Top Rocker Cover Won't Seal
 

Last year I discovered a leaky cylinder head gasket. I tore the entire thing down all the way to the piston and replaced every gasket in there. My problem is the top rocker cover will not fit tight on the inner rocker cover. The top cover hits something. I can't figure out what! Anyone have ideas?

I used the HD service manual for tear down and assembly procedures. I've double checked the push rod colors and they are in the right spots. I've put the bike in 5th, pulled the plugs and made sure the valves are closed. No go. Cover will not seat tight.

Something is wrong, do you have the correct length bolts all back where they are supposed to be? Any extra washers?

Have you driven it since this happened, or did you catch it early?

John

The small square gasket is doubled up? Are they factory cams? Did you bleed the lifters down? Is the push rod in the rocker properly? Maybe holding up something. Look at the back Side of the top cover then look at the rocker assembly.

Every bolt and washer went back on where it came from. I drove it last Thursday and that's when I noticed I had an oil leak problem at the top rocker cover. The small square gasket is intact. The push rods look to be in the rockers properly. When I took everything apart I kept the lower rocker intact, meaning I did not take out the lifters or valves, I left everything there since I didn't need to do any work there. I don't have the manual in front of me but if I recall there was no problem bleeding the lifters down. Just turned each bolt according to the manual and it eventually bled down. I put grease on top of all the large bolts then put the cover on, took the cover off and no grease on the inside of the cover, so it's not the bolts hitting the cover. Can't be the lifters either because they sit lower than the bolts. From what I can tell it's hitting where the top rocker cover bolts go in to the lower. Something I did has has the lower rocker box sitting to high. At this point I think I'm just taking it in so I don't screw something up further.

Get some pics on here before you take it in, don't give up yet

Take pics of what? I found a thread on here with great pics and my setup looks just like it, and of course now I can't find that thread. With the top cover on there is a small gap between the top cover and lower box. Putting the 4 bolts on the top cover and tightening them does not close the gap. Like I said, it's as if the lower rocker box is sitting to high to make a good seal when putting the cover on.

Is the bottom rocker box tight to the head for sure? The only thing that would not let that top cover go on tight is the actuall rockers are hitting it. Take the top cover off and take a picture.

As far as I can tell yes, it's tight. I took a wrench to each bolt last night to make sure nothing came loose and nothing did. I've tried putting the cover on with the intake spring up and with it down, it still hits something in either position. I will try to post some pics tonight. I haven't posted a pic on here in years so this could prove interesting.

you're sure you took the old one out? I almost did that one time.

Any of the gaskets not dropped into the channel, ie sitting on the lip?

Breather seated properly?

good point, those gaskets can be tricky sometimes. a little dab of grease helps them stay in place.