2004 Softail: Maintenance 1-1 H OME GENERAL 1.1 SERVICING A NEW MOTORCYCLE 1WARNING Always follow the listed service and maintenance recom- mendations, since they affect the safe operation of the motorcycle and the personal welfare of the rider. Failure to follow recommendations could result in death or seri- ous injury. Service operations to be performed before customer delivery are specified in the applicable model year PREDELIVERY AND SETUP MANUAL. The performance of new motorcycle initial service is required to keep warranty in force and to ensure proper emissions sys- tems operation. See FIRST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE * under 1.3 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE for details. SAFE OPERATING MAINTENANCE CAUTION ● Do not attempt to retighten engine head bolts. Retightening can cause engine damage. ● During the initial break-in period, use only Harley- Davidson 20W50 engine oil. Failure to use the rec- ommended oil will result in improper break-in of the engine cylinders and piston rings. A careful check of certain equipment is necessary after peri- ods of storage, and frequently between regular service inter- vals, to determine if additional maintenance is required. Check: 1. Tires for abrasions, cuts and correct pressure. 2. Secondary drive belt for proper tension and condition. 3. Brakes, steering and throttle for responsiveness. 4. Brake fluid level and condition. Hydraulic lines and fit- tings for leaks. Also, check brake pads and rotors for wear. 5. Cables for fraying, crimping and free operation. 6. Engine oil and transmission fluid levels. 7. Headlamp, passing lamp, tail lamp, brake lamp and turn signal operation. SHOP PRACTICES Repair Notes NOTE ● General maintenance practices are given in this section. ● Repair = Disassembly/Assembly. ● Replace = Removal/Installation. All special tools and torque values are noted at the point of use. All required parts or materials can be found in the appropriate PARTS CATALOG. Safety Safety is always the most important consideration when per- forming any job. Be sure you have a complete understanding of the task to be performed. Use common sense. Use the proper tools. Protect yourself and bystanders with approved eye protection. Don’t just do the job – do the job safely. Removing Parts Always consider the weight of a part when lifting. Use a hoist whenever necessary. Do not lift heavy parts by hand. A hoist and adjustable lifting beam or sling are needed to remove some parts. The lengths of chains or cables from the hoist to the part should be equal and parallel and should be posi- tioned directly over the center of the part. Be sure that no obstructions will interfere with the lifting operation. Never leave a part suspended in mid-air. 1WARNING Always check the capacity rating and condition of hoists, slings, chains or cables before use. Failure to do so can lead to an accident which could result in death or serious injury. Always use blocking or proper stands to support the part that has been hoisted. If a part cannot be removed, verify that all bolts and attaching hardware have been removed. Check to see if any parts are in the way of the part being removed. When removing hoses, wiring or tubes, always tag each part to ensure proper installation. Cleaning If you intend to reuse parts, follow good shop practice and thoroughly clean the parts before assembly. Keep all dirt out of parts; the unit will perform better and last longer. Seals, fil- ters and covers are used in this vehicle to keep out environ- mental dirt and dust. These items must be kept in good condition to ensure satisfactory operation. Clean and inspect all parts as they are removed. Be sure all holes and passages are clean and open. After cleaning, cover all parts with clean lint-free cloth, paper or other mate- rial. Be sure the part is clean when it is installed. Always clean around lines or covers before they are removed. Plug, tape or cap holes and openings to keep out dirt, dust and debris.
