On older dyna models like a 2004 do you unscrew the center metal plate and gas gauge or just tape it off when getting new paint?

 

Geezuzz, your gonna cough up the money to paint and this is really a question?
Is it gonna bust yer ***** to take it off?

 

If you use a brush, you can leave it on.

 

I'm pretty sure that taping it off well would take three times as long as removing it...

 

 

I left mine on, only because I'd not long been in there replacing the filter and lines. It is a pain in the ***. The injected fuel lines could quite possibly need to be cut to disconnect.
leave it, and tape it, you never see the line anyway.
Or take it out also replacing fuel filter hoses and maybe the pump if you want.

 

Thanks to those that left helpful comment. To those jerks thinking they know it all and everyone else should too **** off.
this is why i asked the question in first place. Because some painters would rather leave the plate in place than tape over open area and possibly get over spray inside.
i tell you, this dyna forum has the ugliest and most unhelpful members I've encountered in quite a few years. This is my third bike being a member of hdforums and the dyna section is by far the worst.

 

Rule one-
You never tape off what you can take off.
If some other thing happens, refer to rule one.

 

Usually I remove the plate and tape off the hole. Last tank I did I just placed masking paper in the tank enough to catch the overspray. Worked out well.

 

When I repainted my tank I removed it and masked it off. I didn't replace the gasket and bolts, which might have been a mistake as it would occasionally dribble a little bit gas out from under the dash panel if the tank was full and on the side stand. A couple years later i has it apart again to replace the fuel filter and in tank lines, and I replaced the bolts/gasket, as well as went over the sealing surface with some fine sand paper, and that solved the problem.

You probably could just mask it off and get a fine result however. It's not like you can see it under the dash. Just don't want a hard line for a chance of peeling down the road.

I'd probably ask the painter which they prefer.

And definitely remove the gas gauge.