blkbrdrydr Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 When I recently checked my valve clearances, 15 of the 16 were still within the required specifications and one intake valve was at .004". Originally, I planned on just leaving the single, slightly tight intake valve alone and just put the bike back together but work and other things interfered with my plans and the valve cover is still off. Of course, I've had this time to think about how much effort it might take to change that single shim so here's my questions for the group: 1. How in the hell do I get a well-stuck cam cover off? I've removed the 10 bolts according to the instructions in the Service Manual and I can't get it to release. I've also tightened the bolts in the correct pattern, torqued them correctly and tried a second and third time. So... what's the secret? 2. After taking the tension out of the CCT, can I just leave the cam chain on the cam sprockets and move the cam to the side in order to change the shim, rather than lifting it out and having to risk not getting it back in the exact, correct position? This seems to be the method that's commonly used with the FJR1300 but I've never read about anyone doing it with the Blackbird. 3. I also decided to install a new Ignition pulse generator cover gasket and would like to know what the Service Manual means when it says to use a liquid sealant like Threebond at the bolt threads with a coating width: 6.5 +/- 1 mm This was also really interesting, when I was loosening the two bolts that hold the cam chain, Guide B (the one that's over the top part of the sprockets), one of the heads twisted right off of the bolt. Fortunately, I was able to remove the remainder of the bolt that was still inside of the head but it really made me wonder why that bolt snapped off and what might have happened had that occurred while the motor was running. Holy Shit! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 As to the sealant for the bolt threads...I'd think it's just taking a dab of the stuff and applying one brush width of it around the entire bolt. As to the bold head snapping off...Either someone worked on it before and did something wrong or the bolt was just defective. I highly doubt it would ever have snapped off on it's own as it was the torsional stress of unscrewing it that made the bolt shear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbrdrydr Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 As to the sealant for the bolt threads...I'd think it's just taking a dab of the stuff and applying one brush width of it around the entire bolt. As to the bold head snapping off...Either someone worked on it before and did something wrong or the bolt was just defective. I highly doubt it would ever have snapped off on it's own as it was the torsional stress of unscrewing it that made the bolt shear. The Service Manual is referring to where to put liquid gasket sealant on the Ignition pulse generator cover gasket. I am the only owner of the bike and no one has touched the bike except me so it's more likely that the bolt was defective. The two of them were surprisingly difficult to remove and Honda seemed to have some sort of thread locker on the threads. More interesting is the fact that there are no torque values shown for those two bolts in the Service Manual but the size and location would suggest that they would only require 12 N-m or 9 lbf-ft of torque and... there's no suggestion for using thread locker on the bolts when they're reinstalled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon haney Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I think the sealant they are referring to is like "Hondabond". I use it to stick the gasket to the cover, but leave the other side dry. The sealant is more important where the rotor wires come through the cover via the little rubber plug. As far as getting the cam cover off, put all of the bolts back in, but leave about 1/16" gap under each one. Then using a pair of channel-lock pliers, grab hold of the cover across one end and wiggle it a little. This should let it release from the dowel pins that are in several (if not all) of the bolt holes. After wiggling, check to see if gaps you left have closed up. If so, you should be able to back off each bolt a little at a time until they are all loose. You may have to wiggle the cover each time if it's really stubborn. Steel (dowel pins) and aluminum don't get along well unless bathed in oil. I suspect high humidity is allowing just enough extra moisture to be in your engine causing some corrosion between the two metals. Might also explain why that guide bolt was so hard to get out. BTW, I wouldn't worry about .004" on one intake valve, unless you do track days. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 The Service Manual is referring to where to put liquid gasket sealant on the Ignition pulse generator cover gasket. Ah, misread that. It's just about applying a thin bead of sealant on one side. For a long time it's been said that tech manuals need to be written by people who know how to communicate with language ordinary people understand. They either give so much information they make something simple seem overtly complex or give too little information...presuming the reader already knows how to do something. They never get that sweet spot that sits in between. I am the only owner of the bike and no one has touched the bike except me so it's more likely that the bolt was defective. The two of them were surprisingly difficult to remove and Honda seemed to have some sort of thread locker on the threads. More interesting is the fact that there are no torque values shown for those two bolts in the Service Manual but the size and location would suggest that they would only require 12 N-m or 9 lbf-ft of torque and... there's no suggestion for using thread locker on the bolts when they're reinstalled. I follow the rule that if thread locker was on the bolt, put some back on when reinstalling it. You can use the weaker (blue) stuff and not the stronger stuff (red), if you want. I presume when no torque value is given one should tighten as tight as one feels is appropriate. For me, that's using as much leverage as I can easily muster with my hand in the middle of the wrench (allowing some give/take depending on materials...e.g., steel vs. aluminum). It probably comes out to around 20-25 ft/lbs. No "gorilla grip" but more than just "snug." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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