ST1300 Cylinder Head Cover-2007

JPM

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Hello,
I am hoping to get some knowledge regarding a "cylinder head cover bolt" that was not tightened and when the motor ran, simply striped and banged up the threads leaving shards of metal on the bolt and possibly inside the cylinder. I do not know much about the make up of the component and its inner workings.

Picture attached of Cylinder Head Cover bolt. The tread tip is sheared off and the nut shaped piece just below the threads has been marred and metal shavings were on the bolt itself when removed.


Any Recommendations if this is a minor or major thing and what may the best steps to ensure that we did not damage the cylinder?


Best,
John
 

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CruSTy

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Would you be able to provide pics of the cover and areas where you are seeing the metal shavings?
 

dduelin

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Yes to CruSTy's request and which one of the 3 bolts was it?
 

Blrfl

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If the threads weren't engaged, the bolt must have been off at an angle or got bounced that way. Based on the angle of the bend in the threads and the fact that it's a long bolt, my guess would be that it got in the way of the front cam lobe. That isn't good, but it's not the end of the world, either.

You'll want to remove the camshaft and carefully inspect the front lobe and lifter (bucket). If there's so much as a nick on either, both will need to be replaced.

Next, inspect the camshaft holder. If it's damaged, it will need to be replaced. The bad news is that it isn't available as a separate part, so you'd have to salvage one unless you want to pony up for the whole cylinder head.

Finally, inspect the nearby parts of the cylinder head for damage and post pictures of anything you find. You may have damaged the head, but it could be in a spot where it really doesn't matter.

If you could post some (clear) pictures of the area where you're seeing metal shavings, that would be helpful. There aren't a whole lot of places where shavings could get into the combustion chambers, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Worst case is probably that some of them got washed down into the sump and caught in the pickup screen or the oil filter. Anything else can be removed with a magnet. (Use a magnet when you pull the bucket and it should bring with it anything that got caught there.

Best case for this is that you need to replace a camshaft and a bucket, which should run about $200 in parts.

It should go without saying that you shouldn't run the engine until you've resolved that, and you'll also want to do a full valve clearance check after you put everything back together.

--Mark
 
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leaving shards of metal on the bolt and possibly inside the cylinder.
Okay, do you mean that it left shards under the valve cover and on top of the cylinder head, where the camshafts are located?

Without any further information, I suspect that this bolt is the forward most bolt, of the two, and that it came into contact with the camshaft gear chain. Damage may have occurred to cam lobes, from bolt particles. Definitely check the cam lobes and bearing surfaces. I believe that the damaged bolt is a steel alloy. I would take a magnet to pickup as much material as can be retrieved with it. Ascertain the camshafts condition, and thoroughly clean the top of the head (assuming the cams pass muster).

This is just my opinion: If the cams pass inspection you have a choice to make: consider whether it's worth tearing into the engine to clean out any possible contamination, or, do a couple of oil and filter changes (using a high quality oil filter) and take your chances. You could put a magnet on/around the oil filter and/or on the drain plug to catch anything that may have passed into the oil sump.
 
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JPM

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Yes to CruSTy's request and which one of the 3 bolts was it?
Thank you all for your clear responses regarding my hopefully not expensive mistake in not securing the Cylinder head cover bolt on securing.

I have better pictures of the bolt damage and the area of the motor the bolt resides.

This is the front right cylinder head cover bolt (see picture).

The bolt was not firmly secure when we ran the motor and I quickly stopped the motor when I heard the clinking. When I removed the bolt there were metal shards on the bolt itself. I did not remove the motor cover to get into the engine to detect if there were any metal shards inside at this point. I assume that since the bolt was damaged and metal shards are on the bolt there may be some inside as well.

My initial thought is to take it in to the Honda Dealership and have them look at it as they have the tools to do so. OR would this situation be a simple as ordering a new Bolt, running the motor and the oil filter ( along with a magnet) do the job or catching any potential metal shards? I would be surprised if it was that simple but it is a thought.

I am also concerned with if there was damage done on the inside where the bolt should have been secured.


Any further advice or thoughts are much appreciated!
John
 

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Damn, after seeing the close up of the end of the bolt, it would probably be safe to say that something inside may be damaged also.
As far as taking the bike to a shop....that would scare me more, since they probably wouldn't do it correctly, or with the caution and care you or another forum member would use.
I would follow Mark's advice, and maybe try to contact him and speak with him about your options.
Sorry this happened, you must have felt gut shot hearing that sound!
 

Blrfl

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I would follow Mark's advice, and maybe try to contact him and speak with him about your options.
Better wait on that until the blue courtesy phone is installed. :)

I really think the next logical step here is to pull the valve cover and assess the damage. The only moving part in that area that could cause damage like that is the edge of the camshaft lobe. (At first I was considering the chain as a possibility, but I just don't think the bolt will reach that far.)

Pulling the valve cover to assess the damage is the next logical step.

And, of course, being the right side, getting at the cam chain tensioner for that side is an extra special pain in the butt. Oy.

--Mark
 

CruSTy

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There is more that needs to be examined. The cover needs to be removed to see if there is damage to the threads, cracks in the cover or cracks in the cylinder head. Looking at that bolt bent and chewed up makes me wonder how it got that way.
Sorry didn't see BLRFL's post. +1 what he said.
 
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JPM

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Thank you of for your reply and direction. I do hope for a better solution than the Honda dealership for sure.
 
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JPM

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Mark,
Thanks for the direction. As a novice maintenance guy, is doing the inspection you mentioned, minus the cam chain tensor part, on the easier side? And if there is more than I can chew off, is there a resource in this forum for mechanics in the Portland, Oregon area that may be a better resource than the Honda dealership?

Thanks much
John
 
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JPM

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Mark,
Thanks for the direction. As a novice maintenance guy, is doing the inspection you mentioned, minus the cam chain tensor part, on the easier side? And if there is more than I can chew off, is there a resource in this forum for mechanics in the Portland, Oregon area that may be a better resource than the Honda dealership?

Thanks much
John
 

Blrfl

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You don't have to do anything with the tensioner unless you're removing the cams. For right now, just pull the cover. Everything you'll need to look at will be visible.

If you had the cover off before, this will be a repeat of that job.


--Mark
 
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JPM

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Mark,
Thank you for the guidance...This will be my first time working on the bike mechanically. It may be slower but I am up for avoiding the Honda Dealership if possible.

John
 

Blrfl

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Ah, okay. Some questions to figure out where to go next:

Are you reasonably handy with a wrench? (Have you done this sort of thing before on other bikes or your car?)
How are you fixed for tools?
Do you have torque wrench(es) and metric sockets?
Do you have a service manual?
Are you comfortable removing the fairing?


I have access to a videoconferencing service, so if you have a laptop/tablet/smartphone, good Internet access and don't mind installing the app, I could give you a hand with the inspection.

--Mark
 
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Mark, your list is starting to sound like a recording on the white courtesy :call:
Thanks for helping him.
 
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