SuzukiSavage.com - Removing head covers

perajani YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 45 Finland	Removing head covers 04/24/13 at 11:43:09 I'm considering getting head covers off for easier maintenance + older looks.. So if I remove those 4 bolts.... A. Im done B. i have replace them with shorter ones? So do they give any tension to head/cylinder ?
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Bubba Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 956 Denver, CO Gender:	Re: Head cover not coming off... Reply #1 - 04/24/13 at 11:58:51 Don't exactly recall but I think the extra long one that's over by the decomp might need to be rigged cuz it does give some pressure there...but like I said...i don't recall...exactly...
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perajani YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 45 Finland	Re: Head cover not coming off... Reply #2 - 04/24/13 at 12:21:42 Should have checked it last time I had it open Anyone recall ?
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Dave

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Re: Removing head covers
Reply #3 - 04/24/13 at 17:36:21

The front left fastener for the head cover is a long bolt with an acorn nut on it. You can't take it out with the head still on. The best you can do is to stack some washers on it and put a not back on. You could just leave it sticking up without a nut - however it is a bolt that does apply pressure to the head cover....and it should be used.

The other 3 head cover fasteners just screw into the head cover and can be removed and left off.

This is how I currently have the bolt on mine.....however when I had the engine apart I put a threaded stud in that I can cut off at any lenght, and it will be trimmed to length soon.

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Decompressor_001.jpg

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87 savage Full Member Offline Gone riding! Posts: 249 Maine Gender:	Re: Removing head covers Reply #4 - 04/24/13 at 18:33:38 Geez Dave, that engine sure looks super clean. Freshly painted?
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ZAR Serious Thumper Offline Rock this town! Rock it inside out! Posts: 961 Kentucky, USA Gender:	Re: Removing head covers Reply #5 - 04/24/13 at 19:58:56 Good idea Dave! I think the sleeve looks much cleaner than a stack of washers!
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 17834 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Removing head covers Reply #6 - 04/25/13 at 04:48:24 87 savage wrote on 04/24/13 at 18:33:38: Geez Dave, that engine sure looks super clean. Freshly painted? The bike only has 1,762 miles on it, and at about 1,000 miles it came apart to fix a loose bearing and loose flywheel......so it got a real cleanup about 700 miles ago. I plan on getting it dirty this summer!
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Gentlemanjim Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 61	Re: Removing head covers Reply #7 - 04/26/13 at 00:28:49 Why not just use a dremel or hack saw blade and cut the head of that long bolt off?
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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: Removing head covers Reply #8 - 04/26/13 at 04:21:10 Yea I just did mine not long ago and used an open ended hacksaw blade on the advise of Bouletard originally, then just got shorter hardware. I laid painter's blue tape around the area first so as to not scratch any of the paint off
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Dave

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Re: Removing head covers
Reply #9 - 04/26/13 at 04:47:58

Gentlemanjim wrote on 04/26/13 at 00:28:49:

Why not just use a dremel or hack saw blade and cut the head of that long bolt off?

I don't belive the stock bolt is threaded down far enough to allow you to cut it off near the hed cover and still install a nut and tighten it down. I do believe you can cut some of it off. If you cut it off completely, that corner of the head cover is not clamped down as it should be.

I have a stock bolt and a cylinder had and cover I can check and see how far down it can be trimmed.....I will post pictures this weekend.

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Gentlemanjim

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Re: Removing head covers
Reply #10 - 04/26/13 at 05:39:05

Dave wrote on 04/26/13 at 04:47:58:

Gentlemanjim wrote on 04/26/13 at 00:28:49:

Why not just use a dremel or hack saw blade and cut the head of that long bolt off?

I don't belive the stock bolt is threaded down far enough to allow you to cut it off near the hed cover and still install a nut and tighten it down. I do believe you can cut some of it off. If you cut it off completely, that corner of the head cover is not clamped down as it should be.

I have a stock bolt and a cylinder had and cover I can check and see how far down it can be trimmed.....I will post pictures this weekend.

If the covers are being removed there is no need for the bolt.

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Re: Removing head covers
Reply #11 - 04/26/13 at 05:54:21

Gentlemanjim wrote on 04/26/13 at 05:39:05:

[quote If the covers are being removed there is no need for the bolt.

The need for that bolt is open to debate. It provides the clamping force for the left front corner of the head cover. Suzuki must have thought it was a good idea to have it hold the head cover down, or they would have just made it like the other 3 bolts.

I gabbed these photos from the Technical Section. Here is a photo that shows the long bolt with the cover removed - and the threads do not run down far enough to allow it to be cut shot enough to put on a nut and have it tight.

And here is the gasket surfce that shows the bolt does provide a clamping force at the front left corner.

It is my opinion that the font left corner should be secured. If you are comfortable that it won't leak or warp with that bolt gone......that is OK with me......I just was not comfortable without having a bolt in that spot.

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« Last Edit: 04/26/13 at 07:00:56 by Dave »

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87 savage

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Re: Removing head covers
Reply #12 - 04/26/13 at 07:17:24

Dave wrote on 04/26/13 at 05:54:21:

The need for that bolt is open to debate. It provides the clamping force for the left front corner of the head cover. Suzuki must have thought it was a good idea to have it hold the head cover down, or they would have just made it like the other 3 bolts.

And here is the gasket surfce that shows the bolt does provide a clamping force at the front left corner.
http://i41.tinypic.com/35l4squ.jpg

It is my opinion that the font left corner should be secured. If you are comfortable that it won't leak or warp with that bolt gone......that is OK with me.

Dave I definitely agree with you that the bolt is necessary. Looking at your photo, one can clearly see the slot for the bolt passes through the sealing surface. But, I believe that Suzuki chose to go with the long bolt because the decompression linkage is right in the way of where a short cover bolt like the other three would need to go. When I reassembled my engine I forgot to put the bolt in before bolting on the cylinder head cover. So I put the bolt in from the top and threaded it into a nut with lock washer on the bottom. I didn't even have to remove the tank, just lifted the back of it. Worked fairly slick. I included a photo:

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/87Savage/media/002_zpsa8449ad3.jpg.html

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Removing head covers Reply #13 - 04/26/13 at 07:26:00 When I reassembled my engine I forgot to put the bolt in before bolting on the cylinder head cover. Wish Ida been there to see your face when you realized what youd done.. You didnt say anything ugly, did ya?
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87 savage Full Member Offline Gone riding! Posts: 249 Maine Gender:	Re: Removing head covers Reply #14 - 04/26/13 at 07:39:53 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 04/26/13 at 07:26:00: When I reassembled my engine I forgot to put the bolt in before bolting on the cylinder head cover. Wish Ida been there to see your face when you realized what youd done.. You didnt say anything ugly, did ya? I did call myself a few choice name that I can't print here.
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