1-2 2004 Softail: Maintenance H OME Disassembly and Assembly Always assemble or disassemble one part at a time. Do not work on two assemblies simultaneously. Be sure to make all necessary adjustments. Recheck your work when finished. Be sure that everything is done. Operate the vehicle to perform any final check or adjust- ments. If all is correct, the vehicle is ready to go back to the customer. REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PROCEDURES Hardware and Threaded Parts Install helical thread inserts when inside threads in castings are stripped, damaged or not capable of withstanding speci- fied torque. Replace bolts, nuts, studs, washers, spacers and small com- mon hardware if missing or in any way damaged. Clean up or repair minor thread damage with a suitable thread chaser. Replace all damaged or missing lubrication fittings. Use Teflon pipe sealant on pipe fitting threads. Wiring, Hoses and Lines Replace hoses, clamps, electrical wiring, electrical switches or fuel lines if they do not meet specifications. Instruments and Gauges Replace broken or defective instruments and gauges. Replace dials and glass that are so scratched or discolored that reading is difficult. Bearings Anti-friction bearings must be handled in a special way. To keep out dirt and abrasives, cover the bearings as soon as they are removed from the package. Wash bearings in a non-flammable cleaning solution. Knock out packed lubricant inside by tapping the bearing against a wooden block. Wash bearings again. Cover bearings with clean material after setting them down to dry. Never use com- pressed air to dry bearings. Coat bearings with clean oil. Wrap bearings in clean paper. Be sure that the chamfered side of the bearing always faces the shoulder (when bearings installed against shoulders). Lubricate bearings and all metal contact surfaces before pressing into place. Only apply pressure on the part of the bearing that makes direct contact with the mating part. Install bearings with numbered side facing out. Always use the proper tools and fixtures for removing and installing bearings. Bearings do not usually need to be removed. Only remove bearings if necessary. Bushings Do not remove a bushing unless damaged, excessively worn or loose in its bore. Press out bushings that must be replaced. When pressing or driving bushings, be sure to apply pressure in line with the bushing bore. Use a bearing/bushing driver or a bar with a smooth, flat end. Never use a hammer to drive bushings. Inspect the bushing and the mated part for oil holes. Be sure all oil holes are properly aligned. Gaskets Always discard gaskets after removal. Replace with new gas- kets. Never use the same gasket twice. Be sure that gasket holes match up with holes in the mating part. Lip Type Seals Lip seals are used to seal oil or grease and are usually installed with the sealing lip facing the contained lubricant. Seal orientation, however, may vary under different applica- tions. Seals should not be removed unless necessary. Only remove seals if required to gain access to other parts or if seal dam- age or wear dictates replacement. Leaking oil or grease usually means that a seal is damaged. Replace leaking seals to prevent overheated bearings. Always discard seals after removal. Do not use the same seal twice. O-Rings (Preformed Packings) Always discard O-rings after removal. Replace with new O- rings. To prevent leaks, lubricate the O-rings before installa- tion. Apply the same type of lubricant as that being sealed. Be sure that all gasket, O-ring and seal mating surfaces are thoroughly clean before installation. Gears Always check gears for damaged or worn teeth. Lubricate mating surfaces before pressing gears on shafts. Shafts If a shaft does not come out easily, check that all nuts, bolts or retaining rings have been removed. Check to see if other parts are in the way before using force. Shafts fitted to tapered splines should be very tight. If shafts are not tight, disassemble and inspect tapered splines. Dis- card parts that are worn. Be sure tapered splines are clean, dry and free of burrs before putting them in place. Press mat- ing parts together tightly. Clean all rust from the machined surfaces of new parts. Part Replacement Always replace worn or damaged parts with new parts.
