Topic: Stripped tappet cover, any advice?

[daewon774]

Damnit, I wasn't paying attention and I let the socket wrench strip the tappet cover.  Any advice on how to pull this off?  I tried vice grips but made it worse...

[750K]

If you're talking about the nut cast into the cover then file down two parallel sides till an open ended wrench the next size down fits tightly on the filed down nut. It's worked for me in the past, getting a pipe wrench or vise grips to bite on the little edge never worked for me. If filing the nut doesn't work I'd gently use a chisel to knock the tappet cover till it starts to spin and unthread.

[Black 750K8]

Some of us will not have a clue of what part you are talking about or the bike. Maybe it is the 650 ? Are you referring to the

[daewon774]

Some of us will not have a clue of what part you are talking about or the bike. Maybe it is the 650 ? Are you referring to the

You don't know what a tappet cover is? It's on all the CB500/550/650/750s...

[daewon774]

If you're talking about the nut cast into the cover then file down two parallel sides till an open ended wrench the next size down fits tightly on the filed down nut. It's worked for me in the past, getting a pipe wrench or vise grips to bite on the little edge never worked for me. If filing the nut doesn't work I'd gently use a chisel to knock the tappet cover till it starts to spin and unthread.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try that tomorrow morning. 

[Dave Voss]

If you have a 6-point socket, try tapping that on to see if it bites enough to be able to loosen it up.

[Nic]

6 point socket is the only way to go when doing them up as well, you don't tighten em down either, just nip it so you can still feel the O ring. Nuthin' worse lookin' than these things all buggered up.

[vma03]

I had the same thing happen to me. I took a socket that was slightly smaller (it was an SAE and not metric, but I don't remember the size) and "tapped" it lightly with a sledgehammer.  It was enough to get the tappet cover off, now getting the tappet cover out of the socket...that's another story and definitely R rated.

Good Luck!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Isn't this the same size as the spark plug wrench in the tool kit? Perhaps you could get that to work.

Are you talking about the threads or the head?

[Nic]

spark plug 18mm, cap 17mm.

[bryanj]

You need a new one anyway so carful use of a small chisel and hammer.

For info if buying a new one the 70cc stepthough are the same size but not polished and laquered so cheaper

[dave500]

get a cheap 6 side socket then grind those ramps away like the one on the left so it has a better bite,only nip them down tight.

[Retro Rocket]

How the fcuk do you strip those..? I've heard of the threads giving way but stripping the heads...!!!

[Nic]

My basket case had every nut and bolt #$%*ed by the PO using the wrong spanners/sockets. More like he used a shifter on most of em, a common tale.

[PeWe]

The mentioned file trick should be the thing.
I have done it +30 year and a few months ago.
Do not tighten these too hard, the o-ring will grip and make it more difficult to remove..

[ekpent]

Big channel locks clamped down hard around the outside edge has always worked for me and you do not risk breaking off the top of the cap and having to fish the threads out of the holes threads or risk pieces falling in. Sometimes I will even use them before the 17mm nut is destroyed if I know they are stuck too well. Part of 'new' bike fun.

[750K]

How the fcuk do you strip those..? I've heard of the threads giving way but stripping the heads...!!!

Prett easy to strip out, I've replaced 2 or three on my 77k. All due in part to hamfisted PO's rounding the corners of the nuts, it always strips while trying to take them off.

[lucky]

What is stripped? Is it the tappet cover or the cylinder head cover threads or both?

Those should ALWAYS be screwed in by hand. ALWAYS.

Yeah the socket wrench did it.

[lucky]

How the fcuk do you strip those..? I've heard of the threads giving way but stripping the heads...!!!

Here is how it is done:
First they (tappet covers) are put in with a socket crooked, THEN over tightened like their life depended on that nut. (Like a quick oil change business would do)
Then when removing, a chisel takes a chunk out of the valve cover.
The bike is put in back of the house with no cover.

15 years later the owner sells the bike and tells the new
owner that the last time he rode it ran.

See....Simple.

That person now works at an oil change business. Your car is next on the rack!

[daewon774]

How the fcuk do you strip those..? I've heard of the threads giving way but stripping the heads...!!!

Here is how it is done:
First they (tappet covers) are put in with a socket crooked, THEN over tightened like their life depended on that nut. (Like a quick oil change business would do)
Then when removing, a chisel takes a chunk out of the valve cover.
The bike is put in back of the house with no cover.

15 years later the owner sells the bike and tells the new
owner that the last time he rode it ran.

See....Simple.

That person now works at an oil change business. Your car is next on the rack!

lol, I am now that PO.  I stripped the head.  It wasn't a 6 sided socket that I used either.  My fault.  Plus I wasn't paying attention, I was looking at something else when I went to loosen it, thus, the head gets stripped.

For everyone else... Thanks for the tips.  I ordered a new tappet cover and will be working on it this weekend.  I'll try to tap a 6 headed socket on.  If that doesn't work, I'll try the vise grip or a chisel and hammer... 

[daewon774]

get a cheap 6 side socket then grind those ramps away like the one on the left so it has a better bite,only nip them down tight.

NICE!  This is exactly what I'll be trying out this weekend!

Thanks for the tip!

[lucky]

How the fcuk do you strip those..? I've heard of the threads giving way but stripping the heads...!!!

Here is how it is done:
First they (tappet covers) are put in with a socket crooked, THEN over tightened like their life depended on that nut. (Like a quick oil change business would do)
Then when removing, a chisel takes a chunk out of the valve cover.
The bike is put in back of the house with no cover.

15 years later the owner sells the bike and tells the new
owner that the last time he rode it ran.

See....Simple.

That person now works at an oil change business. Your car is next on the rack!

lol, I am now that PO.  I stripped the head.  It wasn't a 6 sided socket that I used either.  My fault.  Plus I wasn't paying attention, I was looking at something else when I went to loosen it, thus, the head gets stripped.

For everyone else... Thanks for the tips.  I ordered a new tappet cover and will be working on it this weekend.  I'll try to tap a 6 headed socket on.  If that doesn't work, I'll try the vise grip or a chisel and hammer...

I am still confused.
The cylinder "head" is under the valve cover so you did not damage the "head".
If the tappet cover is still on the valve cover then the cylinder head cover may not be stripped either.
So are you saying only the tappet cover hex nut  is damaged?

Make sure you tap the tappet cover very lightly with a small hammer to loosen the molecular bond THEN try loosening it.
BTW....Why does your avatar show another accident? LOL..lol

[robvangulik]

Why does your avatar show another accident? LOL..lol

Are you Laughing Out Loud about someone else 's accident?

[750K]

I am still confused.

This is the most sense you've made in ages Lucky, haha.

[Old Scrambler]

Good one Lucky................BTW...........I lay a used Handi-wipe over the tappet-cover to protect it from the socket-wrench...........especially if its polished.