safely removing covers

[george0fthejungle]

Im starting some serious spring cleaning on my First Gen and having trouble getting some of the covers/body pieces off so I can clean under them. Before I go all "He-Man" on them and break something....I thought I'd ask, "is there a guide somewhere on how all the covers and false tank and body covers come off?"

 

Otherwise I'm afraid I will be posting asking whats the best epoxy to use?

 

Any advice would be welcome!

[Midicat]

I don't know about instructions for how to remove each panel, but if you were more specific regarding which panel you're struggling with, we could definitely guide you thru it. False gas tank has a screw next to filler cap. Remove that and lift that end.

 

Midicat

[george0fthejungle]

Thanks Midicat,

 

I did find the screw on the gas tank one...and a search found another tip on removing the saddle bags before trying to remove the seat because there are 2 bolts that have to be removed, I guess Im just trying to avoid repeated posts every time I come to a cover or panel that seems stubborn because Im gun shy about breakin something on my 27 year old love affair/money pit.

 

I was kinda hoping someone had done a " step by step" on how to strip it all down so I wouldn't have to keep bugging everyone.

 

One thing about this site though, lots of good guys who will give straight answers without condescension....and its definitely appreciated!

Edited March 21, 2010 by george0fthejungle
fix a type o

[DragonRider]

Just take it one step at a time...........as you remove each cover you will uncover how to do the rest..........

Start with the tank cover, then the side covers, they snap off, some have a small rubber snap on the back of the bottom side that clips to the frame, the saddle bag have a lock in the middle front between the back half and the frame, just use the ignition key to unlock it and pull it out toward the back of the bike. The rear box has a similar key under the bottom back side just above the tailight, turn to unlock and push forward and it comes off. The lower fairings are held on with screws and bolts that are visible once the covers are off. There is a piece down low in front of the engine that needs to be removed before you start on the lowers. 2 screws on the bottom, 1 each side.

 

Just remember to be very careful, 27 year old plastic is brittle, dont ask me how I know, but I do.

 

That should give you a good start, it gets a little more intensive if you want to go as far as removing the entire fairing.

 

Good luck and remember to put all the screws and bolts into small baggies or containers to keep from loosing them. It would help to take step by step pics as you go. I didnt and it took me longer to reassemble and find replacement screws, and when I did replace them I used allen head screws i got at Lowe's. Makes it very easy to reassemble.

 

Good luck.

[george0fthejungle]

Thanks for that tip...I think I will take you up on that, either with the digital camera or maybe even video how some of the pieces come out.

 

Im keenly aware of the 27 year old brittle plastic and just as keenly aware that Im not as proficient at fixing things as some of the guru's on this site....so Im taking the "Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" approach and definitely going slow and careful.

[Yammer Dan]

Just take plenty of time and don't force anything.

Its about the only chace you get to go slow on a 1st Gen!!

[warthogcrewchief]

Yep, remove the seat first (gotta take the saddlebag tops off first).

 

Then the false gas tank cover. The screw is under the fuel lid. Then lift up just a bit, then forward to get the tab to clear up front. After those are off, then the side covers are free to remove.

 

Removing the lower "L" panels has two screws (front and back), a screw on the bottom which is hidden by the front scoop (has four screws).

 

If you want to remove the large fairings, you'll need to remove the windshield chrome trim (two screws then pull forward to clear the tabs), the mirrors (screws are under the rubber covers), the windshield itself (four screws), the headlight trim (two screws on bottom) and the small vent scoop (four screws).

 

Slowly work on the radio and cb panels as you remove the screws. When you remove the black vents (that wrap around the steering head), keep in mind there are some screws in between the vent vanes.

 

Good luck, I just got done doing a complete reassemble of my '89 VR. If you have any questions, just ask any of us here.

 

EDIT: The best thing I did while removing everything was to use a labeled ziplock bag for each panel to store that panel's hardware. I also labeled the wires (using masking tape or string and tags...whatever works for you). Labeling the wires and hoses made reassembly SO much easier!

[george0fthejungle]

1. Don't be too proud to say "I don't Know"

 

2. Don't be to proud to say, "I was Wrong"

 

Im sooooo glad I asked, thanks to everyone who replied....I will be buying a box of Ziplocs and getting my camera out and tackling this project this afternoon and probably a few weeknights this week.

 

If you don't support this website, this is why you should! Great people!

Thanks again to all!

 

George

[george0fthejungle]

For anyone else who is in the same boat as me, taking some of these covers off for the first time (decided to quit paying for some of my maintenance and do it myself), here are links to a couple of manuals in .pdf form. Free adobe acrobat reader is required to view them:

 

http://labs.trunkful.com/vrmanuals/index.cfm

 

 

The one marked firstgenmanual.pdf has some good instructions on removing the fairings, false gas tank, and side panels, all beginning on page 44 of the manual.

 

Armed with this and some tips from other members I'm much more optimistic about this project.

[warthogcrewchief]

I would be very surprised if you didn't find any cracks in your plastic. When I removed the ALL the plastics on my bike, I don't think I had any pieces that didn't have any cracks. Some of them were VERY small. The way you look for them is have good light and "lightly" flex the plastic looking where you suspect a crack lies. Some cracks will only be visible on one side (I had a few that only showed up on the back side, but wasn't through the paint yet).

 

When you find the crack, get the smallest drill bit you can find (must be a little wider than the actual fracture). "Stop drilling the crack prevents the crack from continuing any further. You'll need to drill the crack at the very end tip of the crack. After the stop drill, check your work and flex the plastic again to see if you see any more cracking. If so, stop drill it again (just a hair beyond the crack). After that, use an exacto blade, razor blade or some cutting tool to cut a "V" groove over the plastic. Then fill the hole and the groove in with the glue of your choice. There's a variety of plastic repair glues out there...just be sure it works for ABS plastics.

 

If it's a bad area, with pieces missing, or needing major reinforcement, I've used ABS Pipe glue (kinda like black melted ABS plastic) and fiberglass layers to strengthen or build up an area.

 

Good luck!

[george0fthejungle]

Got er done! Thanks to everyone for their tips and advice! Took her out for a ride today and it went great! woo hoo!!