Found out why I have an oil leak.

[eastbay]

Noticed an oil leak from the left side valve cover. This is what I found. Now what?

 

[52184]

Pull the head, have a machine shop do a weld buildup to replace the missing material including the threaded hole, and remachine the hole and do a very light skim cut on the mating surface.

It’s not a good candidate for in situ repair nor bodging up with epoxies and such as I’m sure someone will recommend.

Best,
DeVern

 

[dieselyoda]

Pull the head, have a machine shop do a weld buildup to replace the missing material including the threaded hole, and remachine the hole and do a very light skim cut on the mating surface.

It’s not a good candidate for in situ repair nor bodging up with epoxies and such as I’m sure someone will recommend.

Best,
DeVern

But....A very highly skilled welder using a 0.50mm torch tip on their TIG and 100% Argon with a 6mm carbon down the centre could come close to machine shop quality.

Totally agree, never seen an epoxy/liquid metal or even low melt aluminum solder stand up.

 

[PoorUB]

A good guy with a TIG and a few tools could do it right on the bike. No need to pull the head.

 

[eastbay]

I was able to insert a helicoil and was able to tighten bolt to spec. fingers crossed.

 

[BC1100S]

I was able to insert a helicoil and was able to tighten bolt to spec. fingers crossed.

Finish the job with a liberal (or conservative, depending on political leaning) coating of JB Weld.

Yes, I'm kidding.

Hope the helicoil works out!

 

[jrogers]

Band-Aid

I hope it works out for you but I think it's a Band-Aid.

 

[robsryder]

If the helicoil does not work, another attempt could be made with a time-sert. The helicoil is a coil of square cross section wire whereas the time-sert is a bushing the has threads on the inside and outside of the bush.

https://www.amazon.com/TIME-SERT-M6...keywords=time+serts+kit&qid=1655061950&sr=8-3

 

[pglaves]

The capscrews that engage those holes are "shoulder bolts". Then snug to the shoulder and no tighter. They need to be snug enough to keep from falling out. That is their job. The valve cover simply rides on the compressed rubber retainers on each bolt and the rubber gasket(s). A Helicoil will hold here just fine. I have used them to repair this damage at least a half dozen times.

 

[eastbay]

The capscrews that engage those holes are "shoulder bolts". Then snug to the shoulder and no tighter. They need to be snug enough to keep from falling out. That is their job. The valve cover simply rides on the compressed rubber retainers on each bolt and the rubber gasket(s). A Helicoil will hold here just fine. I have used them to repair this damage at least a half dozen times.

tHANKS, The damage was most likely caused by overtightening.

 

[dieselyoda]

If the helicoil does not work, another attempt could be made with a time-sert. The helicoil is a coil of square cross section wire whereas the time-sert is a bushing the has threads on the inside and outside of the bush.

https://www.amazon.com/TIME-SERT-M6...keywords=time+serts+kit&qid=1655061950&sr=8-3

View attachment 88162

A proper install of a Time-Sert is a definite option if you choose not to weld.

Follow the instructions and use Loctite Cylinder mount.

Because you will be creating some swarf, liberally use grease around your work to catch the swarf.

Wash with Brak-Clean and compressed air.

 

[senseamidmadness]

A Time-Sert is exactly what I would've thought of for that hole, since it's effectively replacing the missing spot. Happy to hear a Heli-Coil worked well enough to hold.

Thankfully nobody suggested JB -- while it does have plenty of emergency uses, it's pretty bad for making bolt threads. Ari Henning of Revzilla tested it in a Youtube video, and an M6 thread tapped into JB-Weld only held 3.5 foot pounds versus 14 for a Time-Sert and 20 for both Heli-Coil and a tapped hole in aluminum.

 

[gsaddict]

tHANKS, The damage was most likely caused by overtightening.

Sadly, always is.
Hand tighten until the shoulder seats. Stop.
No need for a torque wrench.

 

[tibork]

And tell me this is not a crack but just appears as one because if it is might be a good time to address that as well