Clutch Cover bolt torque - leaking cover

Completed the timing belt change late last year (winter) and this weekend I pulled the belly pan to change the oil and found the front of the engine covered in oil. First thought I had a loose drain plug so cleaned up the bike changed the oil and took for a ride.

When I got back had some oil back in the belly pan so as I looked it looks like the clutch cover is leaking. I did not remove it to do the timing belt so was surprised but with 100,000 maybe I moved it around trying to get the timing cover back in place. Leak looks like it is coming from the top of the cover around where the timing belt slips behind the clutch cover.

So tonight I am going to pull the cover, I went to look for torque specs but there are none in the books. Put a wrench on the bolts and they moved but do not want to tighten too much. Bolts look to be 6mm with 10mm heads but I can not find the spec.

Planning on pulling the cover tonight and seeing if I can identify the leak and order the necessary gaskets but want to have the torque spec at hand before putting back together.

Thanks

Greg D.
STOC 906

No spec in the Honda manual, the generic 6mm torque spec in the manual is 7.2 ft-lb. That sounds a little low to me for 6mm, but its your call. The main thing is to get them all set to the same torque, and tighten the bolts in a cross pattern, not in a circle.

I just checked the Honda manual and the Clymer. They both leave that torque spec out. Say to tighten them evenly in crisscross pattern. I would probably just go with the standard torque spec.

http://www.2wheelpros.com/oem-parts/1997-honda-st1100-clutch-cover-assembly.html - there is a oil seal behind clutch cover, that may be the leak,, see link

Clutch cover gasket P/N 11342-MY3-000 (while at it I'd also replace the one for the receiver cylinder P/N 22862-MGJ-D00); if the culprit actually is within that area...
I'd first carefully wash all stains/traces off the engine case with some brake-cleaner, start the engine and inspect with a torch while it warms up... could as well be that only the case breather hose (connected at the forward base of cyl #1) suffered a crack and is seeping...

7.2 ft lb for the M6 bolts of the clutch cover seems right, I would not exceed 12Nm (8.85 ft lb)

ST1100Y said:

7.2 ft lb for the M6 bolts of the clutch cover seems right, I would not exceed 12Nm (8.85 ft lb)

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agreed, when I said I thought 7.2 seemed a little low, I was thinking something around 8.0 ft-lb or maybe 100 in-lb for a 6mm bolt. In metric that would be about 11Nm. Given that there's no force on that cover, you just need it tight enough that it won't vibrate loose.

Yes it looks like the standard torque specs from the Clymer manual are 12 Nm or 106 in-lbs for a 6mm bolt with 10mm head (good reason to purchase a in-lb torque wrench) and 9 Nm or 80 in-lbs for the Slave Cylinder (6mm bolt with 8mm head).

Area around the case vent is clean, the leak looks to be from the clutch cover gasket in the area right under where the inspection cover for the crank bolt is. I would suspect that I used a screwdriver to help the timing belt cover out during my belt change and it must have broken the seal of the gasket. The oil seemed to be getting into the pocket where the timing belt cover slides down behind the clutch cover. The oil then would work its way up and then down the left side of the clutch cover. No oil behind the timing belt cover so the leak was small but after 5,000 miles it had blown all over the front/bottom of the engine so it look worse than it actually was as the oil level never really dropped much. But it is a Honda and Honda's dont leak!!!

After tearing apart it seems to be the only area it could be coming from so will replace the cover gasket, slave cyl gaskets & oil seals, and the exhaust system gaskets. Guess I was the one guy were not removing the clutch cover during timing belt cover did not work. Scrapping those paper Honda gaskets (green ones) are a pain.

Thanks

Greg D.
STOC906

kscyclist said:

Scrapping those paper Honda gaskets (green ones) are a pain.

Click to expand...

Probably because they had been installed "dry"...
I smear a thin film of marine grease on the sealing surfaces; this a) holds the gasket safely in place while putting the cover back on, b) aids settling and sealing and c) eases removal somewhen in the future...

I have always heard and practiced installing honda paper gaskets dry on clean surfaces. Have I been doing it wrong all these years? Thought since Honda installs dry that they should go back the same, plus always have seen gaskets as consumable items to be replace anytime joint cracked open. The clutch cover has pins to hold the gasket in place as it is being installed.

Marine Grease??

Wanting to learn as I am wanting a good seal and dont want to open back up if necessary.

Thanks

Greg D.
STOC906