Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Electra & AVL => Topic started by: REVirginia on January 26, 2013, 10:38:49 pm

Title: Must be an easier installation of front engine mounting plates
Post by: REVirginia on January 26, 2013, 10:38:49 pm
I have a 2009 AVL Deluxe and have been making some chrome additions. I bought the front engine mounting plates from Nfield Gear. The website states easy to mount in an afternoon. Hmmm?  In taking off the stock plates, two bolts are blocked by the chain case (one by inner and one by outer).  I thought I might have to remove the whole case, so I started removing the front half as I want to check chain tension and change oil anyhow, but this is starting to look like a huge job, requiring special tools, etc. and more than the afternoon Nfield Gear predicted. Has anyone changed these before, without having to disassemble their bike?  Help is appreciated!
Sean
Title: Re: Must be an easier installation of front engine mounting plates
Post by: ace.cafe on January 27, 2013, 11:34:13 am
No easy installation, if the covers are in the way.
If you have studs with nuts on each end, then you can usually take off the nuts on the primary side, and push/lever the studs out toward the timing side. The big one on top is the hardest.

And Once you get the big stud out that holds it to the frame, it is very common that tension will pull the holes out of alignment and it can be very frustrating to get that big stud back in.

When they say "an afternoon", they probably mean an entire afternoon.
Title: Re: Must be an easier installation of front engine mounting plates
Post by: Bullet Whisperer on January 27, 2013, 01:31:03 pm
A few years ago I bought an AVL 500 engine from a breakers. A virtually brand new Electra X had been written off in an accident. When the engine arrived on a pallet, the front engine plates and a few inches of front downtube were still bolted to the engine and they had cut the downtube off with a disc cutter. This was because the factory had pushed a bolt through the engine plates, then trapped it with the primary cases which they must have fitted after putting the engine into the bike. It was a bit of a fiddle, but I managed to undo the nut on the other end and knock the bolt head end out as far as it would go and then using a bare hacksaw blade, I just had enough space to cut the bolt head off, using very short strokes of the saw, then I was able to pull out the remaining bolt shank from the timing side. A stud with nuts on either end is the answer here, as a replacement. The hacksaw work may feel like it takes an hour or so, but it will only actually take minutes and is far more convenient than stripping the entire primary side.
Title: Re: Must be an easier installation of front engine mounting plates
Post by: greekxj on January 27, 2013, 03:06:49 pm
I've seen those plates on the store on discount for my iron barrel. Went out to the bike to look at what it might take to install and im like ughh im not sure if im missing something here but this looks like it could be a real pain to do. I passed lol
Title: Re: Must be an easier installation of front engine mounting plates
Post by: REVirginia on February 15, 2013, 04:03:58 pm
Well, I got them on, as well as the gearbox plates that come with them. I'll post a pic.  Don't know if it was worth it, but it looks nice now, all chromed up.  I had to hacksaw the heads off two studs that were not accessible, then reorder them, in stainless steel of coarse at 110mm M8 x 1.25. Getting the gearbox chrome on required sawing to more boltheads. These were reordered at 120mm M8 x 1.25. Good luck to anyone who takes on the task. NFG should put a disclaimer for anyone with the sprag clutch (I think that's what is up there) on the chaincase. Getting the nuts back on for the engine plates was no easy task either.
If anyone wants advice/help on it, just shoot me a message.