valve cover leaking

When I adjusted the valves, the rubber gasket was in good shape. I put it back together without pinching or ripping it. Do I also need to change the rubber the bolts go through?

 

Jim, technically you are supposed to, but I have done two bikes reusing the bolt gaskets, and have never had a problem. The good news is that, if one of them does leak, it can be replaced easily. More difficult if the main rubber seal leaks.

 

Short answer? Yes, every time. They are what holds the cover on, not the bolts. If the rubber donuts are too smooshed, to use the technical term, it will leak regardless of the valve cover gasket's shape.

Chacal sells them.

 

Not EVERY time, just the first time. They can be re-used many times over; it's just that after 29 years they DO need to get replaced at least once.

Shannon is right; the "donuts" on the bolts are what actually do the work of pressing the cover down; the bolts themselves are stopped by their collars.

 

Correction noted; replacement zealotry ramped down to acceptable levels. See, this is what happens when I end up spending a month away.

 

So, Len, what parts do I need???

 

The first time I did my valves my cover leaked to, but after I rode it for awhile it stopped leaking. Give it a few hundred miles, keep a check on the oil and see what happens.

 

The first time I did my valves (the only time so far on this bike) I re-used the original factory gasket and bolt donuts with no leaks. The rubber donuts seemed to be in good shape and still pliable (rubbery) so I figured why not?
The gasket was also in pretty fair shape, so I used red RTV silicone sealant (high temp) and let it sit to cure for 1/2 hour before tightening the bolts down. Worked for me!