What are some MUST BE TORQUED TO RIGHT SPEC parts on a dirt bike?

[HelmetCamMatt]

I know, I know..... you are supposed to torque everything down to the manufacturing specs. But just being realistic that I would assume most people dont. What are some of the things that HAVE to be torqued right that are a part of normal maintinence. Ex: Checking/adjusting valves, changing oil etc

 

 

Edit: So I heard somewhere you NEED to torque the cam bolts if you end up changing the shims in the valves? Is this right or can I just feel it and make them tight but not too tight?

Edited April 20, 2016 by HelmetCamMatt

[Suzuko]

I would say clutch basket I think

[LovingOffroadPain]

I know, I know..... you are supposed to torque everything down to the manufacturing specs. But just being realistic that I would assume most people dont. What are some of the things that HAVE to be torqued right that are a part of normal maintinence. Ex: Checking/adjusting valves, changing oil etc

 

I torque the triple clamps to spec.  This is very important.  Also the steering stem.

 

Axles I do, because too little torque they can come loose, too much and your wheel bearings will wear prematurely.

 

Engine mounts.  Cylinder bolts/nuts.  Other than this, I just feel it.

[motoxvet]

I was going to add those items but ORP beat me to it.  Also MAYBE countershaft sprocket nut just to make sure you get it to spec, just like that axles.

Edited April 20, 2016 by motoxvet

[motoxvet]

OP, Maybe after the dust settles here, ask how many bolts and nuts guys use Loctite on...

[BOAB]

All bolts have torque values.  Use them.

[CRFRida1605]

I torque everything in the motor(cam caps definitely), wheels, triple clamps, swingarm/linkage, etc. Probably just the plastics and gas tank bolts are about all that dont get torqued, maybe thestuff on the bars dont either.

Last thing you want is your valve cover to leak or your shifter to fall off because you didnt tighten it properly.

[William1]

Depends on your skill level. I always torque head bolts. Everything else, I do by feel and I am accurate with small fasteners to about 1/2 a ft-lb.

A crappy, inaccurate torque wrench is worse than manual guessing.

Get your torque wrenches calibrated. You can test them yourself pretty easily. Google it.

[babyarmholdingapple]

A crappy, inaccurate torque wrench is worse than manual guessing.

 

 

I'm calling statical bullshit

[SnowMule]

Triple clamps are the big ones... if those aren't right, things get ugly quick. 

Engine case and cylinder are others. 

 

A crappy, inaccurate torque wrench is worse than manual guessing.

Definitely not.  The torque spec is pretty wide, what's more important is that all the bolts are torqued the same. 

Whether they're exactly in the middle of spec doesn't really matter.

Even a cheap torque wrench, once set, will get all the bolts torqued close to each other. 

[tmav66]

I would say clutch basket I think

So is it bad I just hit mine with a impact? I don't have a basket holder wrench.

[motoxvet]

So is it bad I just hit mine with a impact? I don't have a basket holder wrench.

Yes. Bad.

[CSAR FE]

Anything to do with the suspension, axle nuts, ect. I torque everything to spec on the motor except for the oil drain plug and oil filter cover.

[The Inquisitor]

YES and YES - Loctite and Anti Seize as required, then clean and or replace any hardware that looks damage (bolt heads, threads etc)

 

IMO - Torque wrenches for most if not all internal engine bolts.

 

For most other things I use 1/4 drive sockets, snug then 1/4 max but a lot of this experience and most things do not really need to be reefed down to the point your snapping a bolt or stripping threads

 

A long shop guy who has been wrenching on bikes for YEARS swears on using t-handles, snug and 1/4 turn but you have slightly less leverage with the t-handle than with a racket but again it's experience.

 

As far as using an impact gun, I have used them to LOOSEN  flywheel and clutch nuts, with the engine and rear brake on (2 person job) then use a 1/2 drive breaker bar cus it's longer than the racket to tighten but this is just me.

 

There is nothing saying you could not strip a thread or snap a bolt with a torque wrench.

[L. Euler]

I'm calling statical bullshit

 

Me too.  For multi-bolt assemblies (clutch covers, case sections, etc) it is more important to get the bolts torqued to equal values than it is to specific values.  In other words, torque wrench accuracy is not all that important.

Edited April 21, 2016 by L. Euler

[MarioThePlumber]

I know, I know..... you are supposed to torque everything down to the manufacturing specs.

That's precisely what I do. It gets rid of the "what-ifs."

And my ham hands have broken a few bolts and stripped a few threads. It saves me money and time to do it right.

[M1Garand]

As of a few weeks ago, my must torque is rear sprocket and loctite, lucky I only had to push it a mile.

[David C]

Lest see..head bolts and triples, thats about it.

[Mister Fister]

pretty much anything that could kill me if they came apart or anything engine related that needs nice even torque to keep it flat

 

front/rear axles triple clamps cylinder head etc

[turbo dan]

I don't torque a damn thing on the bike.  Only thing I torque on the car are rod bolts and head bolts.  Impact has served me well for clutch basket nuts and flywheel nuts.  Use sparingly when reassembling.  Just a quick shot will do.

 

I don't know about every dirt bike ever made but in my experience wheel bearings have no idea what kind of torque you're applying.  Every one I've ever taken apart used a collar between the inner races of the bearings that supported the load when the axle nut was torqued down.  I tighten mine until the castle nut aligns with the hole drilled in the axle.  Feels like about 80 ft-lbs.