| Author | Message | ||
     Yan |
How hard it is to remove the starter (on a 2009 XB12XT if it makes a difference)? Anyone has a link to a video (I couldn't so far find any)? Do the oil lines on the right side get in the way? Any tricks or tips? What gaskets need to be replaced on reassembly? Primary case one maybe? Anything else? Thanks all! | ||
| Hughlysses |
I took mine off to replace the gasket last year. It’s not too bad of a job, but it’s tight quarters under there. Disconnect battery, remove shift linkage and primary cover. Two bolts that hold the starter on can be accessed inside the primary. You may have to rotate the clutch housing a degree or two to fit your Allen wrench into the bolts between the gear teeth on the outside of the clutch housing. Getting the starter out takes a lot of wiggling, jiggling, and trial and error. Get a primary gasket, shifter shaft seal, and a starter gasket and you should be good. | ||
| Yan |
thanks Hughlysses! | ||
| Yan |
"Disconnect battery, remove shift linkage and primary cover." do I need to disconnect the clutch cable too, and if so, do I need to get the o-ring for it? Thank you. about the shift linkage - do I need to somehow mark the position how it sits on the shaft, for reassembly that is, or there is only one way? thanks! | ||
| Ourdee |
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| Cupcake_mike |
You can leave the clutch cable screwed into the primary, but you will have to remove the end from the ball & ramp assembly to remove the primary cover. If you back off the adjuster on the cable you *should* have enough slack without messing with the clutch adjustment behind the primary cover. I make a line on the shifter shaft that corresponds with the split on the collar but you could also take a picture or just do it be feeling once everything is back together....its just a splined shaft so there are many different positions you could instal the collar. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Gives you a little more wiggle room if you remove the clamps and zip ties from the oil lines, wiring harness and trans breather hose. Then you can tie them back out of the way with heavy string or similar. Take a picture first so everything goes back where it belongs when done. It’s very easy to leave something a little too close to the exhaust header, it will get roasted, DAMHIK. | ||
| Yan |
Thanks Cupcake! So removing the clutch cable or not essentially comes down to having to adjust the clutch freeplay after everything is back together, if the cable is removed? I had to replace the clutch cable once and I recall it was a bit of hassle to do the adjustments, but not nearly as bad as the starter removal nightmare that people are describing here. By the way, does the primary cover have to come off, or turning it clockwise enough to get access to the bolts holding the starter is enough? Thank you! | ||
| Yan |
Thanks Griff! I will be taking pictures, and I had something burning on the exhaust pipe in that area in the past, so I am not new to zip-tieing everything away from the pipes  Luckily for me we have two Uly's in the garage, so I can always go to the other one and see how it's supposed to be | ||
| Yan |
Question about the oil lines (or the upper one of the two - seems like the bottom one isn't in the way). When people talk about disconnecting it, do the refer to disconnecting it from where it goes into the engine block in the front, or disconnecting it from the rubber hose in the rear? Thank you! | ||
| Griffmeister |
The oil lines can rotate inside their fittings, they are just held in with a clip. I believe that just by removing the clamp that holds the lines in place you can shift them enough to give you room without having to disconnect anything. And yes, you have to remove the primary cover just like in the second video you posted. I recommend fully relaxing the clutch cable so that when you pull the cover off you can easily disconnect the cable end from the actuator and put the cover out of the way. | ||
| Yan |
Thanks Griff, but I am still not clear - those clamps that hold the oil lines, is that in the front (right hand side if you are looking at them), or in the rear (left hands side, as you are looking at them)? Thank you! | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Here are some tips based on bad experiences changing starters twice. Don't waste your time on the $120 chinese starter. It will work, and spin like a mo-fo. But it will sooner or later leak oil. You can take the primary cover off without removing the clutch cable, but there is a significant chance of breaking the threaded end off your clutch cable if twisted to an extreme. You can unscrew the oil lines from the crank case to move them out of the way, as the oil is not under pressure. It gives you way more room. The holders of the oil lines are plastic and will break. so don't over tighten them Check and double check that your starter gasket is in position before tightening it all down. They can shift very easily. And yes, unhook your battery, it will throw big sparks when you try to disconnect your starter. Good luck! | ||
| Yan |
Thanks a lot Biffdotorg! Much appreciated! | ||
| Griffmeister |
The clamp is right above the trans output shaft (and partially behind the belt drive pulley, natch). Yeah, it is just a plastic clamp, but it doesn’t need much force just to hold two oil lines. They really don’t have to be touched, it just makes the job slightly easier to have that few extra fractions of an inch. I still think that with the clamp out of the way that it’s enough to swivel the upper tube downwards out of the way. If you need to remove the tube, it’s better just to remove the spring clip from the fitting on the oil pump and pull the tube out. The clip is small, don’t loose it, but at least you don’t disturb the o-ring or threads on the fitting. An unrelated issue comes to mind that might be good to handle while you have the primary cover off. The stator wire where it passes through the grommet just in front of the starter can leak oil that splashes on it. Clean it really well with solvent then seal the area with a tiny glob of sealant like silicone or hylomar or similar. | ||
| Yan |
Thank you Gfiffmeister! Never had to deal with that silicon sealant - is it the type that hardens? What exactly should I be looking (or asking) for in a hardware store? Something like this maybe - https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/permatex-clear-rtv-silicone-adhesive-sealant-0383782p.html#srp ? Thank you! (Message edited by Yan on August 21, 2019) | ||
| Griffmeister |
A full line hardware store might have what you need, you have to be sure it’s oil resistant and can handle moderate temps. If you’re looking at Permatex products, I would look for Ultra Blue or Ultra Black, both of which are automotive grade gasket makers. Yeah, I forgot how many different products are out there, always keep oil and heat in the back of your mind when looking around. | ||
| Yan |
Oh, OK, thanks! So basically I am looking for a gasket maker - roger that, I think I still have one sitting around in the garage. | ||
| 651lance |
Look at Harley-Davidson.com/sip this is the back end to HD / Buell manuals, parts books and more. You might need to make a login and they send you something to log in. There is a lot of information there. | ||
| 651lance |
This is what it looks like once your in.  | ||
| Yan |
Thanks Lance! |
