Tappet guide gasket
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,173
Likes: 404
From: SE,GA
Tappet guide gasket
Got a 96 Road King. It is leaking oil. How big of a job is it to replace the tappet guide gaskets? Do i need to pull the cylinder heads? Looking in the service manual and it seems to pull apart the whole cylinder? Any help would be great.
thanks
thanks
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,583
Likes: 115
From: Boston, MA
Ignorance is bliss.
ive heard that this job is difficult and you need to align lifters with a special tool and all has to be perfect. Before I heard this I took off the lifters and replaced all the gaskets when I had a base gasket weep. Reassembled and all has been well. The only difficulty was going to Sears to buy the 1/4 12 point socket.
ive heard that this job is difficult and you need to align lifters with a special tool and all has to be perfect. Before I heard this I took off the lifters and replaced all the gaskets when I had a base gasket weep. Reassembled and all has been well. The only difficulty was going to Sears to buy the 1/4 12 point socket.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,712
Likes: 3,030
From: Brighton, MI
No to pulling the heads. You either pull the lower rockers completely or just loosen the bolts so you can slide the rocker shafts out and remove the rocker arms in order to get the pushrods out.. The factory manual tells you how to do it either way, and the pushrods/lifters need to be on the base circle of the cam for the cylinder your working on.
I used a 1/4" tapered head bolt (two of them) for my alignment of the lifter blocks. You can get those anywhere. And pretty sure the manual tells you which hole to use for placement of the alignment bolt.
Take a good look at your replacement gaskets. Sometimes the oil passage hole on the new gasket is a little small and can block part of the oil passage on the engine block. Temporarily place the gasket on the block for a test fit. The oil hole on the gasket might need a little trimming.
Again, the manual walks you through it as there are steps to take in the process. Not a hard job, just takes time. YD
I used a 1/4" tapered head bolt (two of them) for my alignment of the lifter blocks. You can get those anywhere. And pretty sure the manual tells you which hole to use for placement of the alignment bolt.
Take a good look at your replacement gaskets. Sometimes the oil passage hole on the new gasket is a little small and can block part of the oil passage on the engine block. Temporarily place the gasket on the block for a test fit. The oil hole on the gasket might need a little trimming.
Again, the manual walks you through it as there are steps to take in the process. Not a hard job, just takes time. YD
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 21,006
Likes: 7,541
From: Poolville
Pull the rocker box's and use Cometic gaskets. Even with the cam on the base of the lobe you still have around .100" load on the pushrod and lifter...Never saw a small oil port or hole in their gaskets. I replaced my 12 point bolts with all cap screws, to me much easier to deal with. I believe the true importance of the guide pins are for aligning the lifters to the cam, keeping the lifter rollers aligned with the cam lobes...
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; May 17, 2018 at 06:33 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,324
Likes: 3,869
From: Upstate New York
Pull the rocker box's and use Cometic gaskets. Even with the cam on the base of the lobe you still have around .100" load on the pushrod and lifter...Never saw a small oil port or hole in their gaskets. I replaced my 12 point bolts with all cap screws, to me much easier to deal with. I believe the true importance of the guide pins are for aligning the lifters to the cam, keeping the lifter rollers aligned with the cam lobes...
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 240
From: the 'ville' kentucky
that is a need to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 21,006
Likes: 7,541
From: Poolville
Maybe you misunderstood what I meant. "I've never seen an oil port hole that was too small" I always use Cometic and their oil passage in the gasket is always larger than the ports itself... I have ripped many a Evo's apart and fully understand the way these motors are oiled.... thank you....
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; May 17, 2018 at 09:29 AM.
