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Adjusting Idle Mixture

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris P
  • Start date Start date
So, is there a trick to getting this valve cover off. It looks as though the PO may have spray painted a bit of the engine. I only say that bc the gasket looks silver. I'm thinking just a little elbow grease but I just wanted to check with the pros. I've got all 16 bolts loose and removed the tach cable. Do the side covers come off and expose the half moon gaskets or do they come off with the whole assembly?
 
Remove the chrome side covers and use a rubber mallet to give it a whack with all the bolts out. You'll also need to remove the vent cover on top (4 screws) of the valve cover and you may need to remove the horn to get the cover out.

Do NOT use the real gasket on your bike. The tach drive gear is in the valve cover and the gasket thickness is critical. Too thick and the gears will not mesh correctly. You need to use an OEM style gasket on any GS that has the tach in the valve cover.
 
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Took the valve cover off. The interior looks real good, clean oil, and i dont see any foreign material inside. However the gasket is complete s%*t. I guess im going to just scrape off as much as possible. ANy suggestions on what to use to clean it up. I ordered my gasket and end caps and when the bucket tool arrives I will begin taking out the shims. Ill be sure to keep the thread updated. Im sure Ill need some assistance again shortly.
 
Chris P said:
I ordered my gasket and end caps and when the bucket tool arrives I will begin taking out the shims.
Click to expand...

Don't take out the shims until you understand the procedure. Only one comes out at a time, do not rotate the engine with one out!

I use my fingers on the gasket, push it sideways and big chunks of the gasket will snap off at once. Fingernail to scrape what's left, may need a razor blade for a few spots around the bolt holes but go easy.
 
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I should have been more specific, Ive been studying the procedure and pretty sure Ive got a handle on it. I will check clearance, remove shim, write down size, install shim, turn engine for next one. I removed my breather cover and noticed that there is nothing inside of it. I thought there was supposed to be some material, can anyone tell me what i can put in there?
 
Chris P said:
I should have been more specific, Ive been studying the procedure and pretty sure Ive got a handle on it. I will check clearance, remove shim, write down size, install shim, turn engine for next one. I removed my breather cover and noticed that there is nothing inside of it. I thought there was supposed to be some material, can anyone tell me what i can put in there?
Click to expand...

Not sure about the 650, the 850 had rolled up sections of a wire type gauze fitted in the two recess, I also noted on mine there are two small holes either side of the cam cover, where the breather plates lives, these holes were partially blocked with some gasket seal done by the person who last removed it, don't know if yours will be the same but worth a look.
 
that wire type gauze is what ive seen in pictures, not sure what it really is though. Im thinking it does something with holding onto some of the oil in the air that goes past this thing. I dont know though. Ill keep searching
 
The wire mesh is there in an attempt to catch oil that's vaporized into the blow by gasses. As the gasses make their way to the airbox they first need to pass though that mesh, where (hopefully) the oil is returned back to the engine.
 
Thats what i thought, however there is nothing in there. Could i use a piece of steel wool?
 
Chris P said:
Thats what i thought, however there is nothing in there. Could i use a piece of steel wool?
Click to expand...

Steel wool may break down and wind up inside the engine. I think I have some of these but will have to dig around to be sure...
 
Got the 1/2 moon end caps. Seen a few threads here about using a sealant to hold them in place, can I use regular silicone, the kind you would use for your bathtub, or do i need to use some high temp stuff? Same for the valve cover gasket, should I use anything on the gasket?
 
I'd use a SMALL dab of automotive gasket sealant on the curved portion of the half moons but use nothing except a little smear of grease on the valve cover gasket. Put the grease on the valve cover side and the gasket will stay on the head and come off the cover cleanly the next time you go to do your valves. If you do it the other way around the gasket will stick to the cover and possibly get ripped when you try to remove the cover.

As for the wire gauze, you can use the heavier metal copper or steel pot & pan scrubbers. They're not prone to breaking down like the wool pads would. They look like this:
3xvk.jpg


Just make sure they are real metal and not something made of plastic.
 
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Getting ready to place the valve cover back on, wondering if i need to grease up the tach worm gear? Probably not on the inside of the valve cover but maybe where the tach screws into the valve cover???
 
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