Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Richyunker]

Love my 03, but here its time for the 30k service. I have the service manuals, purchased the oil, filter, o-ring and a gasket from the dealer.

This will be my first time I will do the service on my own bike, although I am and have been an automotive tech for decades...

What my concern is, the dealer gets $350 labor to do this service so what do they know that I am unaware of? How long does it take really at home to do this service? or should it be done at the dealer? Is there a real reason to avoid doing this myself?

[Fired00d]

If you have the service manual and do all the items listed then most likely you will be doing more than would be done if you had the dealer do it. IMO the reason the cost is so much higher at a dealership is they have more overhead and people getting a piece of that charge. For example... if you were to compare prices at an independent you would probably find a lower price and depending on the "indie" better service.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[grc]

Love my 03, but here its time for the 30k service. I have the service manuals, purchased the oil, filter, o-ring and a gasket from the dealer.

This will be my first time I will do the service on my own bike, although I am and have been an automotive tech for decades...

What my concern is, the dealer gets $350 labor to do this service so what do they know that I am unaware of? How long does it take really at home to do this service? or should it be done at the dealer? Is there a real reason to avoid doing this myself?

I assume you have read all the details for the 30k service listed in those manuals.  Is there anything on that list that you don't think you can handle?  Is there anything on the list that you don't have proper tools to accomplish?  If your answers to my questions is no, then my answer to your question is also no, there in no real reason to avoid doing it yourself.

I have no idea what your mechanical capabilities are, but if you've been making a living as an automotive tech I would assume you are already several steps ahead of the average Harley dealership employee.  Some are no doubt very good, but many are an embarrassment to the profession.  The truly good techs are rarely given the service interval work, since they are assigned the more difficult tasks instead.  If you actually know the people at the local dealership, and know a truly good tech and can arrange to get him assigned to the job, great.  If you're like most people and have no detailed knowledge of the staff's capabilities and just let the shop assign the work to whoever happens to be available, be prepared to spend a lot of money for things that may not be done at all, or done poorly. 

JMHO - Jerry

[Richyunker]

Twenty five days until spring, so I decided to start my 30k service at home. I started by going thru the manual, made the list of tasks to do, watched videos of stuff that I had no clue of. I decided to do the entire job including removing and inspecting the steering head bearings.

Tonight I started by running the bike getting it warm and then jacked it up, and drained the engine oil and primary oil, just touched the surface of the job. That's it for tonight. Next up probably on Thursday is dismantling to gain access to the steering head bearings.

[Richyunker]

Worked the bike again today, did the run out check on the front rotors, in spec and good. Proceeded to tear down the front end to expose the steering head bearings. I also decided to get the front forks overhauled, took them into the dealer for that service.

The steering head bearing races show wear more so on the upper. I intend to remove the bearings off the shaft tomorrow at work, the service manual tells me to chisel off the case and heat (torch) the race so it expands and comes off.

I gave minimal effort in removing the races, no luck, will bring home a slide hammer puller from work and go at them again.

[Cat Eye]

If you have the service manual and do all the items listed then most likely you will be doing more than would be done if you had the dealer do it. IMO the reason the cost is so much higher at a dealership is they have more overhead and people getting a piece of that charge. For example... if you were to compare prices at an independent you would probably find a lower price and depending on the "indie" better service.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

I know what you mean...I still can't figure out how Harley does their advertised $250 "more than just an oil change" with24+ item checked and serviced in under an hour.  For example they say they check and clean the battery terminals....this is kind hard on my bike when I have a corbin seat and they never asked me for the key to unlock it for removal.



   

[Richyunker]

Removing the head bearings from reading online and speaking to the dealer tech's was sure to be a nightmare specifically the lower one.

I did take a chisel to the cage and cut it, removed the bearing pieces. That part pretty typical and easy. Now my fear was kicking in on removing the inner race, again dealer service writer and tech assured me I would be back for them to remove the race. I put the piece in the bench vice, used a chisel and hammer on the inner race hitting it in the direction of off the shaft, two hits and the job was done. In words of my daughter, easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I purchased new bearings at the dealer as I had no intention of not replacing them $60 after tax, I thought could be worse, but ok. I then took a close look at the old and new Harley bearings to find, they are standard Timken bearings. Did a quick web search, local AutoZone had them on the shelf $16 a pair. Part number BT100. 1" trailer bearing set. Opened the package and the exact same made in the USA bearings. Guess winch ones I used.

Next up was what grease. Read on the web, Harley grease leaks out blah blah blah. I went with a red synthetic high temp wheel bearing multi purpose grease.

Side note, I had the dealer set the fall away and lube these late last fall, the steering neck was not full of grease. I would think I would pump grease in until I say it come out of both ends. Non the less I ensured the new bearings were fully packed before I installed them on the shaft.

[Richyunker]

Worked again today, reassembled front end, set the fall away also decided on new brake pads.  Everything went together effortlessly. Also flushed the front brake fluid, I had tested it and it had contamination. Also changed the spark plugs, they were fouled.

Currently trying to clean and service the air filter.  Next tasks up will be clutch adjustment and cable adjustment. 

[Richyunker]

This morning clocks changed for spring, got up early and went after the clutch adjustment, cable adjustment, primary chain adjustment belt and sprocket inspection.

Ended with critical fasteners and jiffy stand.

So summing up, I found that if the manual says inspect, for the most part there are issues. Every inspection except engine mount bolts required further repair. This is contrary to all my local dealerships recommendations along with local independent shops as well.

Now I am ready to get the bike on the dyno as the last time the air fuel ratio was set (good) at 13:1 but plugs fouled a lot and drank fuel. This trip I want it set at 14.7:1. I don't ride at all at high rpm, that stuff is in the past.

[JCZ]

Thanks for posting your experience....it was interesting read.