Someone, Just Shoot Me

[jeffreyjack]

So here I am, on a beautiful Sunday, working on my '81 GS550L. I am putting the head back on, the cams on ...where are the washers? Oh...there they are...1,2,3,4,5,6,7....only 7.
Worst case....it is in the engine.
I have no clue where it might be. Have cleaned and checked the shop.

Now what?

[Jethro]

The washers to the cam cover bolts? If it anything like my 1100, not all the bolts get washers, only the outside 8 maybe? Or are you talking about the head stud washers? Those puppies are pretty big.

[Billy Ricks]

The washers to the cam cover bolts? If it anything like my 1100, not all the bolts get washers, only the outside 8 maybe? Or are you talking about the head stud washers? Those puppies are pretty big.

And copper and a magnet won't pick them up. Hope it it just rolled away and you find it.

[brveagle]

If it was me, i'd drop the oil pan and fish around from the bottom up... If you don't find it, then it most likely just rolled away.


Welcome to the board btw.

[jeffreyjack]

There are supposed to be 8 of these washers. I have the 4 copper ones for the outside corners.
I just walked away from that one. Gave myself a headache fretting about it. I will drop the pan and see what I can find. Murphy is alive and well here....his laws that is.
To be honest with myself and you all...I can't see how it possibly could have fallen in there...but there are no guarantees until I find the missing one. What a bummer to start the bike up and then have a washer in there to mess things up.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Jeff

[brveagle]

Oh one more thing... Check the head. I've had one washer "glue" it's self to the head, so when you take the acorn nut off, it stays put.

[jknappsax]

Pulling the pan...

... can be a real pain in the butt if you have the stock exhaust on. Renobruce has an aftermarket 4-1, so it seemed much easier for him. After I added an oil-pressure gauge and the readings seemed low when warm, I removed the mufflers and managed to get the pan out to check my sump screen, but it took several days and the purchase of a motorcycle jack so I could get enough room to swing a hammer to use my impact tool to remove the three Philips screws that holds in the screen (which was clean as a whistle). I could have tried pulling the pipes, but was afraid of breaking off exhaust bolts, as so many her have done. As it was, I missed the South/Southeast GSR convention. So, I hope you find your washer without having to pull the pan.