Dave wrote on 01/02/18 at 02:33:26:Do you have the sealing washer on that bolt?
If that bolt is stripped.....you are screwed. There is no way to do a proper repair without taking everything apart again. You might try a longer bolt - however the existing bolt goes very close to the bottom of the hole, and the threads in the aluminum stop a bit short of the bottom of the hole.....there really isn't much hope of getting a better bite with a longer bolt (and this is a major reliability issue.....as an improper repair could break at any time and leave you stranded).
I got the long helicoil and parts to fix it.....but you will have to take it apart. You may be able to leave the cylinder on and do the work without removing the cylinder - however it will be hard to keep the metal shavings out of the oil passage.....maybe shove a Q-Tip or similar method to block the hole. I prefer to have the cylinder removed so I can use the drill press to keep the hole and tap straight - if you do it by hand and get it crooked the long bolt may not go into the hole properly - there is 4" of cylinder head on top of the hole that will prevent the screw from going into the helicoil properly if you install it crooked.
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1448209911 Well that is not the reply I was hoping to wake up to, I'll admit. The sealing washer is certainly on there, and the bolt is able to turn indefinitely without actually torquing. So lemme make sure I got this straight.
To absolutely properly repair this, I would need to remove and disassemble the engine again. This would involve replacing all the gaskets again, most likely, as well as taking the cylinder to a machinist to place the helicoil/repair the threads since I do not have any tools that are able to do that, especially not reliably. So I am looking at $100ish or more aren't I? Not to mention time.
Considering it seems to be the only actual leak, is there no way to secure it from above using something from the chrome headcovers to keep the bolt securely pushed in and some gasket sealer to form a tighter seal? Maybe I am being too hopeful here, but I want to make sure I at least voice the only possible option I can think of.
I was working on this around work last time, if I do have to I think I will take some time off work and just get it done in a 3 day weekend or something. I seriously miss riding.