Head cover, go slow, use what you feel.
We recently saw someone who messed one up. Having a Target in your mind and a torque wrench, you Want to get it to that torque. The bolts are crap and going into aluminum. If you do find a leak, it's Not the end of the world. Wrecking threads is a lot more of a hassle.
The right sealant, the correct application of it, that stuff matters. There are places that look like you are supposed to apply the goo,but study the mating surfaces. I don't remember exactly what areas are involved, I just remember there are a couple of places that are sitting there Looking like you are supposed to apply the sealant,but the head cover doesn't have a mating surface.
Thin and even is the thing. The head cover sitting down on the head determines the clearance on the cam. If you stack goo and the cover is five thousandths higher than it could be, you get some slop in the cam bearing area. The thicker the application, the sloppier it is.
The stuff to use doesn't actually cure.


https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Hondabond-08717-1194-Semi-drying-Liquid/dp/B07...

Suzuki has one, I'm not finding it right now.

So, it's Not hard,but it's kinda stiff. You, being human, most likely won't get it applied evenly, as much as you try. By slowly applying the clamping force, running the torque pattern as many times as it takes to just let the head cover pull down flat,it will press the goo thin and even. Not the place to try to get it done quickly.
I don't remember if it took me five passes or not, but I'm sure three never happened.
Never messed up the threads. Never had a leak.

Here is where the goal of setting the head cover on can bite ya!

Don't set it up there without the bolt in it. The one you couldn't get out until the head cover was in your hands.

Based on my perception of your level of experience, I suggest you use a torque wrench for your "head cover bolts"

Based on DBMs experience
I concede..

I knew a psychiatrist like that

Thanks for your encouragement fellas! I got the engine out this evening, and I'm hoping to get the cylinder off by tonight. TheSneeze, you're definitely right--9 times out of 10 I botch things because I am impatient and rush. I keep telling myself to slow down with this project.

Thanks LANCER for the vote of confidence!

I got it stripped down to the crankcase yesterday. Hardest part was loosening that darn timing inspection cover   . I bent Nickel into a pretzel, broke a flat file, ground down several giant washers and bent them all. Finally I made a flat, square piece from steel with my grinder and it did the trick. Cover is all scratched though.

The cylinder is being honed and cleaned at the shop today. Saturday my parts arrive. I'll spend the next couple days cleaning up the engine and frame while I have the chance. I'm gonna port the exhaust too; there's like a giant mountain of metal in the way of the flow. What were they thinking? Lol

Everything needs to match.  Since you are going with a bigger carb, and plan to port the exhaust, you should also port the intake.  DBM has posted some great information in very good detail on what he did.  I followed a lot of what he did, and took the measurements and pictures to the shop I used for my head work.  If you do one end, better plan on doing the other.

Yeah, after re-reading DBMs porting stuff, I might just clean up the castings and maybe polish the exhaust side. I think I'd probably screw up more extensive work, and it seems that I'd need a bigger header to get any benefit.

Can I use SAE30 that's used for 4-cycle snowblowers, mowers, etc as break in oil?

I'm anxious to see the answers. It's a question I have not had, but I haven't had to be in the motor that far. I have an idea about what I would do, but I want to see what the real mechanics say.