This article is one of a series that describes how to disassemble, work on, and reassemble the Road Star engine. This particular article describes how to begin tearing the engine down, including removing the engine's rocker, head, piston, and cylinder assemblies. See the Complete Engine Tear Down, Orientation article in this series for details.

Be sure you refer to the service manual through all phases of this project.

Disconnect both breather hoses from the top, right side of the rear cylinder’s rocker cover. See photo below.

Set aside and label two storage areas--one for each cylinder. See photo below.

Remove, label, and store the chrome, 'Y' shaped, oil delivery pipe from the left-side of the engine. To do this, remove the two union bolts from the cylinders while holding onto the delivery pipe near each bolt as it is removed.

Hold the pipe so as to reduce the possibly of damaging the pipe. It is delicate and easily bent. Then remove the larger union bolt where the oil delivery pipe connects to the engine case.

Tip: There are two copper washers for each union bolt. Ideally, they should be replaced during reassembly. Although, if they are in excellent condition, you could reuse these. Even if they leaked, they could be easily replaced.

Carefully wrap and label the oil delivery pipe. Then place the union bolts and copper washers in a labeled sandwich bag, and store the oil delivery pipe and sandwich bag together. Just remember, this pipe is easily bent or broken, so store it somewhere safe.

Remove at least one sparkplug from each cylinder. Put painter’s tape over the holes, to prevent dirt infiltration.

Remove and store the timing cover from the engine’s left-side. Tip: The troublesome lower bolt, hidden behind the kickstand switch, can be removed with a long, ball-end, hex wrench. I use a pair of pliers on the hex wrench to break the bolt loose; then I switch to a smaller size hex wrench to more easily unscrew the bolt. See photo below.

Now, remove the timing mark access screw and the crankshaft end-cover screw (and rubber bumper). Then use a socket wrench to rotate the engine (counterclockwise) so that the timing marks for TDC can be viewed in the access hole. See the service manual for details.

Tip: I put a long, plastic drinking straw into a sparkplug hole for each cylinder so I could watch the straws rise and fall with the pistons. Then, I just watched the rockers move in concert with the straws. If the straws were high, and the valves were closed when the TDC marks aligned, I knew I had the right spot. If not, I just rotated the shaft 360* (per the manual), and checked again.

This will relieve valve train tension, and allow you to remove rockers and rocker-bases without potential damage to bolt-hole threads. Be sure you replace the timing mark access screw and the crankshaft end-cover screw when finished.

Remove the rocker covers. Be careful not to distort or damage the thin, black, metal gasket.

Tip: I mostly used a 5mm, long-reach, ball end, hex wrench for this, as space is very tight. Mr. Tidy has some good advice on this in his article, Valve Adjustment in this website.

Carefully remove the gasket and alignment dowels. Store all parts.

Gasket Care Tip 1: Be careful with the rocker cover and rocker base gaskets. They are very thin metal with a black coating. They can be re-used unless bent, distorted, or the coating is coming off.

Gasket Care Tip 2: Other gaskets won't generally come out without tearing or distorting. Do not count on reusing them. Play it safe and replace them. I tried to save a few dollars and reused one paper type gasket, and several copper type washer-gaskets. They nearly all leaked.

Dowel Organization Tip: I put all alignment dowels in one zip-lock sandwich bag. There are only about four general sizes, and they are easily distinguished.

Dowel Care Tip 1: Normally, caution is advised, to ensure alignment dowels do not fall inside the engine as you remove engine cases and covers. However, if the entire engine is being disassembled, it doesn't matter much.

Dowel Care Tip 2: In his article, Dowel Pin Etiquette, Keeping Track of Them (in this website) Mr. Tidy recommends ‘gluing’ the dowels in with two drops of thread-lock. I disagree with this practice unless you plan to disassemble your engine often. Amazingly, dowels can rust, making it more difficult to separate cases and covers. Although I don't ride in the rain, and garage my bike, a few of my dowels had become so rusted, they had to be destroyed to remove them. Several others were beginning to get stuck as well. I replaced all such dowels.

Upon reassembly, I put a sticky film of assembly lube on each dowel to keep it in place, as well as lubricated. Personally, I would prefer to be cautious of dowels when removing engine cases and covers, knowing that in the meantime, they are staying in excellent condition inside my engine.

Case Removal Tip: Covers, cases, and heads can be stubborn in getting them off. Take your time. Use the 'pull-tabs' located on each cover. These are small outcroppings made for grabbing. Try to wiggle the cover--left-side, right-side, top, and bottom--a little at a time. Do not pry against the gasket surfaces, except carefully with a soft, plastic or wood tool--and only when necessary. Try tapping against the pull-tabs with a dead-blow hammer or rubber mallet. Just be careful of damage to the engine's paint, unless you plan to re-paint or powdercoat. No matter what: Do not force; do not damage gasket surfaces; do not break anything.

If your engine is a 2003 or earlier, remove the chrome valve cover spacer. Again, be careful not to distort or damage the thin metal gasket. Remove the gasket and alignment dowels. Store all parts. Note: Newer engines do not have this piece.

If you will be installing new pushrods, don't worry about keeping track of the old ones. Go ahead and remove the rocker bases and the pushrods.

