replacing camshaft cap gaskets

[Funkatronic]

found a leak from crank shaft cap on the vertical head
Can the camshaft caps be removed and the gasket replaced without draing the oil, removing the timing belts and rollers from the heads?

thanks
ali

[dunlop0_1]

If you mean just the caps (on the opposite side to the belts) then yes you can although it is a tad easier if the belt tension is released first. You may get a small amount of oil loss from the horizontal cylinder.

[Trent]

Just did the same thing to a 620 this weekend.

Yep - just remove the 4 screws and remove the cap. No oil draining, belt removal etc reqd.
The bearing housing attached to the cap is quite a firm fit iin the head and sits in the head about 20mm, so it takes a bit jiggling to get it off and back on again.

I had the cylinder set at TDC on the compresison stroke so the valves were closed and no load on the cam - not sure if it made any difference to the ease of removing the cap.

[Gordon H]

If any help - Moto Rapido in Winchester had those gaskets in stock last time I asked.

[slob]

Even easier if it's your 1000, it has o-rings rather than gaskets.

[Funkatronic]

its the 800

[Gordon H]

On a similar theme, on the 900 there is a hex head bolt just below and to the right of the upright cylinder cam shaft end cover - I had a weep from there which was easily cured - just can't work out why it's there - any ideas?

[Dookbob]

When you take the cover off, the spacer/shim on the end of the cam shaft sometimes comes off with it, so be aware that the shim is there, sometimes the shim stays in place , sometimes it comes away with the cover. No problem either way, as long as you know that there is in fact a shim in there. Its easy to put the cover down , then pick it up not realising that the shim has now fallen off.

[slob]

It's there because there's a tool you screw in to lock the camshaft in position during servicing.

[Funkatronic]

i love this place

thanks peeps

[Gordon H]

It's there because there's a tool you screw in to lock the camshaft in position during servicing.

Cheers Rob!!

[Funkatronic]

Trent - how did you make sure you were at TDC? take the spark plug out and look?

[Trent]

Trent - how did you make sure you were at TDC? take the spark plug out and look?

I took the inlet valve cover off and turned the engine over until the inlet valve closed, then turned it a bit more... it doesn't need to be exactly TDC, I was just making sure the valves were closed to try and take any load off the cam...

[jerry]

Smear some Wellseal on the new or old gaskets and they will be better than New .