400ex leaking from lifter cover help!!!

[Night_Rider]

I took all my plastics off my 04 400ex to look at something that looked like oil I take it off and it's leaking from some circular Allen bolts on the top of the lifter cover if u sit on the machine it's one the top left on the opposite side of the timing chain can just tighten them or do I have to be careful of something Im loosing oil at a slow pace though

[DragonGunner]

Ya just loosen some of the bolts on the other side, then draw down the ones on the side that are leaking, be careful not to tighten to much or your strip them for sure. My cover has been off so many times I use a little gasket sealer on it, above and below the gasket.

[samm3020]

Well two things with this you should be careful of.

1) Those aren't the factory bolts the should be 6mm hex head bolts (8mm Head). They are probably just replacements because the factory bolts were lost, but if they have been broken or something before might be reason for concern.

2) What I would really be careful about is how much torque you put on those bolts. There isn't much aluminum around those holes, they can be stripped or broken pretty easily. Whenever I put those bolts back in I always use a torque wrench ( I believe the spec is 7 foot pounds, check the owners manual or internet search). I do this because I have done my fair share of in a hurry stripped or broken bolt holes.

If the quad is new to you it might be that the gasket that goes in there may need replaced (not expensive), or the bolts have been broken/stripped already. Jmo

[CJM]

50 bucks says someone already overtorqued and stripped them. Likely either replaced the bolts with something else or whatever. Your in for a world of hurt as those bolts go quite a ways in several spots.

[japawhat02]

i think he is talking about the rocker arm bolts. Cant they have a washer on them, not sure if its copper or not though. You could pull the cover back the bolt out and apply thread sealer.

Are you talking about these:1718110366

[riotact]

If it is the ones circled there are copper crush washers under there that you can take out and sand them smooth. I ran into that problem with my buddies sons ex. I did that and it fixed the leak.That will also work on the other 4 bolts that keep the rockers in there.

[samm3020]

ahh now that I see that yeah thats probably what hes talking about....I saw cover and assumed the worst.