By Sergio Laurente

I recently completed a replacement of the stator and voltage regulator on my 2008 Harley Davidson Fat Bob FXDF. Since there are plenty of online resources like Youtube or sites with text describing the process to complete, I will not replicate that step-by-step instruction. However, there are a few pointers that were not repeated on each tutorial that I think are important enough to highlight. I have replaced this stator twice now and learned a lot the first go round making the second instance much easier.

Here are the pointers to consider before getting started:

1. Wood blocks work great as a bike stand. This tip is a general one – If you are like me with limited garage space, having a full-size bike lift is not an option. Also, Harleys are not Pitbull-stand friendly, so mobile stands like those will not work for these heavy beasts. However, using two 4”x6” scrap lumber pieces I already had (normally used as parking stops for my car)worked perfectly. Eight inches lift was the exact height my FXDF needed and I shimmed them under the front of the frame, just in front of the mid pegs. This left plenty of room for an oil drain pan and to work around the area, with excellent stability

2. Have a cam lock tool. Some online tutorials preferred to use a 2”x4” or similar wood block to lock the drive which works fine, but Amazon has a “twin cam locking tool” available for $8.99 shipped. In this case, I do suggest buying this in advance to help get the gear bolts off and avoid unnecessary issues – one day shipping is free for Prime members. The cam lock tool is the plastic bit between the chain and gear at the top right of this pic.

3. Use a heavy zip tie to keep primary chain tensioner compressed. You will need to wedge the zip tie through, but this is an excellent time saver when putting everything back together. My first time putting the chain back on with a decompressed tensioner was a headache! Use a thicker zip tie that is fairly tight before releasing off of the frame. When you get the tensioner back on the bike, it will be a matter of cutting the zip tie and pulling it out.

4. Bonus: Make sure you account for setting the clutch before putting the cover back on. This will be obvious for most folks, but my second time doing this I forgot, and had to go back and adjust the clutch after closing up the primary. Just make sure the clutch pin is where it should be and adjust the cable before putting the outer primary cover back on.

Hope this is helpful to someone – Have fun and ride safe!