Position of rocker shafts in head?

[Raux]

When you put the rocker shafts back into the head to you push them in as far as they will go or just flush with the head?

[suzyj]

When I disassembled mine, they were pushed all the way in.  I note that they don't want to go back all the way, because air is trapped behind them.

I can't see that it would be a problem just pushing them in and holding them in position with the cam bearing cap.  There's nothing to stop them from sliding around once they're inserted anyway.

[Raux]

the reason i ask is i noticed the one pushed al lthe way in are leaking but the ones flush are not.

[ducpainter]

the reason i ask is i noticed the one pushed al lthe way in are leaking but the ones flush are not.

Have you checked to see if the ones flush are actually not 'proud' by a thou or so and messing with the o-ring's seal?

[Speeddog]

What bike are these heads on?

[Raux]

What bike are these heads on?

lol. guess I actually have to prelude my comments now... 

the 696. I can't stop the leak on the horiz cam cover. I replaced the big main gasket thinking that's the only one that could have been affected by the change of the cams. But when i took it off this morning i noticed the closer shafts are farther in that the openers.

In fact the vertical head, which I did, had all four shafts flush with the side, but the closers on the horiz, which i did not do, were the ones farther in.

hmm

[Raux]

Have you checked to see if the ones flush are actually not 'proud' by a thou or so and messing with the o-ring's seal?

i'll check. just realized what you meant 

[Speeddog]

You've got one big O-ring on the cam cover plate, and a small o-ring on each rocker shaft.

You can replace the o-rings on the rocker shafts without removing them all the way.
But you have to have the valve covers off to remove shaft clips and keep track of washers, as some can fall out when you pull the shafts partway out.