Misaligned access holes in cylinder head protectors

[jackronner]

The lower holes in my valve head protectors don't line up with the lower bolts.  Seems a bit of an oversight? I want to tighten them due to a leak at the gasket.  Hoping someone can tell the manufacturer from the photos.  The leak is on the other, undamaged protector, and neither seems distorted by impact, etc.  They just don't line up.

[David.]

I would have thought that the valve head protectors need to be removed to access the lower bolts.

[jackronner]

David,  Right.  Perhaps it's unclear from the photo, but the protector is only fitted to the lower half of the valve cover (see the second photo for clarity).  But the protectors themselves are attached to the head by the two lower valve cover bolts which can't be reached directly through those slits, even by a hand held torx "key".  I don't want to strip the bolt head by trying to insert the key at the only angle of access presented, which looks to be around 20 degrees off vertical.  I'll give it a try, but may wind up just having to grind out the front of the aperture about 3/8" or more and hope it doesn't compromise the integrity of the protector.  The other cylinders pristine protect (not shown) has the same problem. I just can't figure how they attached them in the first place!  Can't believe they'd design something so stupid.  I feel like I'll have to use a Catch-22m torx head.

[jackronner]

I don't think mine are similar to yours.  What make are they?  I can't visualize how the short bolt thing would work unless a different valve cover bolt is provided with a threaded head to accept the short bolt.


I just noticed that the rear aperture of the protector is better aligned, so I'll test your theory tomorrow, but from looking at my other protector-less RT, the bolts look the same height above the mating surface of the valve covers, and I should think that they'd have to be long enough and torqued down enough to withstand a crash.  I had a brief moment of epiphany when I thought I'd just remove the accessible rear bolt, then rotate the entire unit around the front bolt and out of the way of the front bolt.  Then I realized that torquing it down would probably make rotating back into place impossible.  Damned if you do . . .   Thanks for the input, and I'll let you know.

[David.]

This is the standard valve cover bolt.

[David.]

The photos are not particularly clear. With the lower fairing panel removed, this may reveal more. To the best of my knowledge, the cylinder head has 3 off M6 bolts holes to mount the protectors, one forward facing and two rearward. The rear ones are not accessible without removing the fairing panel.

(This is the set up on my 2012 Camhead).

[Doctor T]

Seen very similar protectors on a GS. It seems you have to remove the protector to get to the bolts. Other ones ive seen have been of a solid design with no slits.

[jackronner]

As my Dad used to say:  "If at first you don't succeed, hit it with a hammer". Had to take the blacksmith approach:  Heated the protector with a torch and pounded it with a hammer.  Got just enough movement to reach the bolt to tighten it.  I don't think it was a design fault, rather just a deformation of the unit from an impact with the prior owner.  Didn't see any scratches on the "pristine" side, but it did line up much better than the scratched one in the pics.  I'll eventually pop them off and put them in a vice to re-form them.  Thanks.

[exportman]

Hi


I dont have that type but the ones I had fitted using a screw under the head and the one that hold the spark lead cover in place   You had to remove these and the covers to remove the bottom head fixings

[NeilH]

The slits in the front of the valve head protectors are cosmetic only, some designs have them others not, the valve cover bolts do not go through them. So maintenance in future is to remove the valve head protector to get at the main cover.