stripped 200x valve cover screw on new head gasket...what do we all think?

[oldskool83]

I finished up my top end sunday to have my last valve cover bolt just spin...great. Took everything off and added in a helicoil finish assembling motor. This morning I woke and realized what I just did. I never took the OEM head gasket off but I did have to remove the valve cover to fix the threads and remove the locating collar on the 200x head to do do so. In theory there was not more torque. I think i just added more time to an already long rebuild. All my gasket surfaces an scraped with a fresh razor blade and then scotch bride to get everything left off.

This could be one of those things that just makes you sick but things happen.

I ordered all new stuff today. Figured spares wont hurt. This was just boner move at the wrong time I guess.

Let the options fly. I also assume the base gasket should be ok but now that could see torque 3 times I chose to only replace the head gasket.

[ATC King]

That's unfortunate.

The choices I'd consider is either put it back together and run it or risk another thread stripping out if taking it back down to replace the base and head gasket.

If running it, I'd tell myself it's my engine and if something goes wrong that's on me and it's not a customer issue.

If tearing it down to replace the gaskets, I'd be sweating a little until it was all buttoned back up and no more threads stripped.

Flip a coin?

I think many would agree on the correct way to go about it, but it hasn't been started either.

[oldskool83]

The stripped hole was fix instantly after I realized it was stripping out. I'm just worried that I might of screwed myself with the head gasket crush. I never took the head off, just the valve cover to fix that hole. The motor was all buttoned back up and that's when I realized...crap did I just do what I think I did. Most newer motors the head is locked down and the valve cover is an isolated bolt on. That's when I felt sick this morning. I ordered all new stuff. I hate to pull motors from frames if I do not need do and this is not something that can be done in frame.

[ATC King]

It sounds like you've already made up your mind but still aren't looking forward to it.

That's a situation I think a lot of us have been in when wrenching. Kinda like dropping a bolt or nut down the cam chain tunnel when the engine is nearly done and not wanting to believe it.

I've got a couple Honda 600cc dual sports. One, the top end can be rebuilt in the frame, the other, the whole engine has to come out for a top end oil leak, can't even pull the rocker cover while in the frame. Very similar engines but the frame is just that much different. I look at oil leaks completely different on each bike, and try to ignore them on the one the engine has to come out of to fix.

[oldskool83]

I went home Tuesday and tore it all apart within a few mins. I figured the softer the valve cover smootch was the better to remove. I just had to swallow my pride and $40 in materials.

[Scootertrash]

I went home Tuesday and tore it all apart within a few mins. I figured the softer the valve cover smootch was the better to remove. I just had to swallow my pride and $40 in materials.

I think we've all made a slip up during reassembly at one time or another