Replacing Ride Plate > Stuck Bolts

[jchanman]

Any Tips? I will be replacing the ride plate on my 2004 Sportster 4 TEC. I understand that the 8 or so mounting bolts will be tough to get out due to age, corrosion etc. Has anyone done this job and found a way to avoid breaking off a bolt???

 

[kustomkarl]

Spray the bolts down real good with PB Blaster. Let it set so it penetrates in real good.

Karl

 

[kevinpaula@comcast.net]

buy an impact wrench from Auto Zone. $10 plus tax. It'll get those bolts unstuck and it won't strip them or break them. Impact wrench is one of the best tools I ever purchased.

 

[kustomkarl]

An impact wrench on stainless bolts will break them or strip the inserts in the fiberglass. You need to have them loosen with penetrating fluid like PB Blaster... I've tried lots of ways to remove these bolts...over the years. This works the best.

Karl

 

[jchanman]

Thanks guy's...
I got the bolts loosen using penitrating oil. They wern't that bad so I didn't need to go with an impact wrench. I didn't take the bolts out completly so I don't know if the inserts are spining. the bolts loosened up too easily. That's not my kind of luck. I'll pull the bolts out completely in the morning.

 

[kustomkarl]

Upon replacing them I use a dab of water proof grease to allow them to be removed in the future. Just keep an eye on them for tightness every ones in a while.

Karl

 

[jchanman]

It's never easy...the bolts where really loose when I backed them out. Today I tried removing them completly but they just spin and spin ... all six of them. I seems the mounting sockets must be loose How do you repair this issue. Should I use a hydrolic bottle jack and pry the ride plate off as if the bolts are removed? Also can you tell that the ride plate needs replacing? Is there a test?

 

[kustomkarl]

Check inside the hull of the boat, that model might have nuts inside under the engine plate to secure the bolts on the outside.

Karl

 

[jchanman]

Plates Off Today... You were right, the ride plate does bolt through hull and uses nuts which aren't easy to get to.