I am working on my 86 Suzuki Savage replacing the head plug. So far I have been following Clymer's Suzuki LS650 Savage service repair manual. According to the book, you need to put the engine in TDC by turning the alternator rotor bolt until the two notches like up. After that, there should be free play in both rocker arms (page 78 of the book or 89 of the .pdf if you happen to have it). I have no free play in either rocker arm. I also tried to turn it 180 degrees and had the same results. Is this normal or am I missing something?

Oldfeller, you said "This sorta screws you up,"  Is okay to take the cover off?

Turn the engine over from the left side hole where the TDC marks are, with the wrench goiing forward when on top and rearward when on the bottom...... and watch the valve operation.  When the engine is at TDC you will not see the exhuast rockers move as the rotor approaches the TDC mark on the left crank side.  IF you see the exhaust rocker moving as you turn.....you need to turn the crank around one more revolution to get to the real TDC.

The free play in the rockers you are talking about is only 0.004"....so it is just a slight amount of movement you will feel.

That is not the correct TDC....the cam lobes are both up.  They should be down.  You will have to turn the engine over to the next TDC if you want to get the head back on properly.  It also appears you have the old style plug.....you might want to get a new and improved one at the dealer.

Do yourself a favor and pull the plug out, clean everything up including the plug, and buy some Suzukibond or Yamabond instead of the orangegoo......and use is sparingly.  Use a bit of it on the plug to glue it in place.

Yep, to put it in agricultural terms, a four stroke engine goes:

Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow.....

The crank must rotate twice (or, 720 degrees) to make it through each set of the four phases (note that these four phases comprise a single full cycle).

At the beginning of the Suck (intake) phase, the piston is at TDC.  This position is generally referred to as "TDC on the exhaust stroke" as the exhaust ("Blow") phase is just ending (see below).

The piston moves down until it gets to bottom dead center (BDC).  Here is where the Suck phase ends and the Squeeze (compression) phase begins.

Then, the piston moves back up until it gets to TDC again (completing one of the two full turns that the crank needs to go through to complete one cycle).  This position is generally referred to as "TDC on the compression stroke" as the compression ("Squeeze") phase is just ending.  This is the TDC you need to achieve before taking the head cover off and before putting it back on.

Next, the piston moves back down again, during the Bang (power) phase,until it again gets to BDC.

Finally, the piston rises again during the Blow (exhaust) phase, heading back toward TDC on the exhaust stroke.  When said TDC is reached (thus completing two full crank turns and, therefore, one cycle), the piston moves back down again on the Suck phase and starts the whole 4-cycle thing over again.  

Clear as mud?