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Internal thread on head cover stripped? Oil leaking gs550es

Corvette95

Corvette95

Forum Apprentice
After my last valve adjustment, one of the quarter sized chrome bolts that screws the headcover into the head is stripped. The bolt threads looks good so it must be the head threads. I don't know the thread pitch size. Should I try a thread chaser (and which one) at home or should I take it to machine shop?86 gs550es
 
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quarter sized chrome bolts
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ah.... all differnt than what I have expereince with on the Gs.
 
If you're referring to the socket head screws - No 3 in the parts diagram - those are usually 7mm X 1mm pitch.

Suzuki started using them from the ES models and they became very common on the GSXR series. A lot of shops will have experience helicoiling GSXR cam caps after the cover screws have been overtightened.
 
The screw goes into the camshaft bearing cap. I'd remove the cap and take it and the screw to a machine shop and ask them to install a helicoil.
 
Yup like mentioned before, common for the oil cooled GSXR and Bandit engines.

Did you try to use a torque wrench to set it, that is usually what causes it.
 
Nessism said:
The screw goes into the camshaft bearing cap. I'd remove the cap and take it and the screw to a machine shop and ask them to install a helicoil.
Click to expand...
I haven't used a helicoil before, I found a 7x1 and have on order but I thought you had to drill out the head and install the heli there, what do you mean by removing the bearing cap?
 
Corvette95 said:
I haven't used a helicoil before, I found a 7x1 and have on order but I thought you had to drill out the head and install the heli there, what do you mean by removing the bearing cap?
Click to expand...

It's exactly as I said. Look in your service manual and look online at the parts fishe. The valve cover screws go into the removable caps that act as bearings for the cams. Remove the cap that has the stripped screws and find someone to install a helicoil if you are not skilled at such things. Regarding the screws being 7x1.0, I'd be sure to verify before drilling into the caps.
 
Nessism said:
It's exactly as I said. Look in your service manual and look online at the parts fishe. The valve cover screws go into the removable caps that act as bearings for the cams. Remove the cap that has the stripped screws and find someone to install a helicoil if you are not skilled at such things. Regarding the screws being 7x1.0, I'd be sure to verify before drilling into the caps.
Click to expand...
Would this be a machine shop issue or a motorcycle repair shop issue? Thanks Also see my reply about finding a complete 83 head, could I just use the cap from that?
 
Corvette95 said:
I found a complete used head off a 83, could I just use the bearing cap off it?
Click to expand...

No, not unless you want to kick open the door to a world of pain.
The cam bearings are line-bored and the cam caps are part of that matching set. To use one from another random head is asking for trouble.
 
Corvette95 said:
I found a complete used head off a 83, could I just use the bearing cap off it?
Click to expand...

As Grimly stated, you can NOT use a different cap. Honestly, the repair I mentioned is childs play. Why are you so hesitant? Just pull off the valve cover, remove the stripped cap, and find a decent machine shop in your area. Shouldn't cost you more than $25 bucks or so if you bring them the proper helicoil.
 
Nessism said:
As Grimly stated, you can NOT use a different cap. Honestly, the repair I mentioned is childs play. Why are you so hesitant? Just pull off the valve cover, remove the stripped cap, and find a decent machine shop in your area. Shouldn't cost you more than $25 bucks or so if you bring them the proper helicoil.
Click to expand...
I have the cover off and removed the cap, it is stripped clean, where I live I have never had a machine shop not f up whatever I took to them. I am going to have to just pick one and hope for the best. Thanks
 
Generally you can't get these caps on backwards because of mechanical things like dowels, but you may want to take a picture before removing it so you can put it back on the same way it came off.
 
Corvette95 said:
I have the cover off and removed the cap, it is stripped clean, where I live I have never had a machine shop not f up whatever I took to them. I am going to have to just pick one and hope for the best. Thanks
Click to expand...
BTW while I am here, do you use the rubber valve cover gasket with RTV or without, I have used a light coat of black rtv in the past which makes gasket reuse almost impossible, I have a new gasket, is it designed to be used WITHOUT RTV?
 
See if you can get a local motorcycle shop to give a reference to a machinist. If it is a Suzuki dealer, they will probably have a guy that has done several if not hundreds.

Oh, and how did you strip it? I have been warned never to torque these to spec, rather just use a light hand.
 
Corvette95 said:
BTW while I am here, do you use the rubber valve cover gasket with RTV or without, I have used a light coat of black rtv in the past which makes gasket reuse almost impossible, I have a new gasket, is it designed to be used WITHOUT RTV?
Click to expand...

I always glue the rubber to the cover with a light coat of RTV, but not the head side...except for the half moons, those get lots of RTV.
 
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