Valve cover gasket

[aldoski]

Hey guys I'm in the process of trying to replace my valve cover gasket, unscrewed the 16 bolts but the valve cover won't budge!! Am I missing something or am I just gonna need to muscle it off? The bike is a 650G.

Sorry if this is already covered but the search function isn't working for me, it's saying there was a "Fatal Error"

Thanks in advance!

[tkent02]

They get stuck after thirty years or so. Smack it around a bit with a rubber mallet, it might loosen up. Sometimes you have to cut through the gasket with a blade of some sort. Be careful, it's easy to do serious damage to the head or the cover. Prying is bad, the cover can get bent, and it will cause gouges that are hard to seal.

[ddaniels]

Yep, a few good whacks around the edges with a good rubber mallet will do it. Just be patient.

[Steve]

Hey guys I'm in the process of trying to replace my valve cover gasket, unscrewed the 16 bolts but the valve cover won't budge!!

Before you do any damage, ... REMOVE THE 17TH BOLT.

I just looked back through your few posts and saw that you have an '82 650. (Please put this in your signature. )
The '82 models had a 17th bolt at the front, just left of center. You can see it in this picture:



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[recycled64]

Sledge!!

I have an '82, and has the 16-bolt pattern. I got it in very clean, pretty much unmolested condition, so I doubt it's got a replacement head on it, just an anamoly, I guess, as it has the '82 spec hex engine side cover bolts. I did actually use a 5-lb sledge on the 'bridge' castings on the head cover, but with a very short, gentle stroke, upwards, alternating left to right side with no problem, just looking for that sort of 'hollow' sound that told me it was ready for even gentler persuasion. It's also better, if you haven't done it yet, to take the tach drive out first as well

[aldoski]

Before you do any damage, ... REMOVE THE 17TH BOLT.

17th bolt?? I'm not seeing it

[Dogma]

17th bolt?? I'm not seeing it

Right alongside the timing chain, opposite the tach drive.

[aldoski]

Ah okay yes I see it in the diagram now. Looks like I don't have it though so just gonna give it a good wack or two and hope for the best

Also, do those end caps need to come off?

Thanks guys

[tkent02]

No, but they make it harder to wiggle the cover out from the frame once you have it loose.

[aldoski]

No, but they make it harder to wiggle the cover out from the frame once you have it loose.

Gotcha, I'll probably take them off to make it a little easier for me.

Thanks for the help! I'll take the ol' rubber mallet to it tomorrow after work and post my findings.

[Steve]

Gotcha, I'll probably take them off to make it a little easier for me.

The only way you are going to get those covers off in any condition to re-use them is to use a 2" long power driver bit and a 1/4" ratchet to drive it. The screws are mounted vertically in the two holes on the bottom of the cover. There is usually plenty of room to lift the cover up and over the cams, as long as you remove the breather cover off the top, first.

One more item: random banging on the cover isn't really going to do much.
There are two locating dowels on opposite corners (#3 in the diagram above). I can't remember if it's front-left and right-rear or front-right and left rear, but they keep the cover from moving sideways in any direction (looking at the diagram again, one appears to be in the left-rear, so the other would be right-front). When faced with a dificult cover like that, I have used a wide (1") wood chisel placed carefully at the seam and tapping it in just a bit. Concentrate around where the dowel would be (it goes around one of the bolts) to lift the cover off the dowel without torquing the cover.

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[Suzuki_Don]

The valve cover on the 650 changed to the 17 bolt pattern mid way through 1982. So an '82 model can have either valve cover, 16 or 18 bolt, depending on the engine number.

[Dave_17954]

Just so happens I have a photo of the 17th bolt on my '82 gs650.

[aldoski]

Ah cool stuff dave.

Came off pretty easy after a couple wacks with the rubber mallet. Got most of the gasket off, just need to get the residual off. I was just going to use solvent and a wire brush, but if you guys have a better way feel free to let me know!

Also am I going to want to put a sealant on with the new gasket or should it just be the gasket? Search function is still not working for me

[tkent02]

Use grease so it doesn't stick next time, or even anti-sieze compound.
Maybe put it on one side, let it stick to the cover but not the head. Or grease up both sides, either way works OK.