It appears the pushrod tubes and pushrods would stay in place, but everything above the head including the rocker arms have to come off to get to that gasket. That includes the dash and gas tank.. I'd sure like to know what is on the dealer's mind as far as valve train noise after reassembly. Like I said, it should be a simple torque pattern and it's done. There shouldn't be any worry about noise, but I must be missing something since they said that..

 

ah sorry, I meant as in why would that gasket decide to leak? does something need to be checked to make sure it doesn't do it again?

and I don't see what they are on about either, the only new noise would be if you forgot to tighten something up and/or it worked loose?!!

 

I don't know why it started to leak, but I can tell you it started over a very short period of time. But, that's the nature of gaskets; they leak eventually. It's not terribly bad, but bad enough that I have to clean it up a little every few hundred miles. I guess I'll continue to run it this way, while I try to decide what to do. I've got a few rallies to go to in the next weeks anyway. Heading out to one tomorrow.

 

A little update. I said I had a couple of rallies to go to and I went to one this weekend. Got home an hour ago as a matter of fact. The guy I usually ride with rides like he's behing chased by a hit squad. I ran just under 600 miles, most of which was between 75-80. The thing didn't leak a drop and is clean as a whistle. So, I don't know what to think.

This is just a wild **** guess, but I had a thread going on excess crankcase pressure and I commented that the guy I was trying to help (same guy I rode with this weekend) had developed a rocker box leak. I wonder if maybe I may have developed an issue with that myself and the hard running caused one or both of my crankcase vent valves (not sure of the official term) to free up. It's a few weeks before the next rally, so I'll have time for slower riding and time to see if it starts leaking again.

 

You don`t adjust the valves. Correct.

If there is a noise and all is assembled correctly, you have a problem. Correct.

He could have said, if there is an noise after all is assembled correctly, there is a problem. Same meaning.

What is the problem here, there is no valvetrain noise, correct?

Get the gasket replaced and move on.

 

The problem is a leaking lower rocker box gasket, there is no valve train noise now and the problem is the comment they made about an after assembly valve train noise being "MY" problem. How could the gasket replacement and reassembly a) create valve train noise and b) why, if it does make noise, is it MY problem?

I haven't a clue why a dealership would make a ridiculous comment like that, not to mention that it's worrisome from a bike owners point of view..