Yes.. Highly recommended.. It's a pretty good primer for a 5k at least, and most of the 10k. Informative on a lot of different things.. Has a great section on the primary drive.. But it's a visual of the tasks for the service and also teaches some good shop techniques. If you're a seasoned wrench (experienced mechanic), you might be bored.. but if you're relatively new to Harleys, you'll find it useful.. Watching it twice, I picked up a lot of stuff I missed in the first viewing.

 

I would use the "calibrated wrist" when I used to wrench on my old Camaro and agree that if it didn't have a gasket, just eyeball it boy.

Excellent idea about the litterboxes. I just need to get me a cat so that I can use him to wipe up any leftover oil that spills on the floor.

You know I didn't even think about the issue of where the oil filter was until you all mentioned it. I have to imagine that it along with the crankcase are still completely full even after draining the oil tank since they are both lower. Another victory on the war of engineering vs serviceability.

I was also considering doing the modification to the automatic primary chain tensioner. Any difficulty with this? Do you have to remove the outer primary cover, or can you do it through the inspection/derby cover?

 

You have to remove the outer primary, but it's really easy. 90% of the time you can reuse the gaskets, just wipe everything off real good first. It may be possible to work through the holes, but I bet it would be frustrating as all hell.
For the oil filter, just cut a plastic jug or use a piece of tin or even put some alum foil under the filter and make the oil funnel off the front side of the motor.

 

Thanks for the info. on the automatic primary chain tensioner. I plan on doing this as well.

-Randy

 

I just wanted thank all of you who helped out with suggestions and support. It sure helped out a lot.

After doing the 10K service this weekend myself, I have to say that Harley's are pretty damn easy and fun to wrench on.

For the $560 the dealer wanted to do the 10K service, I was able to buy all the parts and 6 qts of oil for the engine-tranny-gearbox (Mobil1 V-Twin formula - Thanks Babs)…

…as well as getting a cool new HD derby cover, a new Craftsman professional aluminum motorcycle lift (yeah, it’s the yellow one), two Craftsman torque wrenches, a set of Craftsman standard/metric allen bits, a 12 pack of Bud Select, and still had $70 bucks left over. YEAH BABY!

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to adjust the clutch and throttle cables (I have a carb). I can pull the clutch with one finger now and the throttle is so smooth. The aluminum foil trick under the oil filter worked like a champ! (Thanks fxstcguy98)

The thing that I think made the most difference was the plugs. Neither I, nor my dealer had ever changed the plugs since I bought the bike. The plug ends looked like something that you would find at the bottom of your barbeque grill.[:'(] I figured that it was due to a rich air/fuel mixture.

The carbon had built up so much that there was no gap between the electrodes. I can’t believe that it was still running. Come to find out, the wife uses the choke….eh-em, enrichner circuit every time she starts it, and sometimes forgets to close it back up.[:@]

This bad boy screams now. It pulls hard all the way through 5th gear.

Thanks again you guys for all your help.[sm=smiley20.gif]


P.S. – For those of you with lowered bikes, you have got to get the Craftsman Professional jack. I was using the $50 Big Red jack before, but the Craftsman goes way lower. I didn’t have to ride the bike up any 2X4’s or ramps just to get the jack under. And it is 100% sturdier and a hell of a lot lighter.

 

I hope that it came with a lot of pics because that is what I would need. Pics are a lot easier for me to understand than words.

 

I actually got the Fix My Hog DVD (on eBay for $18 bucks) and it helped a lot. The manual is a bit confusing.

 

Yeah you should notice with the M1 in the engine running a bit cooler.
That fix my hog video is great! worth the money.
Aluminum foil under the filter... hey hey I learned something today too.. good trick!

Did you find anything in the 10k that was extremely difficult or tricky or odd?
Howbout the forks.. brake fluid, etc.. fallaway check, etc?

I haven't looked at the 10k in a while myself to see.
I need to get a grease gun I suppose for the neck bearing.

Well.. Off to Disneyland with the family tomorrow for turkeyday.
Have a great Thanksgiving!

God bless our folks over seas getting the job done for us that can't be home for Thanksgiving this year.

Scott

 

I have a freind that used to be a mechanic at an import shop. You woudn't believe some of the stories he has told me about some of the mechanics he worked with there. Things like heli coiling spark plugs, stripping drain plugs, not doing all of the things on the check up lists. I hate taking my bike to the dealer.

 

Nothing to tricky. I checked the fall away and I was still well within tolerances. I just greased it up (still had my old grease gun from way back). The fork oil was a snap, and bleeding the brakes was pretty easy. With a car, it's usually a two man operation, but with the bike it's easy enough to do it by yourself.

Have a great time with Mickey and the gang!