Oil Geyser!

[ddaum]

1980 GS 550L
27,000 miles
stock except a MAC 4-1

Not to long ago, I replaced a leaking cam cover gasket along with the "half moon" plugs that go at the end of each cam. While I was in there, I checked valve clearances and everything was within specs. A few days after the job, I was hot dogging on the bike a little and after I parked I noticed an oil leak from under the cam end cover. Basically, one of the new "half moon" plugs came out. So I put the plug back in and tightened the cam cover bolts a bit more and put a little RTV around the outside of the plug. This stopped the leak.
Well, yesterday I was hot dogging on the throttle again and while riding down the street I got dowsed with oil dumping out of one of the cam ends on the right side (different from the first leak). So I cut the engine and coasted into a gas station where I promptly whipped out my handy-dandy Leatherman tool and got the "half moon" plug re-installed. While I was at it, I checked the other three and found that all but one (the one with RTV) were about to pop out!
I know my cam cover is tightened enough and the end plugs were new and installed correctly.
1. Could it be that my valves aren't seating correctly and allowing back pressure to pop those plugs out when I really get on the throttle?
2. Will a compression test tell me if my valves are seating properly?
3. What else could be the cause of this?

[HiSPL]

RTV all of them. They are bad about falling out. Alternatively you could remove the cam cover again and reverse the half moon plugs where the "shoulder" is inside the engine. Then they can't fall out at all.

Good Luck!

[HiSPL]

Also you might check that your breather is not plugged. Thats the flat squarish thing on top of the engine with the hose running to the airbox. If that clogs up, you'll have a bunch of oil leaks.

[Jethro]

RTV all of them. They are bad about falling out. Alternatively you could remove the cam cover again and reverse the half moon plugs where the "shoulder" is inside the engine. Then they can't fall out at all.

Good Luck!

Yes, and not just over the top of the plug (or the outside surface of), clean the gasket surface, clean or replace the plugs and install a new gasket.