The infamous leaking valve cover .........or something else?

[gPink]

We need more information about the bike. You need a factory service manual.

[maxtog]

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this question.

Sure is.  Welcome!  Make sure to put the year of your bike in your signature or avatar, and often mileage, since that will frequently matter when asking questions (no so much with this one, however).

I just picked up a craigslist concourse and I am going to restore it.

Just think "Con Coor" (it is French, it is not spelled nor pronounced "con course" like in an airport)

Never has a Kawasaki before now.

You will love it
 

There are plugs that go into the holes in the side of the head where the valve cover fits. i suppose they are for valve adjustments?  but the plugs are missing. I don't know what to call them so I can go find them online and buy them? 

I am not the best person to answer, since I have not performed or seen a valve adjustment on a C14 before.  But based on experience with other motorcycle valve adjustments, I believe to perform a valve adjustment (or check), one must remove the entire valve cover.  It cannot be done through any holes or openings in the cover.   If there are plugs missing, I would be very concerned, especially if they left what was in the head open to the environment.

You might be interested in purchasing not only a factory manual (available from your dealer) but the Angel Ride videos:  http://www.angelridevideos.com/concours.html

[gpineau]

I found for another forum those plugs are actually part of or come with the head gasket. I guess the previous owner gouged them out without knowing.

[maxtog]

I found for another forum those plugs are actually part of or come with the head gasket. I guess the previous owner gouged them out without knowing.

That would have been my guess, also.  You will have to replace the gasket.

[B.D.F.]

I think this gentleman is talking about a C-10, not a C-14.

Gpineau, what year motorcycle did you buy?

Brian

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this question.
I just picked up a craigslist concours and I am going to restore it.Never had a Kawasaki before now. 

There are plugs that go into the holes in the side of the head where the valve cover fits. i suppose they are for valve adjustments?  but the plugs are missing.
I don't know what to call them so I can go find them online and buy them? 
Anyone know what they are called?

[maxtog]

I think this gentleman is talking about a C-10, not a C-14.

Ah, you were very right.  Of course, that is the reason I asked him to put the year in the signature or avatar... And he recently did!  Because now it shows 1999, which is clearly a C10 and not a C14 (which started with 2008).

So,  gpineau, you will want to post in a different forum, which would be this one:  http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?board=5.0  Have fun!

[roy826]

I am at 12.4k miles and not going to make it to first 15k service. Leak has really increased since first noticing it at 6k miles. I believe the ex cam sensor oring is what the culprit is with latest increase here of late. I cleaned the entire front of the engine with a degreaser this past weekend and just want to monitor the leak closer. Guess I am going to attempt the repair and first valve check myself. Will purchase Murph's kit. Can't get any decent help locally from the dealerships. They all seem to want to run to the hills and hide from this model. Can't say I blame them, very hard bike to service the way it is engineered.

[maxtog]

Can't get any decent help locally from the dealerships. They all seem to want to run to the hills and hide from this model. Can't say I blame them, very hard bike to service the way it is engineered.

The C14 is big, complex, and difficult and expensive to service.  Plus, because it is expensive and reliable, they don't see many.  So it is not uncommon for dealers to have little experience and/or be scared of them.  Trust me, I am more scared of them than they are of my C14.  It the major reason I am at 30K and still have not had the valves checked, ever (or even the tank removed, ever).  I am still holding out for my mechanic friend to help, but he has not been available.  I don't want all my plastics damaged and things messed up...

[B.D.F.]

Hey, what do you expect when you get engineers involved? You get complex things like a C-14, suspension bridges, men on the moon and tomatoes in cans..... in short, all the evils of the modern world. I say we put the floor sweepers in charge of everything! That'll teach us!

We have met the enemy..... and with a little adjustment, he may be converted into a harmless lawn ornament methinks.

Brian

I am at 12.4k miles and not going to make it to first 15k service. Leak has really increased since first noticing it at 6k miles. I believe the ex cam sensor oring is what the culprit is with latest increase here of late. I cleaned the entire front of the engine with a degreaser this past weekend and just want to monitor the leak closer. Guess I am going to attempt the repair and first valve check myself. Will purchase Murph's kit. Can't get any decent help locally from the dealerships. They all seem to want to run to the hills and hide from this model. Can't say I blame them, very hard bike to service the way it is engineered.

[roy826]

Funny thing is after 40 years of buying Suzuki's I cannot ever remember a valve cover leaking on any of them. Most were high strung GSXRs that were run to death right out the front door of the dealerships. Hell a valve adjustment does not even come up on the radar on those bikes. Waste of time. Plenty had been checked but did not require any adjustment. Vstroms were another story always out on the 1000s but 650 seemed stable. My only Yamaha street bike had long duration adj intervals and at the first one did need adjusting but never any leaks anywhere.

First Kawasaki and one google search reveals not one not two but many many instances of valve cover leaks on several models not just the C14. Kawasaki should revisit their valve cover design on various models from what I have been reading up online. It is apparent it is not that good at keeping oil in.