engine problems

[nj1978]

i took apart my top end the other day because i had oil leaking out of the seam where the top attaches and notices that a bunch of my screws (some short and a few long but all have about an 1/8 -3/8 in head on them)were loose. when i dug a littel deeper i found that when i pulled the screws out(by just sliding a fingernail under and pulling up) that there was thread on them from what looked like the inside. so im not exactly sure why it is doing this, i originally thought that i needed a new gasket but im guessing that this was more the problem than anything. it has a 440 in it and i dont know if that has anything do do with why the screws are ripping the inner thread out and they are just sliding out. anybody with similar problems and how do i fix it? also i heard that once i open the top that i have to replace the gasket but its a metal gastket and it looked fine. do i still have to replace it and if so why? thanks for any help

[hjsmith00843]

IS it the small bolts or the large head bolts/Studs?

[nj1978]

its the small bolts on the top. well the bolts with the small heads on them. the longer of the bunch though are the ones that i was able to jsut pull out with my fingers and had pulled the threads out with them

[hjsmith00843]

I bet if you check the large bolts for the heads I bet they are loose too. Sounds like you have standard studs in with the 440 kit. I dont know this from experiance but I have learned alot by reading.

You will prolly have to retap all of them and get the heavy duty studs. And replace the head gasket. I sm sure someone with much more experiance will chime in and give more details or correct me if I am wrong.

[nj1978]

yea ive kinda read the same thing but didnt exactly know what were considered the studs. im gonna have a friend retap it, but any idea why i would have to replace the gasket?i already ordered the kit and everything so its not really a big deal, just wondering because its metal and it looked fine. also where would i find the heavy duty studs?

[hjsmith00843]

http://www.gtthunder.com/TRX400EX.htm

[aDviSol2y]

Any time you take your motor apart, you need to replace the gaskets. The reason being is that no matter how hard you try, you will not get the two sections and the gasket in the middle to seat the same as it was before. Thus running the risk of leaking, or even worse. Its a cheap insurance.

[nj1978]

im just trying to understand but why would that matter because the gasket is metal, or is already shaped the original way when the screws were tightened down on it the first time

[hjsmith00843]

The gasket will never reshape to the head correctly. It has already been compressed.

[nj1978]

those studs acutally arent the screws that im talking about. the ones that im talknig about are much smaller on the top of the engine

[Wr3sTl3b0y]

i just had this same problem you can either heila coil them ... cant spelll


personally i bought all new bolts for the head they were just worn and completly breaking on me noticed a couple loose a while back


also the gt thunder may be a good idea for the studs in near future mine motor is coming apart a little i have the bolts just never got em put in

your talking about the valve cover bolts 8mm to take them out i have pulled my valve cover off a few time and have not changed it and it dont leak but for a head i would chang it if i went that far.

[nj1978]

thanks for the heli coil suggestion.didnt even know that i could do that. jsut watched a couple of videos on it and it doesnt seem to hard,never does till i go to do it, but will i be able to get the holes that are longer?the vid mostly showed them stopping at the top but these have the threads was down there.is it posssibile to do the deep hole as well?

[nj1978]

i lost my service manual and was wondering if anyone knows for sure what size the head cover bolts on the top are for sure?i just bought a 8mm helicoil kit and before i open it up and start drilling i just want to be sure.thanks