• 1952-1970 K/Sportster Cam Covers Use:
  • (9) Cover Screws.
    • 1/4“ x 20 x 1-1/2” Oval Slotted Head Bolt Screw (2345) x 3.
      1/4“ x 20 x 2-5/16” Oval Slotted Head Screw (2353) x 5.
      1/4“ x 20 x 2-1/4” Oval Slotted Head Screw (2352) x 1.
  • (2) Generator Mounting Bolts.
    • 5/16“ x 24 Bolt (30013-52) x 2. Angled shank under head to sit flush in mounting hole.
  • (2) Solid Dowel Pins.
    • .308” dia x .690“ long (375). Gearcase has matching dowel pin holes in front and rear.
• 1971-1976 Sportster Cam Covers Use;
  • (8) Cover Screws.
    • 1/4” x 20 x 1-3/4“ (1971-1973 Phillips Head Screw, 1316W x 3) or (1974-1976: Posidriv Head Screw, 1316W x 3).
      1/4” x 20 x 1-1/4“ (1971-1973 Phillips Head Screw, 1317W x 1) or (1974-1976 Posidriv Head Screw, 1317W x 1)
      1/4” x 20 x 2-1/4“ (1971-1973 Phillips Head Screw, 1370W x 4) or (1974-1976 Posidriv Head Screw 1370W x 4)
  • (2)- Generator Mounting Bolts
    • 5/16” x 24 x 3-1/4“ Hex Head Bolt (30013-71) x 2.
  • (2) Solid Dowel Pins.
    • .308” dia x .690“ long (375). Gearcase has matching dowel pin holes in front and rear.
• 1977-E1981 covers use;
  • (8) Cover Screws.
    • 1/4” x 20 x 1-3/4“ Posidriv Head Screw, (1316W) x 3.
      1/4” x 20 x 1-1/4“ Posidriv Head Screw, (1317W) x 1.
      1/4” x 20 x 2-1/2“ Posidriv Head Screw (1381) x 4.
  • (2)- Generator Mounting Bolts
    • 5/16” x 24 x 3-1/4“ Hex Head Bolt (30013-71) x 2.
  • (1) Solid Dowel Pin.
    • .308” dia x .690“ long (375). Cover has hole for rear pin but gearcase doesn't. Pin is used in front.
• L1981-1985 covers use;
  • (9)- 1/4” Cover Screws.
  • (2)- Generator Mounting Bolts.
  • (1)- Solid Dowel Pin (375), .308“ dia x .690” long.
    Cover has hole for rear pin but gearcase doesn't. Pin is used in front.

1957-E1982 right cases with the small boss and upper oil feed oil slot:
1952-1976 K and Sportsters original gasket (25224-52), designed with an upper feed oil hole. Updated gasket (25224-52A).
1977-E1981 Sportsters original gasket (25224-52A), updated design has a long slanted slot.

L1981-1985 right cases with the large boss and upper oil feed hole:
L1981-1985 Sportsters use gasket (25263-81), designed with a long horizontal slot.

You can interchange some covers if you are not concerned about the look of a stocker for your year bike (better resale trying to stay stock). ¹⁾

Also be aware that some covers had the round cut out for the electric starter XLH that came out in 1967.
You can slap a cover on and wing it, BUT the proper way is to have the cover line reamed when the motor is apart.
(so the cam cover and the right case half are a match in tolerances.

52-78 cover had only one breather port at 6:00. ²⁾
79-85 had two. One at 6:00 and one at 10:00.
52-76 uses .625“ pinion bushing bore.
77-85 uses .562” pinion bushing bore.

1952-1956 Cam Cover - casting: 25202-52 3)	1957-1962 Cam Cover - casting: 25202-52A 4)	1963-1967 Cam Cover - casting: 25202-52A5)

1968-1970 Cam Cover - casting: 02-68 6)	1971-1976 Cam Cover - casting: 25202-71 7)	1977-1978 Cam Cover - casting 76-25202F 8)

1979-1980 Cam Cover - casting: 79-25202 9)	1981 Cam Cover - casting: 81-25223 10)	L1984-1985 Cam Cover - casting: 25222-84A 11) (no date code below casting)

Part number (25200-57). Casting number is (25202-52A).

Click on a pic to enlarge: ¹²⁾

Part Number (25200-63 ). Casting number is (25202-52A).

Click on a pic to enlarge: ¹³⁾

Part number (25201-67). Casting number is (02-68). Top rear is cut out for the electric starter.

Click on a pic to enlarge: ¹⁴⁾

Part number (25200-70). Casting number (02-68). TOP REAR IS NOT CUT for electric start.

Click on a pic to enlarge: ¹⁵⁾

L1976-1980 Sportsters use a Prestolite starter which required a section of the top rear corner of the cam cover to be factory removed for clearance.
1981-1985 Sportsters use a Nippon Denso starter which doesn't require the cam cover clearance thus the corner is squared off (uncut).

1979-E1982 production cam covers were installed with a reed type breather valve (26909-79).
In L1982, a new rubber umbrella type breather valve was used in production covers.
Breather valve kit (26909-79A) was then introduced to adapt 1979-E1982 covers with the new umbrella valve system.
So you may find used 1979-E1982 covers with the umbrella valves instead.
Click Here for more information on breather valves.

1979 is the first year a hole was drilled and tapped in top front of the cam cover for the breather vent to connect up to the air cleaner housing
The previous location on the front bottom of the cam cover for the breather tube was plugged off with a 1/8“x27 plug and the tube deleted.
A rubber hose was now piped from the top of the cam cover to the A/C (keeping the breather line from crossing the cover from the bottom).
This design was used from 1979-1990.
Some have removed the lower plug to add a second breather to atmosphere although the reviews for that mod vary.
Click Here for more information on that mod in the Sportsterpedia.

L1981-E1982 Gearcase/Cam Cover/Gasket Changes:
Click Here to download TSB M-841.
Cases:
L1981-E1982 engines may have one of two different types of gear case cover and crankcase set combinations.
Old style cases have a slanted slot for an upper oil feed galley to the lifters and no rear dowel pin (or bolt) to attach the cover.
New style cases have a large boss around the upper feed galley with a single hole (no slot) for a feed oil galley to the lifters.
New style cases also have an extra mounting screw hole added to the top rear corner of the cover mounting boss.
Cam Cover Gasket:
Gasket (25224-52A) originally (1977) had a single hole in the top center to transfer oil from the gasket to the upper case galley.
Along with 1979 case changes, the hole was slotted at an angle and along with L1981 case changes, the gasket was redesigned.
Old style gasket (25224-52A) can only be used with the old style covers, XLH (25227-81) and XLS (25229-81).
New style gasket (25263-81) can only be used with the new style covers, XLH (25208-81) and XLS (25209-81).
Cam Cover:
Old style cam covers can be used on new style cases along with the old style gasket.
New style cam covers cannot be used on old style cases.

Part number (25229-81). Casting number (81-25223). Tach drive casting still there but the hole wasn't drilled for the drive unit.
Gasket: Must use gasket (25224-52A).
Fasteners: (8) cover screws, (2) generator mounting bolts and (1) front solid dowel pin (rear dowel hole in cover drilled but not used).
(see full fastener list and sizes at the top of the page)

Click on a pic to enlarge: ¹⁶⁾