Stickin' the valve covers back on....advice?

[Snaggletooth]

Ok.....I'm at that point. Got all my other stuff done and pulled the valve covers to replace the seals and gaskets due to a seep on the rear head and check the valve lash.

 

Thought I was being the bright guy and removed the "hard" one first. The front. Only had to remove the bolts from the radiator and pull it ahead a bit. Pretty much slid out except for a little drag across the chain sprockets. Then the "easy" one....the rear.....oh yeah! Not so easy. Hung up pretty good on the sprockets and was a bear to work out of there. (Should have done this when I had the gas tank out)

 

Now I got the covers all cleaned up.....got the 2nd gen gaskets sealed into the covers....got all 16 of the plugs on the bolts replaced.

 

So.....any advice on what else I can do to give myself a little more room to work the covers back into place without scraping the gaskets back off? Bike is naked.....fuel line and overflow lines are out of the way. Do I need to pull the coolant lines to the heads?

 

Maybe take the coolant hose off the top of the radiator to give me more room?

 

Suggestion?

 

Just trying to avoid a fist fight with my sweety. She does give me a hard time now and then. LOL!

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[buddy]

Best thing I found to ad in my install is to add some black form-a-gasket to the covers and insert the gaskets and let the valve covers set on the gaskets over night, next day every thing is nice and set in good, and when I went back with the covers the gaskets never did fall out.. and no leaks either!!

[dingy]

Ok.....I'm at that point. Got all my other stuff done and pulled the valve covers to replace the seals and gaskets due to a seep on the rear head and check the valve lash.

 

Thought I was being the bright guy and removed the "hard" one first. The front. Only had to remove the bolts from the radiator and pull it ahead a bit. Pretty much slid out except for a little drag across the chain sprockets. Then the "easy" one....the rear.....oh yeah! Not so easy. Hung up pretty good on the sprockets and was a bear to work out of there. (Should have done this when I had the gas tank out)

 

Now I got the covers all cleaned up.....got the 2nd gen gaskets sealed into the covers....got all 16 of the plugs on the bolts replaced.

 

So.....any advice on what else I can do to give myself a little more room to work the covers back into place without scraping the gaskets back off? Bike is naked.....fuel line and overflow lines are out of the way. Do I need to pull the coolant lines to the heads?

 

Maybe take the coolant hose off the top of the radiator to give me more room?

 

Suggestion?

 

Just trying to avoid a fist fight with my sweety. She does give me a hard time now and then. LOL!

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

I don't understand the problem here !!

 

Mine are going to go right on !!

 

 

No interference what so ever.

 

 

Gary

[Snaggletooth]

Yeppers......that's already done. More concerned about making some extra room to get them back in.

[Snaggletooth]

Well there ya go. Now I see my problem......The dang frame is in the way.

[Pappa Bear]

It was tight but I got mine back together. I did the same as you and stuck the new seal to the cover and you just have to play around with it and move it at some angles that you would not think would help then all of a sudden it plops right where it needs to go. Just a thought, you did remember the rear one will go back on the opposite side as the front one did ! Right? then most of us have been there.

[BradT]

 

No interference what so ever.

 

 

Gary

 

Smarty ! Now just try and get that in the frame with the covers, and maybe that engine wont fit anyway.

 

Brad