1 Cylinder Head Cover - Removal/Installation - CBR 1000RR8 DIY

This Do It Yourself (DIY) article describes how to remove and reinstall the cylinder head cover on a 2008 CBR1000RR Honda Fireblade motorcycle.
This job is normally done as part of the valve clearance inspection.
vs13_small.jpg The inside of the valve cover.

2 Time, Tools and Parts

This is a reasonably easy DIY task. It involves many steps but most of them are not dificult. The most difficult thing is probably getting the cylinder head cover manouvered out of the frame and back in during reassembly, because it sits in a very tight space. Furthermore there are quite a number of parts being removed from the bike,so take your time and keep track of where you are in the process.
A first timer may spend 6-10 hours on it, an experienced may do it in about 4 hours.

Tools and Parts needed:

Front Page - Other DIY Articles



3 Cylinder Head Cover Removal

3.1 Place the bike on the side stand or on a rear wheel lifter.

3.2 Lift the tank.

3.3 Remove the Air Cleaner Housing.

3.4 Remove the PAIR Control Solenoid Valve.

3.5 Remove the Direct Ignition Coils and Spark Plugs.

3.6 Remove the Cylinder Head Cover:
First notice how the clutch cable is routed up past the valve cover on the inside of the frame (sorry I forgot to take a picture showing this detail). In the following it may prove difficult - if not down right impossible - for you to get the valve cover out from the frame because the clutch cable is in the way. In that case simply remove the clutch cable.
- Unscrew the two bolts on the left PAIR check valve cover and remove the cover (below left and middle). Removing this cover now makes it possible to get the valve cover out through the very tight passage in the frame.
- Remove the four cylinder head cover bolts. There is one on the lets side, one in the middle and two on the right side. Under each bolt head there is a washer which should also be removed, either now or later when the valve cover has been removed completely. On the image below middle the leftmost bolt hole is visible, still with the washer sitting in the hole.
- Release the valve cover from the cylinder head. This may be difficult because the rubber casket may be binding. I used a rubber mallet and a piece of hard wood to strike gently upwards on the front edge of the cover. You must be very carefull not to scratch or in any other way damage the metal, as this might make it difficult to obtain an oil tight seal on reassembly.
vs01_small.jpg vc02_small.jpg vc03_small.jpg

- Carefully lift the cover a few centimeters and ease it forward, so the tube of the right side PAIR check valve cover passes under the frame (green arrow above right and below). Make sure the rubber gasket is not stressed in any way.
vs04_small.jpg vc05_small.jpg vc06_small.jpg

On the images below, the cover is allmost out. There is very little clearance to the frame when taking the cover out, so be very carefull not to pinch and damage the rubber gasket on the sharp metal edges.
vs07_small.jpg vc08_small.jpg vc09_small.jpg
- OBS: It is now time to practice insertion of the cover a couple of times, so you know exactly how to do it correctly:
The rubber gasket must be kept in correct position, and should not in any way be squezed on its way in. If this is done incorrectly during final assembly (with fluent RTV sealant on), the gasket may very likely leak oil through, or one of the gasket half-circles may suddenly pop out resulting in oil all over the engine!

- Remove the washers from the valve cover if they are still sitting in their holes as they shall be replaced with new ones on reassembly (below left). Be carefull not to scratch the surface of the valve cover.
vs17_small.jpg

7 Cylinder Head Cover Inspection

The images below middle and right show the interior of the cover with the rubber gasket still sitting in place.
- Inspect the gasket for any signs of damage. The gasket is normally reused, but if it shows any sign of damage it should be replaced with a new one.
vs10_small.jpg vc11_small.jpg vc12_small.jpg

- Inspect the PAIR check valves for wear or damage and check operation as shown on the images below (middle and right) where a light pressure with a finger opens the valve a little - barely vissible - on the right image below. It can only open half a millimeter at the front end. Replace the valves if necessary.
vs13_small.jpg vc15_small.jpg vc16_small.jpg



8 Cylinder Head Cover Installation

Installation procedure is same as removal procedure in reversed order and with a few exceptions as described in the referenced DIY articles and here below.

The images below gives an overview of how it looks when ready for reassembly.
Notice that I still had the clutch cable hanging out, and it gave me a great deal of trouble as it made it almost impossible to mount the valve cover. Next time I will surely remove the clutch cable during dissasembly.
Also notice that the top edges of the cylinder head still needs some cleaning, as there are still some of the old RTV sealant sitting on the edges near the half-circle holes. This must be removed while taking care that nothing falls inside the cylinder head.
vc18_small.jpg vc19_small.jpg vc20_small.jpg

8.1 Carefully remove all traces of old RTV sealant from the rubber gasket on the valve cover (below left). Check that the gasket is in good condition and replace if damaged or if the rubber seems to be to old and stiff.
vc21_small.jpg vc22_small.jpg
8.2 Apply a small drop (say 3-4 mm in diameter) of RTV sealant in the corners of each half circle. That will e.g. be just below the end of the twezer in the above image.

8.3 Insert and carefully allign the valve cover before it is lowered down into final position. When lowered the four cylinder head cover bolts must immediately be mounted using new washers. Tighten to 10 Nm (1.0 kgfm, 7 lbfft).

8.4 Install the pair check valve covers using locktight blue (standard). Be sure to clean old locktite from the bolts first, using e.g. a steel brush.

8.5 Install/reposition the clutch cable to the correct position.

8.6 Install the spark plugs and ignition coils.

8.7 Install the PAIR Control Solenoid Valve.

9 Install the air cleaner housing.

10 Lower the Fuel Tank.

11 Remount the Top Shelter.

12 Reconnect the Battery.

13 Remount Seat and Side Covers.

Finished.

Front Page

© Copyright 2013 FireBladerDk 2013-01-20.