I am changing the front rocker gasket set on a 98 fatboy. How do you know when the valves are closed? so I can pull the bottom piece
Thanks Wils

 

Pop the pushtube covers and turn the engine until you can roll both pushtubes back and forth (like twirling a pencil) with your fingers. Assuming they're stock, and you remove them, keep them seperate and/or note the color mark - they ARE different lengths. The longer one will go to the front exhaust....

 

thats what I thought. I am also tightening them slowly. I was going to have the dealer do it but they said sure bring it in sept 8! ya right

 

Glad to hear someone doing it themself. That's not a complicated or tricky job. I will give you a tip on the valve covers though. Don't overtighten them. HD had a real problem with the spacer sliding in the 90's and I've had the same with an '87 now and then. Weird thing is, I used the same rubber gaskets thru half dozen R&R sessions - no prob. Then one slipped and had no end of grief for a lonf time.... that's a long story.

What happens is the flat washers get concave and allow the top cover to center and shift in relation to the holes (which are a lot bigger than the bolts. I recommend buying some stainless steel flat washers. They are MUCH harder and don't give up so easy as chrome ones. And pull the valve cover screws down evenly about 1/4 turn at a time, keeping the pieces lined up the whole time and loosen and shift if necessary. When you feel the screws "stop" then You stop. They don't have to be very tight at all, and overtightening is the main culprit in them shifting after a few hundred miles of high speed running. But not to worry if they do, won't leak, just looks like crap.

Have fun

 

I pretty much refuse to pay somebody to do something I can do. only time my bikes ever go to the stealer is for warranty work. since my current bike is a 98 that has not happened for a long time