How-To: Removing the engine cowling.

[MikeTrin]

If you are going to do anything in the hull of the ski you need to remove this cowling. It's not as hard as it looks.

There are 5 allen bolts holding this thing on. You'll see 4 of them when you remove the seat. The 5th one is hidden under the bombardier logo. You'll find it at the rear section of the cowling. I use a screw driver and gently pry this logo off.

If you only have allen wrenches you'll be doing this for a long time. I suggest you go to walmart or your favorite tool shop and get some metric hex bit sockets.



First remove the bombardier logo cover with a screw driver and remove the allen bolt.



Second, remove the 2 allen bolts in the front of the ski by the air intake.

Lastly, back out the 2 allen bolts in the bilge just far enough so you can remove the cowling. You do not need to remove the bolts all the way out, just far enough to release pressure.

When you go to reinstall the cowling i use some blue loctite and tighten untill I feel it's snug.

[rx4pain]

NOTE: When I first popped my cowling's cherry, it seemed to still have a bolt somewhere although all were out. Just put a little elbow into and the seal will let go. That only happened the first time and has been easier ever since.

[Sunfunzoom]

Thanks Mike.

As mike said, don't over tighten the bolts when you reinstall, just snug or you will break the inserts loose.
Also, be carefull not to drop a bolt, the RXP eats them into a black hole!

[Jeff C]

Mike:

I just learned something from you. The back two bolts with the clamps, i was taking all the way out........

Did not realize that you could just loosen them up!!

I did this all with a normal alan wrench!!

I will be getting a metric set for the cordless

[joeg]

Jeff, you are not alone. I did the same thing till I read this post.

[Franko]

I take the cowling off so much that I never even tighted those bolts down anymore.

[joeg]

Franko, so does that mean you install the bolts back on without blue loctite or do you clean the bolts and put loctite on them everytime you put your cowling back on

[Franko]

I never use locktite on those bolts. And I leave the cowling clamps loose. When I am finished modding, I'll secure the cowling better. But that thing wouldn't come off if you left all the screws out of it.

[Snkypete]

That's the one good thing about being so heavily involved in the car world...you already own all of the tools except for the specific ones (impeller removal tool).