Rocker Box Oil Leak Fix
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: New Zealand
Rocker Box Oil Leak Fix
Hey all!! After getting my bike running over the weekend at Spanners, an oil leak started at the rear of the rocker box between that & the head.
I've taken the top off, & turned the engine so both push rods are down (after the following pic was taken) & I tried the bolts with just my fingers out of curiousity & the washers on 2 & 4 spun around easy as!! All the other bolts seem to have been tightened up properly (I hope)..
I chucked a socket on the bolt head & was able to turn it with bugger all effort at all, so that's not good.
I'm after some advice here from you guys as to what to do with tightening the bolts down. Should I loosen bolts 1 & 3 then tighten all four down as per the pattern in the manual? or just tighten down bolts 2 & 4 to the required torque setting?
As you know, getting to bolts 1 & 3 is difficult, & getting an accurate torque setting on those won't be easy I'm guessing.
I'm going to check the front cylinder as well as I'm not too confident after seeing this.
Let me know what's the best thing to do?..
I've taken the top off, & turned the engine so both push rods are down (after the following pic was taken) & I tried the bolts with just my fingers out of curiousity & the washers on 2 & 4 spun around easy as!! All the other bolts seem to have been tightened up properly (I hope)..
I chucked a socket on the bolt head & was able to turn it with bugger all effort at all, so that's not good.
I'm after some advice here from you guys as to what to do with tightening the bolts down. Should I loosen bolts 1 & 3 then tighten all four down as per the pattern in the manual? or just tighten down bolts 2 & 4 to the required torque setting?
As you know, getting to bolts 1 & 3 is difficult, & getting an accurate torque setting on those won't be easy I'm guessing.
I'm going to check the front cylinder as well as I'm not too confident after seeing this.
Let me know what's the best thing to do?..
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Do them to 15-18ft/lbs and go from corner to corner.....use a swivel coupling and a 3/8 extension....and yes, loosen the others first.
Having said that, I don't usually use a torque wrench on the left and side two on the rear jug, I gauge it by hand but I have the confidence to do that. Its often worth the piece of mind to find a way to get the torque wrench in there.
Front is way easier to do.
Mr Steer will get a slap from me when I see him at the weekend...
Having said that, I don't usually use a torque wrench on the left and side two on the rear jug, I gauge it by hand but I have the confidence to do that. Its often worth the piece of mind to find a way to get the torque wrench in there.
Front is way easier to do.
Mr Steer will get a slap from me when I see him at the weekend...
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
If you are having problems turning them and the washer still is loose, then something is wrong. Going on the assumption that you did not cross thread it, I think you may have some debris or oil in the threads that are in the head. Either can and will stop the bolt from going all the way in. Oil will get jammed in the bottom, won't compress and the bolt will stop. Debris can be almost anything, but the most common thing is old Loc-Tite.
You should be able to get 2&4 out and blow out the hole, just cover the rest up so that any crap that comes out stays out. If you have access to a thread chaser you can use that too, try not to use a tap as a thread chaser as it can/will remove much needed aluminum too. Lastly take a piece of wire and measure the depth of the threaded hole. If you have to as a last resort you can put another washer under the bolt. Hope this helps.
John
You should be able to get 2&4 out and blow out the hole, just cover the rest up so that any crap that comes out stays out. If you have access to a thread chaser you can use that too, try not to use a tap as a thread chaser as it can/will remove much needed aluminum too. Lastly take a piece of wire and measure the depth of the threaded hole. If you have to as a last resort you can put another washer under the bolt. Hope this helps.
John
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51
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From: New Zealand
Do them to 15-18ft/lbs and go from corner to corner.....use a swivel coupling and a 3/8 extension....and yes, loosen the others first.
Having said that, I don't usually use a torque wrench on the left and side two on the rear jug, I gauge it by hand but I have the confidence to do that. Its often worth the piece of mind to find a way to get the torque wrench in there.
Front is way easier to do.
Mr Steer will get a slap from me when I see him at the weekend...
Having said that, I don't usually use a torque wrench on the left and side two on the rear jug, I gauge it by hand but I have the confidence to do that. Its often worth the piece of mind to find a way to get the torque wrench in there.
Front is way easier to do.
Mr Steer will get a slap from me when I see him at the weekend...
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
If you are having problems turning them and the washer still is loose, then something is wrong. Going on the assumption that you did not cross thread it, I think you may have some debris or oil in the threads that are in the head. Either can and will stop the bolt from going all the way in. Oil will get jammed in the bottom, won't compress and the bolt will stop. Debris can be almost anything, but the most common thing is old Loc-Tite.
You should be able to get 2&4 out and blow out the hole, just cover the rest up so that any crap that comes out stays out. If you have access to a thread chaser you can use that too, try not to use a tap as a thread chaser as it can/will remove much needed aluminum too. Lastly take a piece of wire and measure the depth of the threaded hole. If you have to as a last resort you can put another washer under the bolt. Hope this helps.
John
You should be able to get 2&4 out and blow out the hole, just cover the rest up so that any crap that comes out stays out. If you have access to a thread chaser you can use that too, try not to use a tap as a thread chaser as it can/will remove much needed aluminum too. Lastly take a piece of wire and measure the depth of the threaded hole. If you have to as a last resort you can put another washer under the bolt. Hope this helps.
John
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51
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From: New Zealand
Does anyone else think I wasted my time posting this question up here in the forum for everyone to see??
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Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 430
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From: ChiTown burbs
Fwiw. I'm glad you did post it just incase someone else has this issue. At least it will come up on a google search. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times its helped me in the past when someone else has encountered the same issue and already posted about it and how to fix it.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 127
From: Middle of Kansas
If it were me I think I would torque one that you can get to with the torque wrench good, and then go to the one accross and tighten it with a box end wrench putting the same pressure that you did with the torque wrench. Then do the other two the same way. I would also tighten them a little at a time just snugging them a little on the first pass. I think this would work OK.