Hey everyone.

I bought a '96 Savage for $500 a couple years ago.  It ran well enough but had a major oil leak between the head and head cover.  I figured a little time and gasket maker and I'd be down the road.

Digging into it I found the threads for three of the cylinder cover to cylinder bolts were stripped out.  After a lot of reading and a period of denial, I had to face facts and pull the engine to get helicoils put in.

Did I mention this is my first motorcycle?

Also, after reading another thread here, I went and double checked my forks and found that the left one is bent maybe 5 degrees up near the lower triple clamp.  <grumble, grumble>

I managed to get the engine out and apart and had the machinist

• insert the helicoils
• lightly hone the cylinder
• grind and seat the valves
• otherwise measure and check the tolerances

I have the all the parts back and am starting the assembly.  At this point I have a couple questions:

The gasket between the crankcase and cylinder looks like thick paper.  Do I need to add gasket sealer at this joint?

Can the fork be straightened out or should I start shopping?

First post so I'll have to wait on pictures.

Thanks in advance

orionbound wrote on 06/13/12 at 13:26:23:

No

Quote:

Shop it

Thanks for the replies.  

I put the cylinder and head on last night and torqued it down.

I gave myself two opportunities to do this because the first time I didn't realize that I had to put in the timing chain guides before the cylinder head.  Now I know...

On to the cam/timing chain installation.