Has anyone heard about Valve Covers being machined incorrect on some early production of the 2008 models? Took mine to the shop today to have the leak fixed. I would have done it myself, but the warranty does not run out till July. Any way the Service Manager told me that he fixed three ZX14s back in 2008 before Kawasaki told him about the Valve Cover being the issue and not the seal. I understood this to mean the Valve Cover must be replaced with a new one.

False. I have an '08. It never leaked when new. It does not leak now with a fresh gasket(s). And I just returned with flashlight down the gasket lines = Beats Me. Beat me I can't turn a wrench then blame the bike i.e., the engineering.

There may have been a run of sakiassembly my monday bike. Other than that...

Alleged'did I mention abouthe fermented rice part.

False. I have an '08. It never leaked when new. It does not leak now with a fresh gasket(s).

My 2007 ZX-14 ZERO leaks. My 2010 Leaks ?

My 2008 had the oil leak so I got some washers and stuck 2 on each bolt no leak since!

Holy Smoke!!!!! Look what I found with a Google search of "2008 zx14 valve cover" .....
http://www.zxforums.com/forums/zx-14-forum/47655-14-valve-cover-leak-fix.html

Check out CoolWhip's post here in 06/09/09 at 8:29 PM, copied from Blue's post....
https://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=23FE7D0D-1372-66AE-3BE48A80EE413B0D

Also this Forum:(
http://www.bikeland.org/board/viewthread.php?FID=27&TID=26799

And here:(
http://66.199.148.107/board/viewthread.php?FID=27&TID=55707&set_time=1276440948

Sorry don't know how to do the Hyper links on those above links
I will ask the Dealer to remove that HD sticker!!! LOL

AND FINALY Grn's post in 09/18/09 8:49 PM....

RE: Replacing valve cover gasket
09/18/09 8:49 PM
"Hello Minter.Well-I'm guessing you have the infamous cover leak?Okay-I've replaced my gasket one time,and stopped the leak twice(once,from the Original gasket,once from when the mechanic reinstalled a NEW gasket as he checked he valves).This is MY fix-it worked fine for me(and alot of other 14 owners).You get four 3/8ths inch m10 washers.On the left side of the valve cover(as sitting on the bike)you install two washers onto the valve cover bolts-front and rear.Then you tighten down-not to spec,but you watch as you tighten-the gasket will "begin" to be squeezed.As soon as it deforms "JUST A LITTLE BIT" at the seal there(front and back)you stop tightening.It will NOT be torqued to spec-so forget that.DO NOT CRUSH THE GASKET! Just snug down till the edge is "barely wavy".It will stop your leak.Wipe all residual oil off your engine around there-and at the gasket itself.One or two times of riding and wiping off after-you should have a "leakless" cover!!!"

Are you guys messing with me????????????

* Last updated by: omar on 1/20/2012 @ 9:52 AM *

You can try using just one washer I used 2 because I did not feel that the one gave enough squeeze but you want to do it by feel so you don’t damage the threads or valve cover and the washers I used were thin ones I just picked up from lows not the M10 or whatever everyone ells is using so that maybe why I had to use 2 sorry for the confusion.

Good luck. More than one have reported replacing the gasket and torquing to spec. Still leaked.

I washered all 6 of my bolts. Yes, that will probably squash the head hole gaskets more as well as the head cover gasket. Probably less than you might think. The washer is 1 mm thick but that does not mean the gaskets get crushed that whole extra mm. The gaskets on the top of the cover are also rubber, the head cover gasket is flexible rubber and the head hole gaskets are flexible rubber. That extra 1 mm is being spreda throughout a lot of crushing. I'm sure there is an extra millimeter in all of that combined approximately 1/2 inch of rubber.

No way in hell i would mill my head to fix this simple problem. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Do what works unless you can live with the leak. I did a fairly comprehensive tutorial on this. you can find it in How-Tos section. Lots of pics.

If you don't like the washer trick, use a liquid gasket on top of the replacement gasket. Torque to spec.

I have a 2010 zx14 with 40000 miles on it and started to noticed mine starting to leak a couple of oil changes ago . I pulled back the rubber cover and saw the oil running down the left side . I had to pinch my self, thought I was dreaming I owned a Harley ! Lol

I checked mine twice in 6 years, I discovered the bolts were loose BOTH times. I know I torqued them properly the last time. I think what happens is the ringos under the bolt heads loose their resilience and they do not provide any tension upward against the bolt head. The bolts have shoulders so the ringos do not seem like they would be the primary surface the bolts are torqued against but apparently they do make a difference.

Were the bolts loose? If so, you may just get by with torquing them to spec. That fron left bolt is impossible to get a torque wrench on, you may need to feel that one with a wrench. There is a particular order they should be tightened up in.

If you want to go to the next step, take the bolts out and replace the ringos, then torque the bolts.

To be extra sure, put a washer under the head of the bolt. Torque to spec.
Head Cover Gasket Leak Fix
The washer fix solved my problem. With the old gasket and ringos still in use, the leak was slowed down a great deal. I see only a slight film that doesn't even touch the headers.

The real way to fix it is to replace the head cover gasket with the updated part. I do not recall which year they updated the head cover gasket but you may already have it on your bike if it is a 2010. I think you do. The ringos were also updated. I am about to replace the ringos and gasket because I have the head cover off. I don't plan to do the washer thing this time.

Here is a neat photo showing the oil pooling in the left front of the engine while on the side stand. I used 2 washers on the left side valve cover bolts. No leaking after that.

...just make sure you don't over-tighten them. You see the raised hole on the camshaft cap in fazers pic above? That is what you are screwing into. It'll strip pretty easy if you go too tight.

Also, if you tighten it too much you will squish the gasket into the spark plug wells and make it extremely difficult to pull the coil sticks.... Ask me how i know

* Last updated by: Fazer on 7/31/2014 @ 12:00 PM *

...if you tighten it too much you will squish the gasket into the spark plug wells and make it extremely difficult to pull the coil sticks

Notice the memory you squeezed out from being a uniform wall from one metal surface to the other, but noooooooooooo, YOu squeeze that cover like squeezing a pimple off your ass

Ass me how I know?

* Last updated by: Hub on 7/31/2014 @ 12:29 PM *