Replacing the engine left side (generator) cover. Part One...
This had taken a hefty whack in the accident, resulting in a hole in the cover and fortunately only very slight damage to the generator itself - one coil slightly moved and a small ding in the rotor. I took a chance buying the 'bike with the potential for expensive damage here, but I struck lucky. It would have cost about £400+/$500 to fix if it had been damaged.
The manual says undo all the wiring, but that's not necessary to just replace the cover. It also says to place a bowl under to catch engine oil, but only the minutest drop of emulsified oil came out, maybe because the engine's not run for so long?
First, remove the starter gear cover - three long 8mm bolts.
The cover is sealed with an 'O' ring so you have to overcome 'stiction' to pull it off.
Pull out the centre shaft...
...and the large gear - they both just slide out. Put to one side.
Next, remove the eight 8mm bolts holding the cover on.
They're all the same length but much shorter than the starter gear cover.
As you pull the cover off, beware...
a) the rotor is magnetised and exercises a 'pull' on the stator bolted inside the cover
b) there is a small, loose dowel pin at the bottom that must be retrieved, and
c) the cover is still attached by the generator wiring onto the 'bike, so you have little room to manoeuvre the side cover.
Part Two...
Undo the clip holding the wiring to the cover.
Then undo the four hexagon bolts holding the stator onto the outer case.
You can now remove the cover and put it to one side. I wrapped the stator in a small towel and placed it on top of the engine - it just wedges there nicely. I set to, VERY gently, scraping off the old gasket sealant from round the mating surface. I found it safest to drag a blade backwards so as not to mar the soft alloy surface. I occasionally resorted to a finger nail! I finally used brake cleaner to clean the entire mating surface, prior to using Honda's gasket cement (Three Bond 1207B).
I was concerned that small pieces of old gasket cement were clinging to the inside of the crankcase. They came out with the drips of oil and as I was cleaning and I imagined what would happen if they got caught in an oilway... I was careful to ensure that none were left.
Bolt the wiring into the new cover and then the stator, torqued to 12Nm, before applying the liquid gasket and finally fitting the cover gently onto the rotor/crankcase.
I cut the smallest size nozzle on the tube of liquid gasket and put a continuous bead all round the edge of the new cover. The manual also wants two further beads, midway up the crankcase. No pictures of this - I was in too much danger of getting into a black sticky mess!! Dont forget to fit the small dowel pin.
Bolt up the cover, working on diagonal bolts, gently tightening more and more as you nip up the opposite bolts, the same as tightening cylinder head bolts. Torque to 6Nm.
Finally, refit the starter gear and shaft, after applying engine oil to both. A drop of oil on the 'O' ring, too, before pushing on and bolting up the cover - torque to 6Nm. The manual says to fit a new 'O' ring but I don't think that's necessary after just 165 miles! If it leaks, then I'll fit a new one.
And that's it! With battery now charged, I started it up for the first time (in my ownership). It started first jab on the starter (it last ran in January, after the accident some time in October, I think) and settled to a (fastish?) tickover of 1500-2000rpm. In danger of being gassed to death from the exhaust, I shut it off, but I'm pretty confident that as it warms, it will settle down to a 1000-ish rpm tickover.
In all, I am a very happy CB1100 owner!