2004 Softail: Maintenance 1-3 H OME CLEANING Part Protection Before cleaning, protect rubber parts (such as hoses, boots and electrical insulation) from cleaning solutions. Use a grease-proof barrier material. Remove the rubber part if it cannot be properly protected. Cleaning Process Any cleaning method may be used as long as it does not result in parts damage. Thorough cleaning is necessary for proper parts inspection. Strip rusted paint areas to bare metal before repainting. Rust or Corrosion Removal Remove rust and corrosion with a wire brush, abrasive cloth, sand blasting, vapor blasting or rust remover. Use buffing cro- cus cloth on highly polished parts that are rusted. TOOL SAFETY Air Tools ● Always use approved eye protection equipment when performing any task using air-operated tools. ● On all power tools, use only recommended accessories with proper capacity ratings. ● Do not exceed air pressure ratings of any power tools. ● Bits should be placed against work surface before air hammers are operated. ● Disconnect the air supply line to an air hammer before attaching a bit. ● Never point an air tool at yourself or another person. ● Protect bystanders with approved eye protection. Wrenches ● Never use an extension on a wrench handle. ● If possible, always pull on a wrench handle and adjust your stance to prevent a fall if something lets go. ● Never cock a wrench. ● Never use a hammer on any wrench other than a STRIK- ING FACE wrench. ● Discard any wrench with broken or battered points. ● Never use a pipe wrench to bend, raise or lift a pipe. Pliers/cutters/prybars ● Plastic- or vinyl-covered pliers handles are not intended to act as insulation; don’t use on live electrical circuits. ● Don’t use pliers or cutters for cutting hardened wire unless they were designed for that purpose. ● Always cut at right angles. ● Don’t use any prybar as a chisel, punch or hammer. Hammers ● Never strike one hammer against a hardened object, such as another hammer. ● Always grasp a hammer handle firmly, close to the end. ● Strike the object with the full face of the hammer. ● Never work with a hammer which has a loose head. ● Discard hammer if face is chipped or mushroomed. ● Wear approved eye protection when using striking tools. ● Protect bystanders with approved eye protection. Punches/chisels ● Never use a punch or chisel with a chipped or mush- roomed end; dress mushroomed chisels and punches with a file. ● Hold a chisel or a punch with a tool holder if possible. ● When using a chisel on a small piece, clamp the piece firmly in a vise and chip toward the stationary jaw. ● Wear approved eye protection when using these tools. ● Protect bystanders with approved eye protection. Screwdrivers ● Don’t use a screwdriver for prying, punching, chiseling, scoring or scraping. ● Use the right type of screwdriver for the job; match the tip to the fastener. ● Don’t interchange POZIDRIV ® , PHILLIPS ® or REED AND PRINCE screwdrivers. ● Screwdriver handles are not intended to act as insula- tion; don’t use on live electrical circuits. ● Don’t use a screwdriver with rounded edges because it will slip – redress with a file.
1-4 2004 Softail: Maintenance H OME Ratchets and Handles ● Periodically clean and lubricate ratchet mechanisms with a light grade oil. Do not replace parts individually; ratch- ets should be rebuilt with the entire contents of service kit. ● Never hammer or put a pipe extension on a ratchet or handle for added leverage. ● Always support the ratchet head when using socket extensions, but do not put your hand on the head or you may interfere with the action of its reversing mechanism. ● When breaking loose a fastener, apply a small amount of pressure as a test to be sure the ratchet’s gear wheel is engaged with the pawl. Sockets ● Never use hand sockets on power or impact wrenches. ● Select the right size socket for the job. ● Never cock any wrench or socket. ● Select only impact sockets for use with air or electric impact wrenches. ● Replace sockets showing cracks or wear. ● Keep sockets clean. ● Always use approved eye protection when using power or impact sockets. Storage Units ● Don’t open more than one loaded drawer at a time. Close each drawer before opening up another. ● Close lids and lock drawers and doors before moving storage units. ● Don’t pull on a tool cabinet; push it in front of you. ● Set the brakes on the locking casters after the cabinet has been rolled to your work.
