Help! UUUummm Small issue! Oil Plug on cam cap?

[82ndCowboy]

I finished my valve cover gaskets last weekend. And All week long I've been doing routine maintenance, oils, air pressures, torques, few minor tweeks and blaah blaah blaahs...
Well tonight I fired her up for about 5 minutes then rode over to the driveway, about 100 feet. I didn't rev it just idled across the yard.
I go to start washing my Max and I notice a small plug stuck between the exhaust shield and the battery box.
As soon as I see what it is, (an oil plug that goes in one of the cam caps), I realize I have Effed UP Big Time!

I was able to get it back in with only taking the valve cover bolts out and lifting the rear valve cover up. I did however have to hit the starter a couple of times to turn the cam to get the plug back in.
I was lucky it was the outside oil plug not the inside. The others are all fine. I guess when I was putting the rear cover back in I knocked that oil plug out and didn't see it come out.


So my question is...
Did I mess something up running the Bike without that oil plug in place?
Is it normal to have to turn the cam to get the plug back in?

I know... I'm a dufuss! But I'm used to laying across a fender when I'm wrenching.

 

[maxcruiser]

Doesn't sound like you ran engine for very long - therefore I don't think there's any serious damage - as far as put cap back in - not sure why you had to turn engine over to get it on? When you had cap off, did you notice if the part of the cap that goes in the hole is flat at the end or bevelled, if bevelled, maybe it was turned the wrong way and was bottoming out on cam before seating properly at the top.

Mike

 

[82ndCowboy]

The oil plug was flat on the bottom.
What I'm thinking, is there was oil down in the hole it went into and stopping it from going all the way down cause it kinda seals as you push down.
It was like it hit bottom, but it was mushy, yet the little lip on it would not go down in the hole, it stopped right at the top of the hole.
I checked the manual and it wasn't showing any bearings or anything in there.
The lobes were pointed down on the valves, so I decided to turn the cam so the lobes weren't pushing on the valves. And wha la... the plug went right in.
I rode it about 50 miles last night to a Bike Event in Deland, FL. And she ran like a raped ape.
Isn't it great how fresh fluids and new spark plugs can re awaken the beast a little.

 

[maxcruiser]

As long as it is all good now - that's all that matters!!

:thumbs up: Mike