oil leak at cylinder head to crankcase gasket

[beachbum3478]

iv just noticed a pretty decent oil leak coming from the corner of the gasket; the one that seals the crankcase to the mid section cylinder bore peice. i dont want to spend the time and money take the everything apart to change the leaky gasket. my question is could i get away with tightening the head bolts a little to seal it or am i gonna have to deal with the leak? thanks.

[seuadr]

i don't see why tightening them a little would hurt anything.. as long as you don't overtorque them. check your manual for ratings, and then use a torque wrench to make sure you aren't going much over that.

[beachbum3478]

i dont have it in front of me, but would my clymer manual have the torque specs?

[bigsmellyfred]

Head nut torque:

25.5 to 29 ft-lbs. Follow the sequence, just as important as the torque!

[doctorgonzo]

BUT... It probably won't fix the leak. It might, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[beachbum3478]

worth a try tho

[psyguy]

worth a try tho

yes, checking the torque on those nuts is a part of regular maintenance anyway

[bikerfox]

also, remember to un torque them to re torque them or you will get bad readings

[beachbum3478]

oh, didnt know that, so i guess ill just lossen them about one turn each then re torque. the bike isnt at my property at the moment, but will i need to remove the valve cover to gain access to some of the head bolts?

[psyguy]

but will i need to remove the valve cover to gain access to some of the head bolts?

no.................