2004 Softail: Maintenance 1-5 H OME FUEL AND OIL 1.2 FUEL 1WARNING Avoid spills. Slowly remove filler cap. Do not fill above bot- tom of filler neck insert, leaving air space for fuel expan- sion. Secure filler cap after refueling. Gasoline is extremely flammable and highly explosive, which could result in death or serious injury. (00028a) Use a good quality leaded or unleaded gasoline (91 pump octane or higher). Pump octane is the octane number usually shown on the gas pump. GASOLINE BLENDS CAUTION Using gasoline that has an alcohol additive, such as methanol, may cause fuel system rubber components’ failure and/or engine damage. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were designed to give the best performance using unleaded gasoline. Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline/alcohol blends as a fuel. The type and amount of alcohol added to the fuel is important. ● DO NOT USE GASOLINES CONTAINING METHANOL. Using gasoline/methanol blends will result in starting and driveability deterioration and damage to critical fuel sys- tem components. ● ETHANOL is a mixture of 10% ethanol (Grain alcohol) and 90% unleaded gasoline. Gasoline/ethanol blends can be used in your motorcycle if the ethanol content does not exceed 10%. ● REFORMULATED OR OXYGENATED GASOLINES (RFG): “Reformulated gasoline” is a term used to describe gasoline blends that are specifically designed to burn cleaner than other types of gasoline. Your motorcy- cle will run normally using this type of gas. You may find that some gasoline blends adversely affect the starting, driveability or fuel efficiency of your bike. If you expe- rience one or more of these problems, we recommend you try a different brand of gasoline or gasoline with a higher octane rating. ENGINE OIL Use the proper grade of oil for the lowest temperature expected before the next oil change. If it is necessary to add oil and Harley-Davidson oil is not available, use an oil certified for diesel engines. Acceptable diesel engine oil designations include CF, CF-4, CG-4 and CH-4. The preferred viscosities for the diesel engine oils, in descending order, are 20W-50, 15W-40 and 10W-40. At the first opportunity, see a Harley-Davidson dealer to change back to 100 percent Harley-Davidson oil. See 1.4 ENGINE OIL AND FILTER for all service information. WINTER LUBRICATION Combustion in an engine produces water vapor. During start- ing and warm-up in cold weather, especially in freezing tem- peratures, the vapor condenses to water before the crankcase is hot enough to exhaust it through the breather system. If the engine is run long enough for the crankcase to become thoroughly heated, the water returns to vapor and is then exhausted. An engine used for only short trips, and seldom allowed to thoroughly warm up, accumulates increasing amounts of water in the oil pan. Water mixed with oil forms a sludge that causes accelerated engine wear. In freezing temperatures, the water becomes slush or ice, which may clog oil lines and result in engine failure. Always change the engine oil more often in winter. If the engine is used for short runs, change the oil even more fre- quently. The farther below freezing the temperature drops the more often the oil should be changed.
1-6 2004 Softail: Maintenance H OME MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE 1.3 MAINTENANCE TASK AND SERVICE DATA * F I R S T S E R V I C E 5 0 0 0 MI 8 0 0 0 KM 1 0 0 0 0 MI 1 6 0 0 0 KM 1 5 0 0 0 MI 2 4 0 0 0 KM 2 0 0 0 0 MI 3 2 0 0 0 KM 2 5 0 0 0 MI 4 0 0 0 0 KM 3 0 0 0 0 MI 4 8 0 0 0 KM 3 5 0 0 0 MI 5 6 0 0 0 KM 4 0 0 0 0 MI 6 4 0 0 0 KM 4 5 0 0 0 MI 7 2 0 0 0 KM 5 0 0 0 0 MI 8 0 0 0 0 KM Air cleaner filter Cover screw torque: 36-60 in-lbs (4.1-6.8 Nm) (1.22 AIR CLEANER FILTER) I I I I I I I I I I I Battery and connections (check yearly) (1.5 BATTERY MAINTENANCE) Brake fluid level and condition Brake fluid type: D.O.T. 5 SILICONE BRAKE FLUID (1.6 BRAKES) I I I I I I I I I I I Brake pads and discs for wear Minimum pad thickness: varies upon application Maximum brake disc lateral runout: 0.008 in. (0.2 mm) (1.8 BRAKE PADS AND DISCS) I I I I I I I I I I I Clutch adjustment Hand lever free play: 1/16-1/8 in. (1.6-3.2 mm) (1.12 CLUTCH) I I I I I I I I I I I Controls Front brake hand lever, clutch hand lever, throttle control cables and clutch control cable (1.23 CABLE AND CHASSIS LUBRICATION) IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL IL Table Code: A - Adjust. I - Inspect, and if necessary, correct, clean or replace. L - Lubricate with specified lubricant. R - Replace or change. T - Tighten to proper torque. X - Perform. FIRST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE * ● On models with springer forks (FXSTS), after 500 miles (800 km) a Harley-Davidson dealer should perform the first scheduled service listed in the Owner’s Manual. See the Maintenance and Lubrication section in your Owner’s Manual for more information. ● On models with hydraulic forks (FXSTD, FLSTC, FLSTF, FXST, FXSTB), after 1000 miles (1600 km) a Harley- Davidson dealer should perform the first scheduled ser- vice listed in the Owner’s Manual. See the Maintenance and Lubrication section in your Owner’s Manual for more information. D - Disassemble (Lube & Inspect).
