Swapping engine covers

[Fix]

I'd like to switch these polished covers to my known good engine. Having never removed any of them before, how much trouble am I getting into?

[skids]

The side with the alternator will be more difficult if you want to put it into the new cover. Use caution. The three bolts holding the field coil should not be removed until you:
1. disconnect the alternator wires and remove the cover
2. remember the positioning of the stator within the cover and remove the stator
3. then remove the field coil.

The reason is because the space between the stator and field coil is small and if you unscrew those three screws, the field coil could fall against the stator windings and they are fragile.

[Fix]

Oh, so the field coil actually bolts into the cover? Thanks, this is why I ask, I'd have just pulled it off and wrecked stuff.

[natemoen]

Thats why that freakin cover is magnetic!

[DGXSER]

The valve cover, timing cover, and even the shift fork cover will not be any real issue. On the other side the clutch cover is no problem and you have been advised on the alternator cover, though I should think you could simply switch the covers with the coils in them if both work fine, but an electrical guru I am not.

On the side shown you have a few things there that are....complicated anyway. Directly above the shift fork cover is the starter cover in two pieces. The right side as you look at it is attached to the starter itself, so you need to pull the starter to remove the bolts holding it on. The left side is the bearing and cover for the starter end of the secondary shaft. So, to pull that your removing a bearing as well. Same goes for the shiney part on the middle drive there. May be safer to switch the entire middle drive out. JMO. I'm not a big fan of taking bearings form one hole they have lived in and parts they have meshed with and giving them a new hole with new parts to learn how to play with. Sometimes, they do not play well together.

[Guy_b_g]

It's only magnetic the alternator is energized, ie: ignition on, there are no permanent magnets in there.

[CatatonicBug]

The side with the alternator will be more difficult if you want to put it into the new cover. Use caution. The three bolts holding the field coil should not be removed until you:
1. disconnect the alternator wires and remove the cover
2. remember the positioning of the stator within the cover and remove the stator
3. then remove the field coil.

The reason is because the space between the stator and field coil is small and if you unscrew those three screws, the field coil could fall against the stator windings and they are fragile.

Why would you remove them? Just swap them with the cover, onto the engine it will be sitting on... They are all the same, so unless the alternator under the polished cover is dead, just use it!

Other than that, once the oil is drained, all the covers except the one directly connected to the starter are painless. They just unscrew and are a direct swap. Just make sure to celan the gasket surfaces (on the covers AND the bike) of all gasket material, and use some brake cleaner to remove all oil from the surfaces. Then use some RTV to make a new gasket and screw them on the new bike.

[Fix]

Thanks guys, gonna do this over the weekend.

[FNG-Sparks]

What are you doing? Taking all my shiney parts?

[Fix]

Hell yeah!