Hey guys,
I want to replace my derby cover...with the bike standing pretty straight will I get alot of oil leakage when I take the cover off? Without a jack or straps, any advice on best way to do this with the least amount of mess?

 

Have someone else hold the bike up or use a piece of wood under the kickstand. Mine didn't leak at all standing pretty straight.

 

I put the bike on a level surface and put a 2x4 under the kickstand and not a drop leaked out. Be sure you have the correct gasket. Many require the flat "frisbee" style gasket p/n 25416-99c

 

Do the bolts have to be torqued to a specific ft/lbs, or just tighten them up?

 

They're probably supposed to be, but I didn't.

A mechanic friend of mine once told me that if something has a torque spec, just turn the wrench "one grunt past a groan".So I just twisted them down good and snug, and I've gone close to 1000 mileswith no leak yet. I wouldn't get too crazy with those star bolts, though. I don't trust em to take much strain.

 

Hand tightening always works, just keep an eye on them after a few rides.
As the bros here stated, if anything drips out during a Derby change you had too much anyway.

 

I am pretty sure the Service Manual states about 94 in-lb or about 7 ft-lbs, but double check.

 

Forgot to ask - Blue Locktite?

Sammi

 

as stated - overtight is the worst in this case - a little under, and you might leak a bit, easy fix, too tight and you could strip threads, not so easy fix.

i did not loctite, no issues at all.

 

Ichanged mine last week whenI did my 1k service. The service guy gave me a service gasket kit with 3 O rings and a derby cover gasket, I also bought a skull derby cover.Any other cover than stock seems to use the flat disk cover, stock cover uses a gasket that fits in a groove I had to go back to the stealer and get the right gasket. The bolts get tightened in a star pattern at 84-108 inch pounds as per the service manual.