Coil Cover Removal

[MTSCMike]

I now have chrome caps for my head bolts but the coil cover has to move to install them. I've never had one off so I need to know what to watch out for. Is there a best method/sequence of bolt removal? Any small parts that can fall out and get lost? Is the cover and the top motor mount one and the same? Are there certain torque values for re-assembly?

Any help/advice appreciated.

Mike

 

[Gas Man]

Nothing too hard... here's a few sniplets from my carb how to's...

So remove the 3 coil cover bolts using a 5/16 inch allen wrench

The BDM manual says to remove the coil wires at the harness junction which I did not do. Why... I'm not sure. Maybe because they are further under the tank. Would I have pursued that doing it over again? Yes. Cause re-installing it was difficult. Not impossible but dealing with the small wires and no extra length to aid you.

When doing this please ensure that your battery is STILL disconnected.

I used a bit of di-electric gel on these connections.

Now install the little wires as such

Front of the bike -- yel/red/blue -- Rear of the bike

Also be sure to plug in your ignition harness.

Then flip your coil and cover over and install the center motor mount 5/16" allen bolt first. This will allow you to finally free up your hands from holding the cover.

Then loosely install your other 2 - 5/16" allen bolts.

Hook up your spark plugs and this side is done.

I can't remember exactly which pics those are cause I can't see my PB account at work. hopefully they help.

Further, I think the torque settings on those 3 bolts is 34lb #s.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the little wires. If you can, try to do the bolt cover install without completely removing the coil cover... that will save ya there....

 

[MTSCMike]

I guess the better question is:

Can I just back off the two bolts going into the heads and the top bolt going into the frame enough to wiggle the cover around to gain clearance for head bolt cap installation? I see all the holes are slotted. I assume the middle bolt going vertically down into the cover just holds the coil in place?

Mike

 

[Erick]

Is it possible to remove the ignition coil cover without removing the tank. I know there is an ignition switch harness and coil harness under the cover that needs to be disconnected but with very little slack wire it will be difficult to get hands in there to pull harnesses apart. I know a lot of you have pulled off this cover and may know some tricks to avoid removing tank.

Thanks!

 

[jjarkys]

Is it possible to remove the ignition coil cover without removing the tank. I know there is an ignition switch harness and coil harness under the cover that needs to be disconnected but with very little slack wire it will be difficult to get hands in there to pull harnesses apart. I know a lot of you have pulled off this cover and may know some tricks to avoid removing tank.

Thanks!

I posted some pics awhile back when I removed mine. Here's the thread.

Ignition key cylinder replacement
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40535

 

[Erick]

I posted some pics awhile back when I removed mine. Here's the thread.

Ignition key cylinder replacement
Ignition key cylinder replacement - BIG DOG Motorcycles Forum

Thanks! How did you get the connections apart behind the cover with space so tight?

 

[jjarkys]

Thanks! How did you get the connections apart behind the cover with space so tight?

It pulled away far enough to get the wires off.

 

[BigDogBro1]

To remove and reinstall the coil cover...

The coil cover is ALSO used as the upper engine mount support plate.

Remove the upper motor mount bolt and the cylinder head mount bolts.

Under the cylinder head bolts but under the coil mount bracket itself are factory installed nylon washers between the head surface and the coil cover. They are used as a thermal break for the coil cover so the coil doesn't absorb all the heat from the cylinder head mount. I have since replaced them with a good tough fiber washer from the hardware store without problems.

There is info on this forum (years ago) about using longer head bolts because they had a tendency to loosen after time.

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/technical/260-top-motor-mount-coil-cover.html

I also placed additional thicker modified stainless steel washers under the heads of the outer coil cover cylinder head bolts. I did this to provide better socket cap bolt head support over the elongated hole in the coil cover. I found that the stock washers were abit too small/weak and didn't provide proper bolt head support. I had to grind FLATS on each side of the new larger and thicker flat washers so they would drop down into the elongated bolt head clearanced slots.

With all bolts finger tightened...Make sure the coil cover is positioned down onto the fiber washers and tight up against the frame mount. Keep in mind that you are tightening a mounting bracket (coil cover) in two differ axis or directions and you need to get it as close to its final postion before final bolt touque is reached.

Meaning that you need to lightly tighten the cylinder head coil cover mounts bolts then tighten the upper engine frame mount and then again the cylinder head coil cover mounts bolts then torque to proper amounts.