• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

oil is everywhere

  • Thread starter Thread starter morbidphil0622
  • Start date Start date
M

morbidphil0622

Guest
I went out for a ride on my 83 gs750 es today for about an hour. Low and behold about a mile away from home I started to notice a funny smell, looked down and there was oil splashed all over my right leg. I imediately took her home to check things out, turns out oil is leaking from the valve cover gasket. Seemed like it would be a pretty quick fix at first, but when I went to tighten down the bolts to see if maybe that was the problem it appears the front bolt on the valve cover in front of carb #4 is stripped and will not tighten completley. I am assuming that this is causing the gap in between the valve cover and the seal. So I guess my question is how do I fix this stripped hole problem? I have tried to use bolts from other parts of the valve cover but that doesnt work at all, I have even patched up the area with some jb weld but after a ride or 2 the jb weld becomes almost like rubber and cracks off. I am so confused as to what I should do. The shop down the road will replace the gasket for about 80 bucks but I dont know how much it would cost to have the hole re-threaded. Any response will be greatly appreciated.
 
You need a metric helicoil insert kit. Available from most fastener supply houses, cost around $50. These are very good and permanent repairs. Ray
 
Also check the half moon shaped plugs under the circular covers on the end of the valve cover.
 
Wow, you guys respond fast! I just went to grab a bite to eat and here you are. I checked the half moon thingys and it isnt coming from there. All of the oil is slipping out from the front of the valve cover. I was wondering if just a tap and die kit would work if I just use a bigger bolt? I have one of those and I would think that it would be easier to do.
 
I wouldnt tap it for a bigger bolt. a bigger bolt will not fit through the valve cover and you would have to drill that also. (more leaks) Plus, you're limited in thickness for tapping, so if you were to ever strip the retapped hole, you are done, not enough metal left to tap again or to insert a helicoil. Bite the bullet, spend a few bucks and do it right. Its always cheaper in the long run, to take the time, spend the money and do it right.

Earl

morbidphil0622 said:
Wow, you guys respond fast! I just went to grab a bite to eat and here you are. I checked the half moon thingys and it isnt coming from there. All of the oil is slipping out from the front of the valve cover. I was wondering if just a tap and die kit would work if I just use a bigger bolt? I have one of those and I would think that it would be easier to do.
Click to expand...
 
If you absolutely cannot find a 'metric' heli-coil kit, you can use an SAE thread and get the same physical-sized SAE bolt as the stripped out metric one and use that. About $10 max at your local auto parts house.
 
The metric heli-coil kit should be easy enough to find -- they have them at the Advance and Pep Boys stores around here. You should be able to find a replacement bolt at an Ace or DoItBest hardware store. (The big box home stores don't have much metric stuff for some reason.)

The hard part will be judging whether there's enough metal to drill and tap for the helicoil insert. I think several folks have done it, so you should be OK. Go slowly, drill straight, and be careful.
 
Last edited:
How good is your bike? if its nice do it right!
if its a beater loctite stud and bearing mount (green) and the proper size stud will do in a pinch, though it's hard to undo when finished.
 
Get the helicoil kit. I knew nothing about them last year and now have done three of them on intake manifolds, cam chain tensioner etc. They work great. Get some tapping oil and have someone help you drill the hole straight...sometimes thats a little hard given the different angles of a motorcycle engine to the ground.

Make sure you drill the hole deep enough for the helicoil to screw in all the way.
 
Definitely get the helicoil...

BTW which shop quoted you 80$ for the gasket!? You can do that yourself and get a gasket from your local dealership, I just picked one up for 24$ CDN for a TSCC engine...
 
Before you do anything else order a valve cover gasket from these guys.

http://realgaskets.com/

They sell a reuseable silicone gasket. Using it requires a lot less torque than a standard gasket. A whole lot less. If the hole isn't completely stripped, you may be able with some locktite to get and hold the prescribed torque without any repair. It is a long shot, but you have nothing to lose by trying. You are going to have to buy a new gasket anyway, and it doesn't make sense for it not to be a silicone one.
 
Cheapskate solution, if there is room for a nut directly under the hole file a little flat for the nut to rest on and use a longer bolt so it sticks out, costs $0.50.
 
simple fix for oil leak on vavle cover

simple fix for oil leak on vavle cover

I just fixed my 83gs 750 for the same problem. My local napa store was able to get me a thread insert kit for $30.00 it is a 7mm x 1.0 thread. it only took about 20 minutes to repair three bolts and she was dry and mobile.
 
The shop I received my quote from was just another hole in the wall shop. I really had no intentions on taking her there I was just trying to find a ballpark on if I could be lazy or not. Also I really did not see a way to pull my valve cover off without taking out my motor. There does not seem to be enough clearance. I am going to do things the way that they should be done. Patience always seems to work out in the end for some reason. I just wish it wasnt so nice outside, makes it very tempting. Only the last few threads on the hole are stripped so this shouldnt be too hard to do. I am not too sure that I would buy a silicone gasket, wouldnt it eventually come apart under the heat and get peices of silicone in the oil pump? Hmmm... just a thought. Anyways, thanks for all of the imput you have been way way way helpful and I hope to be able to return the favor someday... Jason
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top