Hi.
Ok I just got my first Savage,
Its a 2002 with a little over 6k miles. runs great but I've noticed a small amount of white smoke after i ride it for a while... its not a big problem yet but being that i'm in the chicago area and i know i will have all witer to work on it, i would like to replace that head plug, i've been reading about that problem and i'm 90% sure thats what it is!! (I can see a real thin oil film on the left top side of the head) Ok question is: i've been reading about it and some people say "I'ts a real easy job" then i reead somewhere else "Its an about 4hrs job"?? Im average to good with tools i am an automotive tech. and i think 4 hrs can not be as easy as they described????  
i'm going to be working on it most winter and i'll be also replacing with the head plug, the spark pug,the air filter,oil filter and oil,i'm installing some of Ed L. forward controls and thinking about the cam chain tensioner!! is there any other recomendation to make this savage ready for next season???
Oh is there a place to get good parts at a good price???
Thanks.

I just bought some OEM parts from Bike Bandit. Price wasn't much lower the the local dealer's but the dealer didn't have what I needed in stock. Parts were at my door in four days. Shipping charges were reasonable I think, especially since I avoided the 8% sales tax that I'd have to have payed at the dealership.

For some things you might be stuck with ordering from a dealer though. Bike Bandit doesn't list every single part.

Thanks Blinky, I Will take a look at that bolt before i start with the head cover, is there any other bolts that you know?
around the head that could cause a leak and can be ck without removing head cover??
Thanks fo the advice.Blinky-FSO wrote on 10/24/12 at 09:36:29:

Ok I've been searching for the torque specs. on the head bolts and I think i still have to practice a little bit more here to be able to find what i'm looking for!!!    I'm trying to find the torque for the upside down head bolt/nuts in front and back of the engine??
thanks in advance for any help!!  

Dave wrote on 10/24/12 at 13:23:18:

There're a few calculators on line to help figure out what the new torque will be.  I didn't see a darn thing other than the info.

But the quick and easy solution to the problem is... turn the wrench so that it's at a right angle to the torque wrench.  There's still a difference, but it's a small one.

From http://norbar.com/calculators/torque-wrench-extension-calculator.aspx

When you put an extension on a torque wrench, like a crow foot or a dog bone, the torque applied to the fastener increases, since the lever arm increases. Use the calculator below to find what value you should set into the wrench to achieve the required fastener torque You must have Java enabled on your web browser, then you should see a calculator appear below.

While we have done our best to test this program, we cannot be responsible for errors or damages that result from its use. You must verify that the values obtained from the calculator are accurate before using them in any critical application.

This applet is based on the formula:

M1 = M2 x L1 / L2

Where:

M1 is the torque setting of the wrench.

M2 is the actual torque applied to the nut

L1 is the normal length of the wrench

L2 is the extended length of the wrench

IF youre gonna be wrong, be wrong on the low side..It can be tightened up later, un-stripping threads isnt so easy