| Author | Message | ||
     Schwab |
It looks like a royal pain in the arse to access the bolt for the rear header on a Firebolt. Are you guys (and gals) wrapping the headers while they are on the bike? Is the removal of the headers easier than I think? Lemme know. I've got the wrap ready. | ||
| Ustorque |
i did mine off the bike over the winter, the motor roll is very easy...don't let it scare ya. either way you go, make sure you wet the wrap to put it on, it allows you to really pull it tight and when it dries out it really tightens the whole wrap job up very nicely.  | ||
| 03worc9r |
Its not that bad if you have the manual to guide you a little bit. It doesn't take as long as you think. I forget who it was, but there are a couple people here claiming to be able to remove the headers without tilting the motor. I would love to know how its done. | ||
| Fastxb12r |
I forget who it was, but there are a couple people here claiming to be able to remove the headers without tilting the motor. I would love to know how its done. It involves bleeding knuckles and alot of curse words....  Ill stick with rotating. | ||
| Ourdee |
It involves bleeding knuckles and words....I'll probably get that with the rotating. | ||
| Jakecheez |
anywhere i can get some info on how to rotate the motor? im trying to put on a different pipe, and ive never done it before....im good with a wrench, but i dont want to mess anything up, am I in over my head? | ||
| 1_mike |
With a little work...you can work the wrap pretty far up into the tube bend...far enough where you can't see it anymore. Wrap one full turn...over itself...add another turn...and just start pushing, from side to side till it gets real tight. I'd say remove the right "scoop" and the chin fairing and give it a try. I use safety wire to secure the wrap in a coupla places. Mike | ||
| Schwab |
Mike, Sounds like my best bet. I don't think I want to mess with anything that calls for "tilting the motor". | ||
| Nillaice |
XB header removal instructions (w/o rotating the motor down) for a few days in advance, each day, spray down the stud nuts with some penetrating oil. wouldn't you feel dumb if you snapped a stud and had to borrow my JIMS tool? (JIMS#1705) 1. Remove the chin fairing and muffler. 2. Remove the left and right side air scoops (mounted on the underside of the frame). 3. Remove the tube frame bolts so you can move it to the side (this is the sub-frame in front that holds onto the engine and oil cooler). Don't take it off -just let it hang there. 4. Remove the seat. 5. Loosen -but do not remove- the rear shock upper and lower bolts. This is a hex bolt -I don't remember the size but it's big. You need a high quality hex key to remove it. I'm guessing it is 1/4" -get a 90 degree 'L' shaped hex key at Sears (Craftsman tools). Use a small diameter pipe on the hex key end to gain leverage. Loosen only at this time. 6. Loosen -but do not remove- the front header tube-to-cylinder head nuts. 7. Put the motorcycle on a motorcycle lift and lift it barely off the floor (if you don't have a lift, improvise but keep the bike from falling over). 8. Remove the rear shock upper and lower bolts. Remove the shock but just lay it on the 'seat' area, out of the way. 9. Remove the fan and front screen -unplug the connector by pushing the little tab(s) in so the lock won't bind when removing it. 10. Pull the fan back, you might have to tilt and rock it but it comes out thru the back. 11. Using a 7/8" wrench, remove the exhaust temperature sensor -remember to unplug the wire connector. 12. Remove the rear header tube-to-cylinder head nuts. For the front nut, you may have to use a 1/4" drive, universal joint with a 1/2" hex socket on it with a 8" extension bar. I went to Sears and bought a one-pc. 1/4"drive X 1/2" socket (about $8). Because a 1/4" drive is small, it can fit up from the bottom of the frame and make that almost 80 degree bend. With the sensor removed, you should be able to get your fingers in there to help make the socket fit on. 13. Remove the front header tube nuts (you loosened them previously). 14. Now comes the fun part. Pull the front tube outwards -slowly- and carefully rotate the header collector (big end). Rotate the whole thing to the rear of the bike and slowly pull it outwards. The trick is, the header won't just come straight down and out. You have to 'unscrew it' so it should be upside down by the time it finally clears the engine and frame. I removed the headers from an XB12 and the header tubes are thicker than an XB9 -so this should not be as hard. 15. If you want to replace the exhaust gaskets, now is the time. Look at yours first. If they are okay and not damaged (the seal area looks smooth=ok) just reuse them. Otherwise, buy some gaskets and see what they look like new. Look at the ones on the motor. Then, decide if it's worth your time to try to remove them and install the new ones. Chances are, your old ones are fine. 16. Installation is the reverse of these steps. don't call me if you get stuck or have any questions. | ||
| Nillaice |
one can stuff the wrap back far enuff on the rear pipe that it won't be noticeable at all. it would be alot easier to wrap and cook the pipes with them off. if you feel confident about taking 'em off, AND putting them back on, i'd say go for it. | ||
| Augustus74 |
Just to be clear, does the jack go directly under the motor or what? Disclaimer: "don't call me"  | ||
| Nillaice |
(if you don't have a lift, improvise but keep the bike from falling over) do what you gotta do. i strung mine up from the rafters in a friends garage. i've even seen using big logs to support the bike on the forkends and swingarm. | ||
| Xb1200rick |
It's not as bad as it looks once you have done it. The first time took me a few hours. the second time was a cake walk . lots of info here. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/449660.html?1239582223 | ||
| Jakecheez |
Well, that took care of it for me, thanks guys- I'm starting work on it tomorrow. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
I just did mine with the headers on the bike. It was a little rough, but if your patient it'll come out nice. Only thing that screwed me by leaving them on was the wrap was the orange stuff. From pulling the the wrap between the motor and header a lot of the orange powder from the wrap got EVERYWHERE. Some of it I got off...some I'm still trying. | ||
| Sam_07 |
I wrapped my header this weekend. I took the short route and wrapped from the 02 sensor and down. It took about an hour and a half. The trick to getting the wrap up the header is starting 2 inches from 02 bug, reverse wrap to cover where you started from, and keep it a little loose. Slide the wrap up to the 02 sensor and tighten by twisting the wrap, then work your way down the pipe. I used 2 inch wrap overlaying 1 inch. The rear required 6 feet of wrap to get to the Y. Starting from the front cylinder to the muffler required around 15 ft. I overlapped the rear pipe coming from front so the pipe looks like all one piece of wrap. | ||
| Jens |
If you wrap the dissasembled header than wrap it after finishing with some clear kitchen plastic wrap. That safe your work from ugly fingerprints when you assemble the header back to the bike. http://www.nccr.se/html/bad_to_the_bones_iggesund. html Jens | ||
| Zatco81 |
Good idea. The link doesn't work? | ||
| Jens |
Hmm... should... here all projects, its also a wrapped ironhead Sportster: http://www.nccr.se/html/projectbikes.html | ||
| Zatco81 |
That one worked...that thing is b@d@$$!!! | ||
| Jens |
(-: Thanks |
