Removing Trim Around Oil Cooler

[JTJersey]

'21 Freewheeler. How in the world does that trim around the oil cooler come off? The schematic seems to indicate you just pull on it and it pops off, but short of breaking it I can't seem to make that happen. I've seen posts in here where people have replaced them with chrome ones so I know they come off. Do I need to do it on a Tuesday when there's a full moon?

 

[rhino 2]

'21 Freewheeler. How in the world does that trim around the oil cooler come off? The schematic seems to indicate you just pull on it and it pops off, but short of breaking it I can't seem to make that happen. I've seen posts in here where people have replaced them with chrome ones so I know they come off. Do I need to do it on a Tuesday when there's a full moon?

If it’s anything like my 19 Triglide just push up on the bottom of the plastic cover with one hand with the other hand, pull on the top and release it from the two tabs it should pop right off???.. if it breaks, Now you got the perfect excuse to put a chrome one on..

 

[JTJersey]

When all else fails RTFM. Pull forward at bottom and rotate up to disengage upper retainers. That took two bleeding knuckles and a cut palm, but it's off. All I wanted to do was touch up the finish on the fins of the oil cooler. Oh, by the way, I just realized it IS Tuesday and there IS a full moon. :facepalm:

 

[rhino 2]

When all else fails RTFM. Pull forward at bottom and rotate up to disengage upper retainers. That took two bleeding knuckles and a cut palm, but it's off. All I wanted to do was touch up the finish on the fins of the oil cooler. Oh, by the way, I just realized it IS Tuesday and there IS a full moon. :facepalm:

See…I knew you could do it..…

 

[JTJersey]

Now getting it back on is interesting. The rubber grommets are not supposed to come off with the cover,but they did. Took a bit of gun oil (synthetic safe) to get them off the cover and back where they belong, then on went the cover. This is going on my list of things not to do because I'm bored.

 

[Jack Klarich]

'21 Freewheeler. How in the world does that trim around the oil cooler come off? The schematic seems to indicate you just pull on it and it pops off, but short of breaking it I can't seem to make that happen. I've seen posts in here where people have replaced them with chrome ones so I know they come off. Do I need to do it on a Tuesday when there's a full moon?

JT, I got fed up with that cover and grommet set up, I popped them out and bolted the cover on with 5/16 bolts, flat washers and lock nuts, I also keep black laquer fingernail polish for blacking out bolts, and coat them with more clear laquer and finally some cerakote, they do not chip from rocks and debris from the roadThumbUp

 

[Old Road Dog]

A spritz of Boeshield T-9 on the grommets and tabs helps things.Inexpensive auto panel pry bars can be had at Harbor freight.

 

[Jack Klarich]

When all else fails RTFM. Pull forward at bottom and rotate up to disengage upper retainers. That took two bleeding knuckles and a cut palm, but it's off. All I wanted to do was touch up the finish on the fins of the oil cooler. Oh, by the way, I just realized it IS Tuesday and there IS a full moon. :facepalm:

RTFM always JTThumbUp

 

[Noodles107]

'21 Freewheeler. How in the world does that trim around the oil cooler come off? The schematic seems to indicate you just pull on it and it pops off, but short of breaking it I can't seem to make that happen. I've seen posts in here where people have replaced them with chrome ones so I know they come off. Do I need to do it on a Tuesday when there's a full moon?

So I got out my manual, looked up on google, tried to find a video on youtube and then went at it to remove the plastic oil cooler cover. I did successfully remove it but destroyed the bottom posts while doing so. While at Harley buying a new cooler cover, they asked me if I needed the grommet set. I went back to the shop and asked them about removing and reinstalling the new one. Once seeing that the grommets stay mounted to the frame (which I thought were part of the cover) the project was so easy I was like "duh" :gah: I sent the new cover to the guys at The Factory Match and they Vivid Blacked it for me. Reinstall was head shakingly easy. ... Did you use something to clean up the fins or just water?

 

[JTJersey]

Your cover looks great Noodles. What I was trying to do was shoot a light spray of flat black enamel on the fins to tone down some bright spots that developed, probably from road scum and debris hitting it. They just needed a freshening up and I wanted to do a good clean of the cover ring. When I was done I ran the fan for a few seconds to make sure air flow was still good. It was, so I reset the grommets and put the cover back on. Now that I know what I'm dealing with next time I'll squirt a bit of lube onto those grommets to make popping that cover off a bit easier.