I know I'll probably catch some flak for this but here goes. I'm a vet who's dealing with some mental issues and a few other things but the VA therapy seems to be taking care of me pretty well, a few nights ago my therapist and I discussed a few things that make me happy - one of them being my bike. I'm not that old (only 26) but I have riden quite a few miles and I love all motorcycles but HD has sown thing special something that warms the soul, a feeling that I needed so much. So the shrink suggested that I learn how to work on my own Harley as he had seen great confidence boosting and calming effects from this. So I bought some tools a few craftsmen torque wrenches and decided that changing the plugs was the best place to start. I followed the service manual and torqued the plugs to 16ft pounds, yet the plugs really didn't feel that tight, I put anti seize on the threads and dielectric on the terminals, and left it alone, bike rides different but better (I think my SB just didn't like SE plugs plus they were gapped at .030) - here's where my paronoya set in, I started reading more and more about stripping heads and now I can't get the though of that I ruined my bike out of my head and it's killing me. So with out trying to sound like a little b@tch, how did you guys learn to work, do service, pull apart engines and have fun while doing it without second guessing your selves - more and more I see bikes that run so much better from the hands of owner than from moco, I feel like if I touch my bike with a wrench the wrong way it will break and fall apart, or if I try to do any work some castrofic damage will happen. Did anyone else experience that? I mean am I the only crazy person here?

 

Buy a garage sale lawn mower and rebuild it. Get it running. You'll feel better about yourself if you put some success behind you.

Regarding spark plugs, I never use a torque wrench. All they really need is to be snug. With fresh plugs, really pay attention to how it feels as you tighten them down. They have a crush washer built in. Turn them by hand (just your fingers) until you can't turn any more. Then put the wrench on them. As you turn, what you are feeling is the crush washer crushing. Go easy. You will feel them get harder to turn when the crush washer bottoms out. From there, an eighth of a turn or so is all you need.

I really doubt you buggered your bike. Go get a new set of plugs and change them again. You'll feel better after you pull the ones you just installed and see that you aren't bringing threads from the head with them.

 

Brother, first thank you for your service. Active duty here and I know the feeling and comfort wrenching on your bike can give. Have to be careful it doesn't become an obsession! I've been doing my own stuff for years now with little training, mostly just diving into it. What I have found on the Harleys is for most of the basic stuff, you really can't screw it up too badly. Following the service manual will keep you in the safe area, just take your time and follow the steps. When things do go wrong, (I messed up the spark plug threads on a big bore install and had to retap them) they are fixable. Don't get me wrong, you can really screw the pooch if not careful but to me that is the key, be careful. Kinda like the Jesus pin on the .50CAL, easy to lose, can really put you in a bad spot but once you know to watch out for it, you're good to go. If you can deploy, engage and destroy the enemy in close combat, you can wrench on your scoot. How much you do is up to you, PCCs and PCIs will save you every time.
This and many forums like it are FULL of members that will help and are very knowledgeable. Learn what you can, do what you feel comfortable with and enjoy the freedoms you fought for, RIDE THAT SCOOT! Just my two cents and sorry if I rambled.

 

If the bike runs fine and does not leak after you have done any work to it, you are good to go. Don't second guess yourself. The guys at the dealership are no smarter than you.

 

Like Omaha said, do the lawn mower first. Then get a REALLY cheap motorcycle, like something less than a grand. Completely disassemble it, then put it back together. I mean completely, too. Take out the wheel bearings, swingarm bearings, take the forks apart, everything. Get it back together, build confidence, learn along the way.

The way I learned over the last 40 or so years is working on my own stuff and stressing out the way you are. I haven't stressed out for years now, and it's just relaxing for me. But in the old days, when I had to get my project done right or I had no way to get to work on Monday, I got stressed.

Finding a mentor is good too. After I moved to NM while I was still in my 20's, I still had that old guy back in my old neighborhood in Chicago that I could call on the phone when I had a question, and he would help me through things that I didn't know.

Good luck and keep at it.

 

Thank you all, The issue isn't the bike the issue is my head, and that's obvious, I'm sure the heads are fine because when I checked the plug it doesn't move at all by hand and if I was to guess I only made a half of turn on it with the torque wrench before it clicked after it was finger right, but it sure felt like it wanted to go in more. And if I did strip it then a set of SS super stock heads would be ordered the same day (my kid could pay for his own damn school) and yea more and more I look at the HD mechanics and when you bring them YOUR BABY, to them it's just another Monday, and that makes my blood boil, btw would you guys trust craftsman torque wrenches?

 

Im an old dude, and a mechanic by trade for the last 46 years. There are Lots of back yard mechanics out there, some have learned what methods work and which do not, or when its ok to short cut. My advice to you is to Get out your service manual and follow it, and use the correct tools when advised by the manual. Understand that if you are following the manual,you are doing it right and can trust in that. Plenty of time later to do it your own way, starting out is not that time.

 

Sixguns so if the manual gives you a spec to haut trust the spec? Like the plugs thing the manual points out to torque to 12-18ft pounds, I mean if someone wrote that there must be a reason for that right?

 

Anton, since you let the Genie out of the bottle, what drugs does the VA have you on? I'm a old Army vet and just curious.
As for working on your own bike, go for it. It is metal, very forgiving, and you cannot F it up.

 

I refuse to take anything, when I came back two years ago I was drinking very heavily and things just weren't working out so I quit completely but then it all got worst, so they put me on Celexa, but the side effects really sucked so since then I've been completely med free, they had me try a bunch of other stuff and I refused it too - so now it's just therapy and motorcycles