Loose camshaft cover caps

[Anonymous]

Hi all -
I ride an '81 GS650GL - first bike, first summer with it, and I'm really enjoying it. Now that the tourists are off the road, I may even hit the major highways in my neck of the woods and put a few thousand k on her before settling down for the long Canadian winter.
One of the chrome camshaft covers is quite loose, and I may have already lost one of the countersunk screws that holds it in place. The shop where I bought the bike advised the only way to tighten it down is to remove the cylinder head completely, as there does not appear to be enough room to access the screws while it is still mounted to the bike.
Having examined the bike and referred to my trusty Clymer manual, it looks like I'll have to remove the gas tank, the carbs, and work my way down to the cylinder head to access this.
If I have to tear the bike down that far, I may replace all the screws on those caps with stainless steel ones and secure them with (non-permanent) loctite while I'm in there.

I'm comfortable enough around engines to dig in, but I'd like to know if I am looking at 1/2 day job, or is there an easier way (other than duct tape ) to secure this cap.

Thanks in advance.
Count Zero

 

[gs650gt]

Re: Loose camshaft cover caps

that's not a big problem... one hour at most...

You just have to remove the cylinder head cover - no cylinder head, no carbs no tank etc (well... to make it easier first the tachometer cable and the breather hose from the head cover)

when You have the head cover apart (16 or 17 6mm bolts), tighten the cover cap screws (replace if necessary) applying thread locking compound to them - that should do it!

Hi all -
I ride an '81 GS650GL - first bike, first summer with it, and I'm really enjoying it. Now that the tourists are off the road, I may even hit the major highways in my neck of the woods and put a few thousand k on her before settling down for the long Canadian winter.
One of the chrome camshaft covers is quite loose, and I may have already lost one of the countersunk screws that holds it in place. The shop where I bought the bike advised the only way to tighten it down is to remove the cylinder head completely, as there does not appear to be enough room to access the screws while it is still mounted to the bike.
Having examined the bike and referred to my trusty Clymer manual, it looks like I'll have to remove the gas tank, the carbs, and work my way down to the cylinder head to access this.
If I have to tear the bike down that far, I may replace all the screws on those caps with stainless steel ones and secure them with (non-permanent) loctite while I'm in there.

I'm comfortable enough around engines to dig in, but I'd like to know if I am looking at 1/2 day job, or is there an easier way (other than duct tape ) to secure this cap.

Thanks in advance.
Count Zero

 

[gs650gt]

Re: Loose camshaft cover caps

(well... to make it easier first the tachometer cable and the breather hose from the head cover)

=

(well... to make it easier first REMOVE the tachometer cable and the breather hose from the head cover)

SORRY, A TYPO IN MY FIRST MESSAGE!!

 

[Anonymous]

gs650gt: Thanks for the information. I really wasn't looking forward to doing all that work for one small annoyance, but I know I would be twice as annoyed if I lost the chrome cap and had to pay $25 at my local boneyard for one, and then STILL had to do all the work to install it.
Thanks again.
Count Zero

 

[Anonymous]

I just finished adjusting the valves on my bike and I too had the loose chrome covers. The only good way to tighten those caps is to have the camshaft cover off and use loctite on all the screws.

They never need to come off for anything anyway.