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Thread: HOW-TO: REMOVE HEADER NO ENGINE ROTATE NEEDED (with pics)

  1. #1
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    ok how to remove headers , you can try the engine rotate but you got to disconnect fuels line and such to do that. most people DONT want to do all that and just want a kind of simpler way so here it is.
    I will try to be as thorough as possible with pics, but may have left a few small details out , if so, sorry about that just add to the thread if you have any other suggestions and Questions.


    and if it say UNBOLT THAT IS ALL YOU DO IS UNBOLT IT DONT REMOVE IT..... IF IT SAYS REMOVE IT THEN REMOVE IT. DONT GET AHEAD OF YOUR SELF.


    DO NOT DISCONNECT ANY FUEL LINES , OIL LINES OR BRAKE LINES , AND ONLY DISCONNECT THE CONNECTOR THAT ARE SPECIFIED IN THE HOW-TO,
    YOU may want to mark anything you disconnect so you know what it goes to, when you put it all back together.....

    TOOLS NEEDED: most important is
    Brain, Patience, & COMMON SENSE
    (you may need more i might have left a tool off the list )
    1/4 rachet
    13mm short socket, 10 mm sockets
    1/4 universeral (elbow / swivel) joint
    1/4 extensions 6inches, and 2 inches long
    Plastic ziplock baggs(one 1 gallon size and rubberband or string)
    WD40 or other penetrating oil
    Shops rags/towels
    Flashlight very bright smaller better
    T27 trox wrench(should have one with your original buell tool kit)
    #40 torx wrench
    Allen wrenches 1/4 , 3/16
    10mm wrench
    1/2 inch wrench
    maybe 3/8 rachet if you have torxwrench & allen wrenches for 3/8 rachet.
    maybe few other tools

    OK first of all let your buell cool down over night or at least few hours.then spay the wd40 on the header bolts & nuts with rag under them to catch excess oil. Now let it sit over night or at least a few more hours to let the wd40/penetrating oil sep into & around the threads. to help loosen any rust, or exhaust/heat caused corrosion. So the nut will come off easily and you DONT break anything like header bolt.

    You need to follow certian prodecures to remove certain parts as outlined in the service manuals noted with an ***( if you dont have one see service manuals link at the top of any BUELLXB.COM page). Have bags ready for parts and / or screws, bolts , nuts. write on each bag what parts belong to for each individual part taken off the buell.

    .





    1. Remove right and left scoops and sprocket cover .***
    2. Remove rear tail plastic***( there is NO NEED to disconnect any hoses,cables , or wires (yet) )
    3.remove Airbox cover ,& airbox top and bottom, & filter.*** very carefully disconnect the intake air temp sensor, from the bottom before competely pulling off bottom. remove hoses from pcv valves if you have not done the breather reroute mod..Sit the airbox bottom somewhere secure where the IAT sensor wont get dirty, oily, or DAMAGED.

    4. VERY IMPORTANT place a large plastic bag(not a walmart or grocery bag, a ziplock bag or simular)
    over the intake velocity stack, and SECURE IT with rubberband or string, to prevent anything from getting in the intake.





    5. Disconnect the plug connector (on top of engine) for the O2 sensor.***







    6. NOW you have a few optons here for this step..
    (you can rotate the engine here see manuals...
    , oh wait this thread is supposed to show you how
    to do it without engine rotate, in that case, then read on.)

    A. (not reccomended) you can take alot longer & possibly DAMAGING you header O2 sensor,Engine FINS, or scratch frame badly. find a small skinny 7/8 or 22mm or O2 sensor socket (see manual for your O2 sensor socket snapon part#), to fit between frame ,engine, & header, and slowly slowly, find a way to safely turn the the O2 sensor and take it out of header. (I did not go this route so i have NO pics for it.)

    B. better way easier. faster. but it does call for certain steps to be followed . ( and this why NO ENGINE ROTATE IS NEEDED)
    b1. follow service manul for rear shock absorber removal.*** EXCEPT DONT REOMOVE THE TOP shock bolt dont even touch it. plus this directions.
    Disconnect the rear brake light wire connector that is next to the rear brake fluid reservoir (mark it with tape and marker if you need to )
    remove nut holding on rear brake resrvoir(see pic)
    put back on after you pull reservoir off, so you dont lose it.Now very carefully snake it( and brake wire attached to it) through the rear tail frame towards rear brake lever. lay it to the side or on something and make sure it does not leak on anything.




    b2. now move rear tail frame & tail plastic to the the left of the buell, Lay it on the tire and front frame, and the end on a small chair or something.(seepic)






    b3. move shock aborber UP enough to get to fan(see pic).(i removed fan before i took the pic)see header bolts and O2sensor.