2004 Softail: Maintenance 1-7 H OME Drive belt and sprockets (1.15 REAR BELT AND SPROCKETS) I I I I I I I I I I I Drive belt deflection inspection Deflection: 5/16-3/8 in. (7.9-9.5 mm) Specialty tool: Part No. HD-35381 (1.14 REAR BELT DEFLECTION) I I I I I I I I I I I Electrical equipment and switch operation I I I I I I I I I I I Engine filter Filter tightening: Hand tighten oil filter 1/2 to 3/4 turn after gasket sur- face contacts filter mounting surface. (1.4 ENGINE OIL AND FILTER) R R R R R R R R R R R Engine idle speed: 950-1050 RPM (1.26 IDLE SPEED AND IGNITION TIMING: CAR- BURETED) or 9.3 IDLE SPEED: EFI I I I I I I I I I I I Engine oil Oil level: With engine warm and vehicle upright, fill to upper groove on dipstick. (1.4 ENGINE OIL AND FILTER) R R R R R R R R R R R Enrichener operation (carbureted only) (1.25 ENRICHENER: CARBURETED) I I I I I I I I I I I Front fork oil (1.20 FRONT FORK OIL) X X Fuel filter (EFI models) (9.14 FUEL PUMP/FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT) R R MAINTENANCE TASK AND SERVICE DATA * F I R S T S E R V I C E 5 0 0 0 MI 8 0 0 0 KM 1 0 0 0 0 MI 1 6 0 0 0 KM 1 5 0 0 0 MI 2 4 0 0 0 KM 2 0 0 0 0 MI 3 2 0 0 0 KM 2 5 0 0 0 MI 4 0 0 0 0 KM 3 0 0 0 0 MI 4 8 0 0 0 KM 3 5 0 0 0 MI 5 6 0 0 0 KM 4 0 0 0 0 MI 6 4 0 0 0 KM 4 5 0 0 0 MI 7 2 0 0 0 KM 5 0 0 0 0 MI 8 0 0 0 0 KM Table Code: A - Adjust. I - Inspect, and if necessary, correct, adjust, clean or replace. L - Lubricate with specified lubricant. R - Replace or change. T - Tighten to proper torque. X - Perform. D - Disassemble (Lube & Inspect). ( * ) - Also perform prior to storage or annually.
Upon purchasing this manual, you will receive a .PDF file containing an email address for further assistance. After contacting the provided email, you will receive a reply with a link to access the manual for your 2003 Harley Davidson Softail FXST Standard.
This comprehensive manual covers every aspect of your machine, providing detailed guidance on every nut and bolt. With its extensive content spanning hundreds of pages, it equips you to address various issues, from routine maintenance like oil changes to more complex tasks such as transmission swaps. The manual includes numerous illustrations to assist you in your work, accompanied by easily understandable text.
Utilize the search function to navigate the manual efficiently and print the necessary pages as needed. This Factory Service Repair Manual serves as a thorough guide, walking you through the fundamentals of maintenance and repair in a step-by-step manner, imparting the expertise known to factory-trained technicians.
By leveraging the knowledge within this service repair manual, any owner can confidently make informed decisions regarding the maintenance and repair of their machine.
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2003 Harley Davidson Softail FXST Standard Factory Service & Work Shop Manual