Litestar and Pulse Body Removal


To remove the rear body panels:

First......... remove the rear lower panel. This is the one closest to the muffler. Just unscrew all the screws holding it in place.

Second......remove the upper rear body panel. It can be removed without taking the canopy off. Before removing the upper rear body panel you must disconnect the tail light connector. The tail lights go with the upper rear panel and the wiring must be disconnected. The connector is located on the left rear side, just above the left rear access door.

Third........remove the oval bulk head panel behind the rear seat and package tray. There are screws around the edge holding it in place. Once that panel is out you can see the connector. If you are kneeling inside the Pulse looking to the rear, the connector will be on your right fairly low. Look for the wires. It just unsnaps. Then you can remove all the screws holding the upper rear panel and it will drop. You can then slide it to the rear and off the Pulse.


REAR SEAT REMOVAL


Outrigger Removal

Remove the outriggers as one piece by removing the cotter pins, castle nuts and bolts holding them in place at their two "hinged" locations. Disconnect the adjustment rod that controls the outrigger raise/lower adjustments.

To remove the actual outrigger fiberglass covers, once the outriggers are off, remove the 3-4 bolts that go through the top of the cover and the internal framework. Next, remove the 15-20 or so screws that hold the "clam shells" together at the back. Finally, split the two parts of the cover. They are glued together with foam from the factory. Dig out the foam very carefully.

When reassembling, put the outriggers back together with stainless fasteners and probably a limited amount of foam. There has been discussions on whether to refoam or not, but the foam contributes a fair amount of support and strength for the outriggers, particularly if someone happens to step on them.


Removing Body from chassis

The actual task can be approached in many different ways. The only task that might be considered "tricky" is keeping the chassis balanced while slipping the body off. With a well placed engine hoist and a couple of helpers it's probably a 4 to 8 hour job. Like anything else, taking it apart is the easy part. Remembering how it goes back together is the real challenge.

Afer removing the rear body panels, pull the power plant next. Having the extra weight sitting in the garage somewhere and not on the Pulse, makes the job alot easier.

You can proceed alot of different ways.... you can remove all the interior parts, disconnect cables, pull up the carpet. remove the front windshield and dash cover, so you can get at the steering/front suspension, in a bit.

Next, remove the outriggers, so when you begin hoisting or jacking the Pulse up you don't stress the outrigger steel or fiberglass components. Once they are removed you can prepare to remove the front suspension. Disconnect the speedometer cable and front brake lines, now make sure you have either the Pulse supported by a hoist on top or use a jack with some wood/carpet underneath. The odds are you won't be able to lift the body so the entire wheel and front suspension assembly can come out in one piece, so it's best to remove the front wheel. Now you can remove the 2 rather manly sized bolts that bolt the front steering assembly to the main frame "goose neck".

Be carefull, because that front suspension is quite heavy, even with the wheel removed and it can do some substantial damage to the Pulse or you, if you don't have it supported in some way, when you remove those bolts.

A few owners report that the Pulse frame cross braces (the rectangular steel tubes that the seats bolt to) were so badly rusted that they had to cut things apart. But, if you can unbolt them from the outrigger supports (the pieces that have been "foamed" into the sides of the Pulse), you may be able to slip the body off with out removing the outrigger support. There's 4 bolts underneath the Pulse that hold the body to the frame and 4 bolts up by the steering assembly.

Once they're undone, other than all the wires I've omitted to mention and maybe some cable or outrigger support hangups the body should slide forward and off the frame. Obviously, whether you used a hoist or support underneath, you are either pulling the body off the Pulse or the frame out of the Pulse body. In the case of the hoist, you will need to remove the sliding canopy.

The 2 "manly bolts" that are referred to, are clearly visible from this angle. The big "nut" on top does not have to be removed to release the from suspension assembly from the main frame "goose neck". You can also see how "dicey" the design of that front connection really is.

Those 2 bolts go into 2 nuts that are welded to the backside of the mounting plate. So unlike a motorcycle where the entire nut could come off the steering pivot bolt. If one of these loosens up or rusts out, that suspension has a good chance collapsing. Whenever you do a thorough inspection of your Pulse, pay special attention to this area.


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