Heat Gun Frees Up Stuck Harnesses in Handlebars

[leonardhcross]

I came across a helpful thread in the "Restorations" forum which discussed the use of heat on the handlebars to free up old, stuck, switch harnesses. Mine were totally stuck. WD40 followed by pulling, pushing, wiggling....nothing was budging them. So, instead of using my propane torch, I decided to try my heat gun. It was till a struggle. At no point did they pull freely. Fortunately, my strong neighbor stopped over. The combination of lubricant, heat and a two-ended attack got the job done. It probably took an hour. Here is a short video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCIhXpEPvPI

[redglbx]

Just don’t forget to attach a wire or something to the harness before you pull it out so you can pull the new one back in. Otherwise there’ll be lots of language your mother wouldn’t approve of and probably ending in a rage of adult beverages !

[Shadowjack]

I bought some of the black plastic harness sleeve from Vintage Connections, or Sparckmoto, or whoever they go by, to replace the old stuff the last time I had to do this. Much easier to get it back in.

[leonardhcross]

Just don’t forget to attach a wire or something to the harness before you pull it out so you can pull the new one back in. Otherwise there’ll be lots of language your mother wouldn’t approve of and probably ending in a rage of adult beverages !

Thanks again redglbx. I did not attach a line to the end. I presumed it would be pretty simple to feed a single strand of wire through first to use as a puller. BTW, I don't think I will keep those handlebars. I don't like the high risers. Does anybody want these? Just pay shipping?

[leonardhcross]

I bought some of the black plastic harness sleeve from Vintage Connections, or Sparckmoto, or whoever they go by, to replace the old stuff the last time I had to do this. Much easier to get it back in.

. Thanks for the tip. Does the sleeve material wrap like electrical tape?

[redglbx]

Yep Leonard I’m with you, since I have 2 76’s, my standard 76 that I bought new which has the shorter bars which really aren’t all that short and my 76 LTD which has what are referred to as the “mini-apes” which came on all the GL’s past the 76 standard model.

Initially I intended to change my standards bars to the “mini-apes” as I thought they would be more comfortable but after riding them back to back I find the shorter bars much more comfortable as the mini-apes has me sit straighter and puts more pressure on my tailbone and lower back. And as someone who has suffered with back problems for years it just isn’t comfy, very Harley-ish. I’ve even considered going to a flater bar but now after 47 years I don’t think I’ll get around to it.

[Shadowjack]

I bought some of the black plastic harness sleeve from Vintage Connections, or Sparckmoto, or whoever they go by, to replace the old stuff the last time I had to do this. Much easier to get it back in.

. Thanks for the tip. Does the sleeve material wrap like electrical tape?

No, it's just thin plastic tubing like the original. I looked for the webpage. Sparck Moto sells electronic components, Vintage Connections sells electrical supplies, but I believe they're the same outfit now.
http://vintageconnections.com/Products/ ... g-and-Wrap

[leonardhcross]

I bought some of the black plastic harness sleeve from Vintage Connections, or Sparckmoto, or whoever they go by, to replace the old stuff the last time I had to do this. Much easier to get it back in.

. Thanks for the tip. Does the sleeve material wrap like electrical tape?

No, it's just thin plastic tubing like the original. I looked for the webpage. Sparck Moto sells electronic components, Vintage Connections sells electrical supplies, but I believe they're the same outfit now.
http://vintageconnections.com/Products/ ... g-and-Wrap

What diameters have you used. I see 11mm and 14mm.

[Shadowjack]

I just bought some of three sizes. Seems like it was 6mm, 9mm, and 14mm, so I had some for various little pigtails and for full-length harness sections.