My wife bought me the engine chrome kit for my softail standard. All the side covers are easy enough to replace, my question is the Rocker box covers and the tappet covers. I can follow instructions fairly well and have checked the service manual and in order for me to get the heads off to pull the pushrods to replace the tappet covers I have to havethepistonat top dead center. A buddy of mine posed to me that if I am not messing with the cams or the piston that in theory I should be able to just pull the heads, and pushrods, replace covers and reassemble. Can someone steer me in the proper direction for this. Also, is there anything special to deal with in regards to compression releases on the heads.[/align]

 

You have to rotate the engine to unload the valves so you can retorqe the rocker arms to the proper specs.

I have a buddy that tried to do the same as your buddy suggested. He tore it down, replaced everything even using a torque wrench on all of the hardware. However, he did not rototate the engine. He called me up in a panic at about midnight when he first fired the bike up because it sounded like a thrashing machine. I went over and had a look. Since he didn't unload the valves, they were under spring tension, so he didn't get the rocker arms torqued down. Basically, he had too much valve lash ontwo valves and was getting a lot of clatter.


BTW, you do not have to pull the heads. You only have to take off the rockerbox covers. They are two pieces.

 

Thanks for the quick reply, I now understand why. As for not pulling the heads once i get the rocker box covers removed the pushrods should be able to slide out from the top?

 

Yes, the pushrods will lift out.

 

Very nice wife... very nice wife indeed. That kit is like 500 isn't it? Or something like that.

 

A little higher. But none the less definitely a great surprise and yes she is a keeper. She doesn't complain too much whenI talk about all the things I plan on doing to the bike.

 

I did this to mine a few months ago. Make sure the proper O rings go under the breather under the rocker arms, it's pretty easy to confuse them with others. The only bolt that required the snap-on dogbone adapter was the left rear (from behind the bike)on the rear cylinder. Even with the adapter you can only turn it maybe a 1/16 of a turn at a time because the casting of the lower rocker box gets in the way.
To find the cam base circle, I removed the upper covers so I could see the rocker arms, removed the plugs, and (completing the installation one cylinder at a time) rotated the rear wheel in 6th gear until I saw the intake valve open and close. I put my thumb on the plug hole and rotated the rear wheel until I felt thecylinder (by air pressure)get to TDC, then verified with a flash light. I also made sure I could rotate or spin both push rods at that point (push rod cover spring released).
Really an easy job; hardest part is removing the tank.

 

How do you compensate a specified torque spec when using a torque adapter?

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=&item_ID=2213&group _ID=268&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

Dem bones are such a rip off.... How can anyone justify 27 dollars for that? and that's gonna be a piece. Can you imagine a whole set?

I have a friend who is a mechanic at the dealer and he just let me borrow his. Thank god for that.

 

Thanks for the input. It really does seem to be easy, I'll just take my time and hopefully no major issues.