If you will be reusing your pushrods, stuff a small rag or rubber glove down the tube, between the pushrods. This way, you can keep them from getting mixed up before you can remove and label each one. Loosen the bolts holding the rocker bases to the heads.

Tip: Do not loosen the rocker shaft retainer bolts (see photo above).

Then, loosen the rocker bases enough that the pushrods can be removed, one at a time. As you remove each pushrod, wrap a piece of blue masking tape around it, and mark the tape pieces (Intake/Exhaust, and Front/Rear, as each one corresponds). Also indicate which end goes up.

Now, remove the bolts that secure the rocker bases. As you next remove the rocker bases, hold down the pushrod tubes from coming out. They are only held in by rubber oil seals--top and bottom, but the seal can be tight. By keeping them in place, you can keep them from falling out and damaging chrome.

Carefully remove the rocker bases' gaskets and alignment dowels. Store all parts.

Once the rocker bases are off, pull up, rock, and work out the chrome pushrod tubes. The rubber oil-seals can create a suction-like feeling, so work carefully, and be prepared for the rubber to suddenly 'let go'.

Store these parts.

If you will not be doing any work on your rockers or the base, there is no need to disassemble them; you can skip this section.

To remove the rockers from the bases, first remove the rocker shaft retainer bolt for one of the rockers. See photo below.

Next, tip the rocker base--down, and right--to encourage the rocker shaft to drop out, and into your hand (which should be ready to catch it). Also, be prepared, as the rocker barrel will drop free of the rocker base.

If the rocker shaft doesn't drop out, lay the rocker base flat, insert a small screwdriver or hex wrench into the retainer bolt hole, and lever the shaft out a little to the right-side. Then grab the shaft with your fingers, and pull it out. Be prepared, as the rocker barrel will drop free of the rocker base.

Note: Do not force anything. The bearing surfaces between the mounts and rockers are easily damaged.

Mark the end of each shaft and rocker (Intake/Exhaust, and Front/Rear, as each one corresponds).

Repeat this process for the other rocker, and the other rocker base. Place the retainer bolts and rocker shafts in a baggie, mark the bag, and store.

Using the service manual as a guide, remove, label, and store all head bolts, both heads, and all alignment dowels. Try to not pull the cylinders up with the heads. See tips below.

Tip: If your heads are difficult to remove, use a wooden or rubber tool handle (like a hammer handle) inserted deep in to the head's exhaust port. Work the handle firmly up and down to break the seal on the head gasket. This can take significant force, but be careful not to damage any surface.

Tip: Do not apply excessive pressure on cooling fins. They can bend or break.

Labeling Tips: I just put all my head bolts in one yogurt container. I put all the alignment dowels in my one, dowel baggie. Heads do not need to be labeled unless you will be performing a valve job. Head gaskets do not need labeling, as they are not reused.

Take pictures.

Now slide the cylinders up and off the pistons, one at a time. As you do this, protect the pistons with some rags between the piston and the cylinder studs. Be sure to label each cylinder immediately. Mark cylinders (‘F’ for front, and ‘R’ for rear. Or ‘2’ for front, and ‘1’ for rear).

If you intend to reinstall the same pistons again, do the following:

• Use a marker to mark each piston as you did the cylinder.
• Also mark the piston orientation--an arrow pointing forward will do. Use a small screwdriver, awl, or other tool, to remove the wrist-pin retainer from the left side of one piston.

Tip: There is a notch in the piston to help you get a small tool in to flip the retainer out. If you can rotate the retainer so that one of the ends is near this notch, removal may be easier. See photo below.

Safety Warning: It will take significant force to remove the retainer. Sometimes they flip out with great force. Protect your eyes.

Tip: I recommend you always replace the retainers with new ones. It is very cheap insurance against a warped or weakened retainer. The Parts and Tools article in this series has the part numbers.

Now push the wrist pin out from the right side. The wrist pin can be stuck with the oil’s sticky film, so it may take some patience and force to get it out--but do not force it too hard; pistons are delicate. Also, be sure to hold the piston as you remove the pin, as the piston is only held in place by the pin.

Repeat wrist pin removal for the other piston.

Put each piston and wrist pin in a baggie, and store them with the other parts, for each cylinder. If you will be reusing pistons, be sure not to get them mixed up!

Stuff some rags around the connecting rods to prevent them from damaging themselves or the cases.

To access related articles, refer back to the Complete Engine Tear Down, Orientation article in this series to see which additional article(s) best addresses your situation.

Questions should be asked in our forum (Use discuss link below). The forum is very active and you stand a good chance of getting your questions answered there. If you would like to leave feedback for the author, or have additional information you think will benefit others, please use the comment section at the bottom of this page.

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DISCLAIMER: This information and procedure is provided as a courtesy and is for informational purposes only.  Neither the publishers nor the authors accept any responsibility for the accuracy, applicability, or suitability of this procedure.  You assume all risks associated with the use of this information.  NEITHER THE PUBLISHERs NOR THE AUTHORs SHALL IN ANY EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OF ANY NATURE ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR MISUSE OF THIS INFORMATION OR LACK OF INFORMATION.  Any type of modification or service work on your motorcycle should always be performed by a professional mechanic. If performed incorrectly, this procedure may endanger the safety of you and others on your motorcycle and possibly invalidate your manufacturer’s warranty.

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