I need to replace rubber trans vent line. Can it be pulled out or do I need to remove top cover.

 

Just pull it off,, it's a common pipe nipple shape.

 

You'll need to pull the cover to remove the vent line, it needs to be pushed in from the underside and the line has a squared off base that slides in to notches on the underside of the cover:

 

I'm an Idiot,

 

The original poster has a later model bike, and it looks like Harley Davidson changed the design on the trans vent. The earlier bikes are just as you described, so no idiot award for you, sorry.

 

Looks like what TinCup said... at least for me...

 

I believe the change to the cover and vent hose started with the '09 model year. On pre-09 bikes the vent hose was a simple swap, once HD went to the #62372-09 vent hose the cover has to be removed to replace the hose...

 

Yeah...that hose nipple probably cost an extra fifty cents...and will never break, so...yeah...can't have that ****.

 

what is 18?

 

Why do you need to replace it?