valve cover bolts stripped

[mycat8urskidoo]

I just picked up a pretty rough 400ex a couple weeks ago, motor runs excellent, the rest of the quad needs some work. Wasnt planning on tearing into it until after winter, but a ditch at 40mph kind of changed my plans, anyway I took the head cover, or valve cover off whatever you want to call it, and the three long cover bolts (probably 3 to 4 inches long) on the right hand side of the cover (right side when standing behind motor) are all stripped. they were all just sitting in there, they wont thread in at all. Do these bolts have anything to do with the head gasket tightening at all? Just curious as to why the hell there so long and how much if any damage i'll do if i ride with them loose until i tear the motor apart at the end of winter.

[jasonwayne222]

well as far as having striped valve cover bolts JOIN THE CLUB! You will have to install helicoils and new bolts to fix that, that will involve tearing the motor down, if you do tear it down you might as well rering it.

And these bolts have nothing to do with your head gasket, there is 4 nuts that are under the valve cover that hold on the head. Those bolts only hold on the valve cover, you probly have a oil leak on the right side if their stripped

[rocky_mtn_honda]

just went through this a couple months back...go to napa, get a 6mm x 1.0 thread pitch helicoil set and drill and tap some new holes...i think the helicoil kit is like $45 or so maybe a bit more...
but the machine shop will charge you around $15 labor for each one they thread...so buy the kit, and that 6mm x 1.0 thread pitch kit will come with like 12 inserts and it works on almost all the 6mm bolts on that bike. the thread inserts are made of stainless steel and are stronger. those bolts just hold the valve cover/gasket on, they dont fasten the head down.
btw, theres videos on youtube on how to helicoil, super simple
and seriously, you dont have to tear the bike down, all you have to do is take the valve cover off, place a towel over the cam and stuff covering everything except where your drilling, use a vacuum to get all the metal shavings...voila, done without even having to pull the head!

and if u use the 6mm x 1.0 helicoil inserts, theres no need to get new bolts...old ones will work fine as long as they thread ok

[mycat8urskidoo]

The 3 that are stripped are real deep, so I doubt i'll be able to helicoil it without tearing down, im going to run it as is for the winter, I'll probably only ride it in 4 or 5 inches or less anything else i'll break out the sled, so it probably wont get too much use over the winter, but I'll definately get a helicoil kit and helicoil it when ive got the motor apart, i plan on doing a base gasket, head gasket and rings anyway

[rocky_mtn_honda]

you dont have to take the head off, ive told you how to fix it and i know the three longs bolts your talking about on the right side.

[hypersnyper6947]

also for everyone else reading this


This is very easy to do, those thread strip REALLY easily so be careful when putting your valve cover back on.

[extremetrucker]

Originally posted by rocky_mtn_honda
you dont have to take the head off, ive told you how to fix it and i know the three longs bolts your talking about on the right side. you must have some fuggin long bits and taps, cuz the 3 long bolts go thru the valve cover, thru the head, and are threaded into the cylinder to help keep the head gasket squished outside of the cam chain area, might leak oil, but has nothing to do with sealing your combustion chamber. run it for now, but will need the head off to get at these.

[extremetrucker]

and yes, hyper snyper is right, these bolts strip incredibly easy, as a matter of fact ive stripped them using a nut driver, and dont ever use loctite on these as they are pretty soft, so you might have an issue with breaking them too. use that nasty grey hondabond gasket sealer stuff on the gasket during assembly, and barely snug these bolts, might even invest in an in/lb torque wrench just to be safe, these are rediculous. after stripping helicoils even i finally just tapped to 1/4 20 and used real bolts with coarse thread, and mae long studs for the long bolts out of threaded rod, never had another problem.

[gtt416ex]

use anti-seize on the threads when you put it back together. It makes them come out a little easier next time, i just tore mine down over the weekend and it helped alot. I had one of mine strip out during my rebuild and i put a longer bolt in it, problem solved

[mycat8urskidoo]

Well thanks for the help, I'm going to invest in a helicoil kit and throw it in my pile of parts, ill run it for now and see how it goes, definately going to tear the motor down to helicoil the long bolts, I don't have any 6 inch drill bits and if I did I doubt my holes would turn out that straight haha

[shazzam007]

i just bought some hardened black allen bolts with standard thread on a slightly taller pitch and coarser thread. i let them tap their own way in and have taken them out and put back in 4 times since with no problems. lots cheaper and a hell of a lot easier than the helicoil . just make sure and have the bolts you want to replace handy when you go to the fastenal or hardware store so you can compare . each and every bolt i remove from my quad gets replaced with either a stainless or hardened steel allen bolt. also be very careful not to over tighten ...... there are so many bolts in that thing you dont have to tug like a gorilla to seal it!

[notsolow400ex]

should i replace the gasket also???

[jasonwayne222]

I never reuse head gaskets but some people do and it works out but its not worth it to me to not change it, the valve cover gasket can be reused as long as its not torn just use some rtv gasket maker if u have any leaks under the valve cover and itll fix it

[hocman123]

wow i am haveing this problem right now the old owner stripped allmost all the bolt he heilcoiled them but the all failled when i worked on it so i got some 7mm bolt and drilled and taped for them. but i had to take the engine apart and this one bolt that we drilled like 1/32 bigger didn't torque well after about 15 min test run a felt something hot it my leg and it was leaking really good

now my plan was to tap again with allen head bolts to 5/16 i think can't remember and hope it stops if not i am not sure what i will do i have had some ideas about like haveing a weilder fill all the holes and re tape back down to 6mm but might not hold well. and i also thought about makeing some sort on studs with lockwashers but idk i might just get good used head on ebay if the next tape attemt doesn't work

will be doing the work tomorrow will tell u how it goes

[CJM]

indeed fun, pick up some more 5/16x18 allens when you get a chance.. I got the tap and the bit.

[tri5ron]

Originally posted by shazzam007
i just bought some hardened black allen bolts with standard thread on a slightly taller pitch and coarser thread. i let them tap their own way in...
HOLY Cow !, Seriously ? ! ? !, You MUST be kidding !
what will you use when they DOooo strip out ?
Deck screws ????
Lag bolts ????
Tent stake nails ???

I don't know how experienced of a mechanic you are, but please remember that ALOT of younger riders come here for advise on how to maintain there own machines.

This kind of advise is not good, and can likely cause some less knowledgeable, possibly youngsters, to cause some serious and expensive damage to their bikes.

[CJM]

hey ron, notice it was posted like 9 months ago right?

but yea stupid idea..really stupid..

[tri5ron]

yeah, I know it was an old post.
but with it being bumped back, and that there are alot of new, young, members, I just wouldn't want someone to read that, then have it in there head as a proper fix.
Dummazz stuff like that just gets me fired up.
(I'll go back to my room now)
:D

[CJM]

i was just busting your chops man..aint much else to do when its 2am EST here..

[tri5ron]

Haha,
Bust away man,.... I'm up for it !

[notsolow400ex]

what do you do if one of the holes is a guide sleeve hole???

[hocman123]

if the bolt is to big i just would remove the pin and make sure u line the cover on really good before u torgue everthing down snd u should be fine