valve cover leaking after valve check

So I pulled the valve cover to check the valves on my 07 and once I put it all back together the covers are seeping just a bit. I cleaned them and the mating surfaces well enough. My question is, should I have to replace the gaskets after pulling the covers? Never had this prob before but. I haven't done a valve check when it was 20 degrees outside either. Thanks.

The gaskets generally survive valve checks, but its possible you may have torn one. I've had some seepage from the spark plug gasket so I make it a point to rotate them and make sure their reseated properly.

The OHV cover gaskets on my 2001 GS are OE and have never leaked....never will.

Handled properly and wiped dry of oil prior to re-installing them is the secret. Make sure you wipe dry the surfaces on the cylinder head and OHV cover as well. Insure that the spark plug donuts are aligned correctly.

Check the spark plug gasket is rotated so it seals. That is the usual, first place if all were cleaned prior to re-assembly.
Noting should be broken or torn it is only the really extra-credit types who are able to tear these up.

Got it. Operator error.

I did this on my 1150 after decades of working and riding bikes. oiled a gortex boot really well. :huh

I thought you were supposed to lightly oil the gasket before reassembly .... don't have a manual around to check.

And dry some more

Always dry and make sure everything is clean the kits you can usually get have a spark plug seal in there for a purpose. I recommend always replacing that seal BC it's a leak your never see till it fouls out your plug

Just the opposite. Dry the gaskets and mating surfaces so there is no oil path from inside the OHV cover to the outside. Use caution when handling the gaskets so as not to bend or crimp them.

And no hogging down on the OHV cover fasteners otherwise, you'll be whining about the stripped threads in your cylinder head.

Just a small excerpt from my 2001 BMW REPROM;

• Install cylinder head cover.
e Caution:
Make sure that gaskets are correctly seated. Gaskets
and sealing faces must be free from oil and
grease.
X Tightening torque:
Cover screw................................................... 9 Nm

You sure about the 9Nm def?
I have 8Nm.
Not being picky, that's over 10%.

Must just be me...but using a torque wrench and getting that type of accuracy is impossible..like I said at least for me.. 8 or 9 Newton Meters is damn little [5.9 vs. 6.6 ft/lbs].

8 or 9 Nm just means turn until the fastner bottoms out and then STOP!

Clean, dry is not necessary or preferred.

http://www.jimvonbaden.com/R1200_24K.html

Jim

Jim

I'll stay with BMW's instructions, always done it that way, never had a problem.

"Caution: Make sure that all seals are correctly seated. Seals and sealing faces must be free from oil and grease."

From an engineering point of veiw, I would think that for gaskets that involve a turning part to tighten on them like a oil filter gasket then you would have to oil it so that the gasket does not pucker or mishapen went being twisted on.
But for a gasket that you are fastening a fixed part too. Like a valve gasket, then I would say it would need to be dry.
If the gasket in this case is oiled then there is a chance that when it is tightened upon by the valve cover, there could chance that it would slide/squeeze to some extent away from the joint. And maybe leak a bit
Sounds logical aye

That's what I thought ... thanks

I recall from my K-bike days that valve cover gaskets worked much better at stopping leaks when they had a light coat of oil. Helps the seal to 'seal' it seems

Just a small excerpt from my 2001 BMW REPROM;

• Install cylinder head cover.
e Caution:
Make sure that gaskets are correctly seated. Gaskets
and sealing faces must be free from oil and
grease.
X Tightening torque:
Cover screw............................................. ...... 9 Nm

I snug these fasteners by hand using a screwdriver handle. No torque wrench.

Am I sure about these torque values?

You be the judge.

In 40 years of working on and riding motorcycles I have always assembled valve covers dry and clean.