    7. Remove fan ***
    8.Now remove O2 sensor with 7/8 or 22mm wrench or O2sensor socket . place O2 sensor somewhere where it wont get dirty, oily or damaged.
    9. you can remove the rear header nuts now or later if muffler is still on.

    10. REPLACE shock aborber and rear frame but its only Temporary unless you have muffler off and removed header nuts already. Lower bike on to ground and side stand . if you have muffler still on remove it now . then remove header nuts if still on,( you can lift bike up with wooden blocks under rear muffler mount and bottom of engine behind front exhaust mount, dont damage front exhaust clamp. once its lifted you can take out bottom shock bolt move rear tail over to get header nuts if they are still on , then put shock and tail back on. and lower back to ground .)

    12. Unbolt oil cooler from V bracket (#2 see pic ) that attaches to main fueltank/frame.
    DO NOT DISCONNECT THE OIL LINES.





    13. Unbolt V bracket from engine and frame.

    14. Unbolt tie bar (#7 see pic above ),from both the engine and V bracket.



    15.now disconnect the two connectors from the wires from the voltage regulator (#4 and #5 in pic next to sprocket and gear case see pic) cut zip ties carefully and the snake the wire bundle back to the voltage regulator and then move the V bracket out of the way to the left side of the buell, or remove it.

    ..

    16.SUPPORT oil cooler with wire or string through screw holes on its mounting bracket and to the frame above it. Be CAREFULL NOT to BEND any FINS, or cut yourself.





    17. BE VERY VERY CAREFULL SO YOU DONT SCRATCH FRAME HEADER, OR DAMAGE THE ENGINE FINS OR HOSES AND WIRES BELOW IT ON STARTER.
    rotate header as shown(you may need to wiggle and/ or twist it) this may take afew trys to get it right.turn the O2 sensor bung back towards the left side of the buell, and the once you see it as in the pics carefully pull it down and out .BE VERY VERY CAREFULL SO YOU DONT SCRATCH FRAME HEADER, OR DAMAGE THE ENGINE FINS OR HOSES AND WIRES BELOW IT ON STARTER.










    WELL THERE IT IS OUT WITH NO ENGINE ROTATE. .\
    the installation is pretty much the reverse of the process. and it may take a few trys to get it back on . especially if it slips on to the rear top header bolt on rear cyclinder. NOW clean off any wd40 oil off engine and other parts.


    Edit: Pic placement

  2. #2
    Senior Member konarider94's Avatar
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    thanks for the writeup. at least i know its possible now.

  3. #3
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    Nice Writeup.

  4. #4
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    now i got to wrap the headers. i painted them last night with black VHT FlameProof silca-ceramic coating Header paint, so that it would help a little against corrosion in the future and also help with heat retention.

    side note; before i painted them i cleaned them up real well with a scotchbright types ultra fine grit pad grey one (you can get them at autoparts store like oriellys)
    they shine up very quickly, should of took a pic before i painted it.

  5. #5
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    Just pulled my headers off yesterday and wondered why people have never just pulled the fan off, looked a ton easier, not that rotating the engine is tough at all.

    For any of you retards pulling your headers, for god sakes get new exhaust seals from ASB and replace them while you're at it. They are cheap as hell.

  6. #6
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    that was my thought to why not just pull the fan out and there you go easy( you have to pull shock up to get fan out (on mine at least))

    my guess for why the manual say to rotate the engine is for the tech not to damage the header or scratch up the inside of the frame , the techs might not be patient enough to take the time getting it off or back on or lack of common sense,
    plus it allows them to charge you out the @$$ for labor to rotate engine and such.

  7. #7
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    ok thought i would add a bit more advice to this thread.
    if you are wrapping you headers with header wrap or something. then because you need to move the flanges back away from the end of the header in order to make it easier to get the header back on, putting the header back on without rotating the engine down will take alot longer and could cause the wrap to fray some or get damaged in the process of putting it back on.

    so as it is easy to remove the header without doing an engine rotate, it would take alot less time and be EASIER to put them back on with the engine rotated down (if you have header wrap on them, and probably otherwise too), but there is no real need to disconnect the oil lines ,just remove the V bracket and support the oil cooler with wire or string, like it is shown above, in the how to,
    it wont get in the way at all. and move the clutch cable out of the way by removing the small wire holder attached to the top front enginemount(the mount with the front isolator bolt), and at the tie rod also , and just move it towards the left side of the bike , no need to disconnect it.

    and dont forget when installing the header to alternate between the header bolts/nuts to make sure the flange goes on straight and is flush with the engine, and torque them to the PROPER TORQUE.

  8. #8
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    This will definately help when I'm ready to ceramic coat my headers, thanks.

  9. #9
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    Excellent job on the write-up!

  10. #10
    How long did this process take?



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