Primary oil change
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 415
From: Southern Maryland
Primary oil change
Bought my 09 Ultra in July, had the 1000 mile check done and had all synthetics put in. Today, at 3816 miles, I changed engine oil after a ride, and decided to take off the primary cover. The fasteners are so damn tight, can't get them to unloosen. Questions:
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,655
Likes: 9
From: Northwest Arkansas
Oh yeah, they get tight. I had to chisel one to get it loose on mine. I bought one of those impact drivers that you smack with a hammer for the next time. I also put anti-seize on the threads since then and haven't had a problem.
You might try rapping the torx bit with a hammer to see if you can break it loose. I know when I'm working on cars, I've actually tightened the bolt a little and that was enough to break it loose. I don't know if i would try that here or not.
You might try rapping the torx bit with a hammer to see if you can break it loose. I know when I'm working on cars, I've actually tightened the bolt a little and that was enough to break it loose. I don't know if i would try that here or not.
Sounds scary to me. Those screw are so easy to strip. The specs for tightening them are like 88 to 108 INCH lbs. Something like that. I always torque mine to 100 INCH lbs. note that I said INCH. Try a longer ratchet and bump it with the palm of your hand to loosen them. When you re-install them to 100 INCH lbs it won't seem like it's tight enough but it is You don't want to strip one because it's usually the threads in the primary cover that strip and not the bolt. Good luck
Account Retired
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,245
Likes: 12
From: Here
Bought my 09 Ultra in July, had the 1000 mile check done and had all synthetics put in. Today, at 3816 miles, I changed engine oil after a ride, and decided to take off the primary cover. The fasteners are so damn tight, can't get them to unloosen. Questions:
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,655
Likes: 9
From: Northwest Arkansas
This is a tough call. The service manual calls for 84 to 108 Inch pounds of torque for these bolts. also a sequence for them to be tightened. I hope the service guy didn't use loctite on them. I think I would take it back to the dealer and make sure it is torqued properly and have him put some anti sieze on the threads. Then after riding it home, change the fluid. I just changed my Primary fluid. I rode the bike and got it hot, brought it home, put it on the lift, Drained the fluid, removed the cover while it was draining.
ALWAYS make sure you can get your primary screws loose BEFORE draining the primary.
Account Retired
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,245
Likes: 12
From: Here
Bought my 09 Ultra in July, had the 1000 mile check done and had all synthetics put in. Today, at 3816 miles, I changed engine oil after a ride, and decided to take off the primary cover. The fasteners are so damn tight, can't get them to unloosen. Questions:
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
a. Is it better to remove the cover when the engine is hot or cold?
b. Should the screws be so tight after only 2800 miles?
c. Should I use an impact drill with the torx driver to remove them or take back to dealer and tell them to remove them.
Do you think some dealers don't remove the screws or change the oil on the first change or am I paranoid?
I can't believe the dealer would install the fasteners so tight that they don't come out.
Last edited by Ronp42; Jan 23, 2010 at 09:30 PM.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
I'm assuming that you're talking about the round cover that is normally removed to put oil in the primary and not the entire outer primary cover.
I've read in several threads that these screws are extremely tight from the factory. I'm betting that the dealer didn't change the primary oil when he did the first service. If they had been removed when the service was done and then reinstalled at the proper torque, they'd come right out. That is unless the "tech" who worked on it put red loctite on them.
I've read in several threads that these screws are extremely tight from the factory. I'm betting that the dealer didn't change the primary oil when he did the first service. If they had been removed when the service was done and then reinstalled at the proper torque, they'd come right out. That is unless the "tech" who worked on it put red loctite on them.
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
They were so tight on my 04 RK that I stripped the torx head out on two of them! Had to drill the heads out to get the cover off, then used a vise grip on what was left to get them out of the primary cover!! Talk about a nightmare. Once new screws were torqued to proper inch pounds never had any more problems. Why they have them so tight from the factory, only the Harley Gods know.
