SO my bike is a 99 fxr with the EVO engine and its leaking from the cam cover side. If your looking at the cam cover and the lower bolts, the one in the 8 o'clock position is leaking. Or the bottom left bolt hole.
So I took out the bolts to remove the torque arm that bolts to the bottom 3 bolts on the cam cover to the 3 bolts on the transmission. When I tightened them all back up I noticed it started to leak from the lower left bolt hole. I have tightened it up several x and even used thread sealer on the bolt but guess what ? no luck and still leaks. I then noticed that it looks like the engine where that bolt goes looks like a through bolt anyway and oil flows around the bolt. But why would it leak now all of a sudden after I remove the bolt?
THe other bolts are not leaking just that one from what I can see.


Do those bolts need to be replaced after removal?
are they torque to yield bolts?
DOes it need sealer on the bolt?
DOes the bolt have a grommet/o-ring around it to prevent leakage?
what is the torque spec on the cam cover bolts?
if the gasket split on the cover, how do I remove the cover? I heard the cams can cause issues?

thanks and need all of your help to get this bike back on the road safely.

thanks again

 

A picture is worth a thousand words.

When you start talking "I tighten it down, and it starts to leak" I start thinking a crack through the threads, or over torque.

If I were you I'd start by pickin up a factory service manual and take the cover off to inspect. There's not much else you can do exept guess at what's causing the leak.

 

I also switched bolts to see if the leak would stop and didn't. Im not a idiot with bolts as im a machinist with engines for cars and trucks. But everything went perfect with this job and now of a sudden this happened after all the bolts went back in place.

 

What's was it you were doing to your ride just prior to the leak?

 

We don't have the complete story here! What have you been up to?! Swapping bolts is going to do nothing to solve a leak, that is usually down to a damaged gasket, broken or missing O ring, that sort of thing.

 

Try black roof cement. Put on thick enough, that will seal anything. Make it about 1/4" thick at top. Probably about 1/2" at bottom.

 

I don't think he's going for the back woods, rat rod look!!! Lol, and wtf!!!

 

Now this is a leak

 

The gasket is probably stuffed and the good news is that you can replace the gasket without having to pull the lifters and rocker gear.

Remover the ign timing cover (usually rivetted), pull the ign pick up plate (mark it first so you don't have to re-time the motor), then undo the bolt that holds the timing cup on and look for the locating notch in the end of the cam.

Set this notch to the 5 o'clock position (more like 4:30 actually) and then you can remove the cam cover (nose cone). Remember to push in on the cam as you remove the cover or it could get messy.

Check for the little plastic washer that sits on the breather gear, they can drop out and you don't notice it until you've got it all back together!

Clean it all up and replace the gasket but also check that none of the thread bosses are cracked while you are in there. Also check with a piece of wire to see if someone has used too long a bolt and broken the back out of where the thread goes.....if they have then fix with a blob of JB weld after thoroughly cleaning the area it needs to stick to.

Assuming all is well put it back together with a new gasket but don't use silicone gasket sealer, use Hylomar or nothing at all (except the new gasket).

This should fix it.

Putting the cam cover back on may need you to slide a bolt or screwdriver into the ign cup thread to ease the cam into the bush but its chamfered so usually goes in OK. Use a new seal in the cam cover.

 

I had the trans replaced and had to remove the torque arm that bolts from the trans to the engine.