Motorcycle Repair: 2002 magna oil leak ?, valve cover gasket, bolt torque

Question
oil leak --- sent bike to have carbs rejetted and mechanic told me i have an oil leak which is either valve cover or head gasket.,.. i would like to try to repair this my self . he said the radiator had to be removed to see which needed repair.. can you tell me how to repair each of these so i can be ready to do it when i get the bike returned. please help .... Ron

Answer
Ron, you are looking at the difference between treating a head cold and heart surgery. If you are asking me this question in this way, you probably are not equipped or experienced to do a head gasket job on a V45 Honda. Sorry, but that is way too complex to answer here and you have to have an understanding about cam timing, bolt torque and a lot of other details. Definitely shop manual time for that repair.

On the other hand, doing the valve cover gasket isn't quite as complicated and I'm guessing it must be from the front cylinder, which is behind the radiator.
The basics, from my recollection, is that you will have to pull the seat and fuel tank first. Find the drain bolt for the cooling system and drain the coolant. Unbolt the radiator mounting and/or chin fairing if equipped. Loosen the hoses and the electrical connectors for the fan, then pull the whole assembly out.

This should allow access to the forward valve cover. Be sure to wipe down the surrounding areas so you don't have dirt chunks falling into the motor when the cover is off.
Replace the gasket AND the rubber bolt grommets with new parts.

When you bolt the radiator back up and connect the hoses and electrical plug, you will need to begin refilling the cooling system through the upper radiator cap. There is also a bleed bolt in the area of the thermostat which must be opened to purge any trapped air from the cooling system.
Be sure that the overflow tank has coolant to the fill mark. USE HONDA motorcycle coolant ONLY! Coolant with silicates are death on these things.

Obtaining a shop manual for your bike will be very valuable in the long run. Try www.helminc.com or online sources at Ebay and through Google searches, etc.

http://www.magnaownersoftexas.org/specs.htm

Bill Silver