three oclock position of the mark on the case. Continue rolling backwards until the marks line up. This is turning the wrench in the tightening direction and will not unscrew the nut.  When ever the marks are lined up the piston is at TDC. Just be sure that you are on the compression stroke when you make your adjustments.
If you really are a drunken dwarf, lucky you, you should have no trouble seeing the marks. I have to lay down beside the machine to see them.

Phelonius

Phelonius

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/08/09 at 10:02:59


544750514E4345474C13220 wrote:
For preventing hot oil from getting on a hot header, drain then let cool.  Otherwise you burn your fingers, who cares about a little burnt oil.

DUH!
Sometimes I'm slower than others.

I do have a question. I don't have my clymer's pdf at work (and the web site is blocked), so I apologize if I screw up the terms.
The instructions for "Cylinder Head and Cylinder Nuts and Bolts Tightening" say to remove all the nuts, oil, and torque them down. Then it goes on to say to torque the nuts in the front and back.

Are the nuts in the front and back included in removing "all"?
They look hard to get to, is there anything special I'm going to find out about them?

-D. Dwarf

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by verslagen1 on 06/08/09 at 11:43:35


545D58514B5C58390 wrote:
Sometimes I'm slower than others.

I do have a question. I don't have my clymer's pdf at work (and the web site is blocked), so I apologize if I screw up the terms.
The instructions for "Cylinder Head and Cylinder Nuts and Bolts Tightening" say to remove all the nuts, oil, and torque them down. Then it goes on to say to torque the nuts in the front and back.

Are the nuts in the front and back included in removing "all"?
They look hard to get to, is there anything special I'm going to find out about them?

-D. Dwarf

Remove all 6 nuts and oil them.  Does not mean all at once though.  The torque specified is for lubricated threads though.  Use clean, dry washers, preferably new.

The nuts fore and aft are visible from outside the cylinder about mid way up.

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/08/09 at 19:01:18

Where are the "cylinder-to-crankcase nuts"?
There doesn't appear to be a torque value for the valve adjust cover bolts. Does it matter?

-D. Dwarf

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/08/09 at 19:33:49


7E77727B617672130 wrote:
Where are the "cylinder-to-crankcase nuts"?
Found 'em.

These are the nuts on the right-hand side of the cylinder securing it to the crankcase.

These are listed in the description, but not in the steps. Do they need to be removed and/or torqued?

-D. Dwarf


Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by verslagen1 on 06/08/09 at 19:56:28

nope, leave 'em alone.

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by Stimpy on 06/08/09 at 22:27:32

Nice pics + helpful thread, will come
in handy later this month when I plug
my leak and replace my valve seals.

Thx guys

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/09/09 at 17:43:46

I'm going to edit the first post with day 3 and 4.

Added more pictures (http://picasaweb.google.com/mdahrea/Engine?authkey=Gv1sRgCIj6usTgmqW5yQE&feat=directlink).

Please look at pictures 36 - 39 and criticize the sealant application. I'm really hoping it doesn't leak, but if it does...I don't want to be here a 3rd time.

-D. Dwarf

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by serowbot on 06/09/09 at 17:58:19


525B5E574D5A5E3F0 wrote:
Any advice for not spilling hot oil on a hot header when I do it?

Lay a piece of tinfoil over that part of the header pipe, right below the oil filter plate...
turn the edges up at the end to catch the oil...
Works dandy!... ;D

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/09/09 at 18:45:01

How the heck do you torque the bolt that's inside the intake valve check cover?

[edit]Figured it out. See first post, day 4.[/edit]

-D. Dwarf

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/10/09 at 19:26:13

Updated main post.

-D. Dwarf

Title: Re: The saga of the head cover
Post by DrunkenDwarf on 06/12/09 at 17:56:40

Updated main post.

I adjusted the decomp as described in Decomp Solenoid Adjustment (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1169356966). It is a much louder clank than it used to be. Seems to work OK.

I couldn't get the split washers off the float bowl bolts. So, I just screwed in my new hex key bolts without them. I'll get some new ones eventually.

-D. Dwarf

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