Topic: Taking off your sprocket cover — WTF?!!!

[SKTP]

Is it just me, or is taking off the sprocket cover harder than a Rubic's cube?

Sometimes I can take it off in seconds....last night i tried for half an hour then gave up!

What is the trick? SO FRUSTRATING (1978 CB750K)

I tried every possible angle with the bike on the center stand and turned the wheel in tiny increments to hopefully find the magic spot that allows it to come out...please help

I have done it before multiple times...but somethings............

[BobR]

   Well I took mine off (K4) in a snap. A few weeks later (after some maintenance)  it did take me a bit to find the right angle to get it back on, lol!  I just reminded myself that it came off easily soooo it should go back on easily...ish...Bob

[rotortiller]

taking off the sprocket cover harder than a Rubic's cube

Couldn't have put it better LOL!

[SKTP]

Ok...I feel slightly better knowing that I am not alone

[seanbarney41]

I think the 77/78 bikes are a little bit harder because of a slight change to accomodate the wider countershaft bearing, I can't quite remember why though, seems like there is a case bolt that just overlaps the top edge or something and it doesn't do it on the 76 and earlier.  You just have to pull it straight out until it clears the dowels and shift shaft but it is hard because until it comes loose a little there is nothing to grab onto.  No need to mess with the back wheel.

[gareyc]

Don't feel bad; I pulled my motor last week and after about 30 minutes of trying to get the sprocket cover off I pulled harder in frustration and broke a piece off.

[johans]

I recall on my 78 i actually "removed" some of the tab inside the cover to make the r&r a bit easier. i would post a pic but my son has the bike out of state.

[754]

 I know someone that actually ground part of the frame off on a 78 K.
 Myself I would cut the cover before cutting the frame.
 For some reason they can be real tricky and then sometimes, they just slide in or out..

[PeWe]

The M8 bolt that keep cases together near the final shaft has a wide head that usually will be an obstacle. CB750K6, guess the later has same thing.
You have to swing the cover under it. The K2 cases has a thin M6 bolt here.

[brewsky]

I have to wrangle with the wire harness to get enough clearance.

[madmtnmotors]

There is only one way. If I haven't done it in a while I have to "retrain" myself. Once the screws are removed I use the following steps:

>Slide the sprocket cover straight back towards the rear wheel. The rear of the cover will be behind the frame tube between one half to one inch
>Twist the front bottom of the cover outward and upward at the same time, kind of rolling the cover out from behind the frame at the rear of the cover

If you did it right the cover will be freed, often without even touching anything on its way out. Once I figured this out I was amazed at how easily it worked. From the shape of the cover and the adjacent frame makes it seem like the rear of the cover would come out first, or at least move outward at the same time as the front of the cover. It wasn't until I slid the cover to the rear and used the twist/rotate on the front edge of the cover that I discovered how easy it can be. I repeated this over a dozen times until I had committed the motion to memory. Reverse the procedure to install. 

EZPZ! 


Edit: Oh, and this does seem to be more of an issue on the later models. I don't think the early models were quite so bad. I think Sean is right about the later models having the output shaft extended outward probably being the contributing factor.

[SKTP]

Thank you everyone...I will try again tonight

I have successfully done it multiple times in the past...such a strange design for removal

[piefairy]

I pulled mine the other day thinking that I lost the ball at the end of the neutral switch (dont ask).... It was sticky, but I used a putty knife and went around the back half of the casing slowly to get it free. It took me a bit to re-seat it though, it really is picky on where it wants to be.

[Erny]

madmtnmotors, can't you try to make short video?
I have exactly the same problem on my 750 K7... Did 3 times, 1 ezpz, other 2 spent really long time with it.

[SKTP]

I was able to remove it last night...thanks for all of your tips. Mostly I think I just got lucky

[70CB750]

I know someone that actually ground part of the frame off on a 78 K.
 Myself I would cut the cover before cutting the frame.
 For some reason they can be real tricky and then sometimes, they just slide in or out..

yeah, I done that with the cover on the F2 engine.

Also the F2 cover has a safety feature - aluminum cast point against the sprocket bolt - makes removing it harder.