Yeah, they each have their own combinations and required tricks to make it all happen.

Don't know when the frames changed, but later ones, there's an opening in the bottom of the spine of the frame so you can get the left rear cover screw up high enough to even remove the rear top cover. Seems I read on here some time back of guys drilling all the way thru that part of the frame so you could magnet it straight up instead of leaving it hang while you worked.

Somewhere out there there's a '96 Fatboy with at least 3 cover screws rattling around that got pushed up a tick too far and fell into the frame thru that opening.... Don't ask me how I know

 

Good morning Gentlemen,

Thanks for the replies.. Heading back out to give it the eyeball.. t150evj.. Says it's a puzzle to do and that' what I'm thinking too.
Because it comes out as one it goes back in as one and tightened and or torqued in stages is why I posted this..

I'll be back..

Thanks

 

My '94 was the same way. The middle "layer" came loose but there was no way to remove it without removing the lower rocker assembly. There isn't sufficient clearance to do it.

Fortunately, I was only replacing the middle and upper gaskets, so there was no need to actually remove the middle piece. I just fished the gasket out, and threaded the new one into place, then reassembled the middle layer without ever removing it from the bike.

 

My 89 FLTCU....boy it's tight on that rear jug...but the screws will come out if you have the special homemade allen wrench or Lang tool. to get the box top out you just have to wiggle it loose of the gasket and slide it out sideways.....that makes doing the gasket a chore....I buy four or five gaskets at a time expecting to ruin all but the last one.....

 

Instead of getting the HD paper gaskets, that last 10,000 miles, get the rubber impregnated brass gaskets. They'll last until your next top end job. (An easy 130,000 miles.)

 

I put cork on my front cylinder since it actually held its shape long enough to put cover on and tighten it

 

On my 94 I couldn't get the top of the rear off either when I did the Rocker Lockers. So I just slid the new gasket in.

 

Someone said it's a puzzle. They sure were right . It was one puzzle coming apart and a different one going in. Good learning experience.