Valve cover bolts STRIPPED!?

OK, I checked my valve clearance today. Got new donut washers and gasket. Gasket turned out to be the wrong one. I reused the old one and will replace it soon with the correct one. I did however change the donuts. While replacing the valve cover it seemed odd tightening the bolts on. The middle ones went on fine and I got very tight by hand. As for the other outside bolts, I am afraid that I've stripped them out. It seems as if they just keep threading in. They started hard but using just a ratchet they began to get loose and keep threading in. Didn't seem to snap or anything. Could this just be the rubber compressing?

Also what order do the cylinders go in while sitting on the bike?

 

On the bike facing forward, left to right, [(1)(2)(3)(4)]

The bolts have a stop shoulder on them, which is why you need the donuts. If they were tight when you took the cover off, then they should snug back down. They only get torqued to 7ft/lbs, which isn't much more than finger tight.

 

If they weren't stripped to begin with, you should be OK unless you were cranking on them. What does happen is the new donuts hang up in the cover sometimes, so even though you're turning the bolt it hasn't "picked up" the threads.

Stop.

Take the cover back off, pull one bolt out and use it to check all of the outer holes.

Personally I don't use a ratchet for installing any sort of cover screws. I use a T-handle allen wrench, which gives a much better feel, then a torque wrench to be sure nothing gets stripped.

 

If you do find some metal bits in the bolt holes - then you've stripped them out. Not really a big deal. I ended up stripping 2 of mine - and I was using a torque wrench set to 7 lbs. The Haynes book says 5 mm hexs are good to around 3.5 lbs though, so be careful. I was lucky, even with 2 stripped out my valve cover wasn't leaking. BTW - if you don't have the proper tools to fix it yourself and don't have the helicoils, most small engine shops will fix them for you for about 1 hour's labour, which I guess is the time it takes them to remove the tank, remove the valve cover, fix the stripped ones, reset the gasket and cover and get the tank back on.

 

I'm not even a fan of the torque wrench on these fasteners unless it is 1/4" drive. I've stripped a few holes with a torque wrench driving a steel fastener into aluminum. A royal PITA that is.
I ended up using keyed inserts to repair mine, not hard but it does take time and a lot of careful setup to get a successful outcome.

 

Awesome thanks! Frustrated and late, I quit and went to bed. I will check the threads when I get home. Your posts made me feel much better about the fact that they may be ok. Now if I could just get the right gasket I'll be good.

 

My old one was leaking, but I didn't want to spend the money on a new one so I just bought a tube of the RTV gasket maker, smeared it on the old gasket and let it set up for a bit and tightened it down. No leaks and cost less than $9 !

 

It's an original bike with only 4000 miles on it. The original gasket IS dried out; replacement (once, then it gets re-used repeatedly) is the best practice.

When I said torque wrench, I was referring to a micrometer type graduated in inch/pounds and Newton-meters, with a low range. On a wrench like that, 7.2 ft/lb is in the middle of its range. Using an automotive type 10-100lb wrench set to 7 ft/lb IS a recipe for disaster, I agree. It will be horribly inaccurate at the bottom of its range. I like to use a (proper) torque wrench on the Yamahas because the blasted aluminum is like butter compared to my Norton.

 

You and I are on the same wavelength on that Fitz!