Show me your engine removal methods.

[Yard Dogg]

I'm thinking of tearing down my bike for the final touches. I want to fix my gears, paint the engine and frame, etc... I would like to see peoples methods of engine removal. That engine seems like a real pig to manhandle so I'm sure I will need some methodology to avoid pinched fingers and lots of cussing.

I have plenty of tools, tall car stands, cherry picker, welding machine, etc...

[trbig]

After unbolting the engine mounts, exhaust, carbs, disconnecting the driveline, then the wires, I simply stick a jack under the oil pan, raise the motor a bit out of the motor mount lugs, then spin it to where the front of the motor faces out the right side of the bike. You have to be careful and watch to keep from tearing the rubber boot with the yolk of the middle drive while you spin it. Some people take the middle drive off to remove some weight, but I leave it on since that is the only good hand-hold on the rear of the motor and the engine is a pig with or without it. At this point, if you can lift @ 225 pounds, you take the motor out the right side. Better if you can get a friend. If you don't have any friends, I've seen people slide it out onto boards propped up to proper height.

P.S. I'd be sure to drain the oil first. Hard to do after you remove the motor from the bike.

[natemoen]

After you strip the bike lay the frame with engine still in it on the side and lift the frame off. Tip the engine back down onto a movers dolly and she is mobile.

[trbig]

After you strip the bike lay the frame with engine still in it on the side and lift the frame off. Tip the engine back down onto a movers dolly and she is mobile.

The bike weighs a lot more than the motor?? Or do you strip a lot of stuff off the bike to remove weight that's not really necessary for an engine removal?

And nobody wants to hear about you playing with your dolly.

[natemoen]

Well he said he was tearing the bike down to paint the frame and whatnot. So I assumed this would be a complete stripping of the bike.

When I did it I only had the bare frame and the engine.

[Yard Dogg]

After unbolting the engine mounts, exhaust, carbs, disconnecting the driveline, then the wires, I simply stick a jack under the oil pan, raise the motor a bit out of the motor mount lugs, then spin it to where the front of the motor faces out the right side of the bike. You have to be careful and watch to keep from tearing the rubber boot with the yolk of the middle drive while you spin it. Some people take the middle drive off to remove some weight, but I leave it on since that is the only good hand-hold on the rear of the motor and the engine is a pig with or without it. At this point, if you can lift @ 225 pounds, you take the motor out the right side. Better if you can get a friend. If you don't have any friends, I've seen people slide it out onto boards propped up to proper height.

P.S. I'd be sure to drain the oil first. Hard to do after you remove the motor from the bike.

That sounds pretty straight forward. So after turning it sideways, I can put some boards on the frame and slide it out onto some blocks?

Natemon, your method sounds alright too, do you have any picks? where did you put the blocks on the engine?

[Yard Dogg]

An idea just dawned on me whilst brainstorming. If I can find enough steel lying around, I might just weld a cradle so I can use my engine hoist. It would have forks to slide under the engine from one side, then the hook would be centered above the frame so I can just pick it and slide it out from the side. I just wonder how much room I have to play with above the engine.

[mack]

motor removal

Tipping it on its side and wiggling the frame off the motor is how a lot of people do it. Andreas for one and he does a bunch of them by himself.
I always reduce the weight as much as possible. Pull the head, middle drive, clutch and all the cases. This last one I even pulled the advances and generator out. Use a lifting strap to raise it up out of the motor mounts and find a friend for five minutes. They aren't all that heavy but they are awkward. Two people is always a good idea, speaking from someone with a rotten back. Make sure the oil is drained and the filter housing is removed prior.

[ViperRon]

If you can find a friend and some pipe about 4 feet long and run them threw the motor mounts its really easy to wiggle the motor out. By myself I have used a floor jack to lift up engine then run pipe threw mount onto floor jack stand and used the pipe to support the weight and used a pry bar to lift and wiggle it up and slide it out.

There must be 50 ways to slide your engine out.

[James England]

The engine only comes out the LEFT side though, right? No good lying the bike on the right side.

The engine is very heavy indeed and awkward to lift. There's no way it's a one-man job safely. I've tried it. The scope for damaging one's back or getting a rupture is seriously there. And, if handled incorrectly when in the frame, I think it's perfectly possible to lose a finger joint, never mind get a pinch. Also, it's oddly unbalanced and falls over, with the possibility of damaging fins.

I'd go for the removal of as much as possible, then lay it over on its side on a load of blankets and lift the frame off the bike.

[crazy steve]

Well he said he was tearing the bike down to paint the frame and whatnot. So I assumed this would be a complete stripping of the bike.

When I did it I only had the bare frame and the engine.

+1 on Nate's method. Even with my bad back, I was able to remove the motor from the bare frame.

Put the bike on the centerstand, use a jack or stand under the front frame crossbrace, then strip the bike. Once it's stripped, lever the rear down, knock the jack out and lower the front to the floor. Lift the rear and collapse the centerstand, then lower it the rest of the way. Tip the whole thing onto one side (some blocks under the motor at the head and trans cover to hold it somewhat level helps), remove the oil filter if it's not already off. You can then lift the frame off. It will come out either side, but the lifting the frame off with the motor on its left side is easier, or was for me.

Reverse to reinstall, but you'll probably want two people so you don't chip the paint.

Unless you're a gorilla, any other method will require more people and/or equipment, and there's more potential for damage or injury.

[motoman]

After you strip the bike lay the frame with engine still in it on the side and lift the frame off. Tip the engine back down onto a movers dolly and she is mobile.

Guess that'll work Nate, but in these more modern times, just pullin' the motor out is WAY easier. Hell, I'm only 175lbs. and 'over the hill', and comes out easily right onto my roll-around seat. Goin back in, with an extra hand, when you get it close to the flange/U-joint, rotate it starting it on the flange and as the motor goes on across it'll flip right into place.

[BA80]

+1 on trbig's post. That way works the best. If you want to make a little more wiggle room I found that it's really easy if you remove the oil filter cannister, of course, and the oil pan. Also the the oil pump so it doesn't get damaged.

I've done a few that way by myself. With the pan and pump off just jack up the engine, with a flat piece of wood under the case, level with the top of the frame rail, spin it to the right as was mentioned being cautious of the boot, and slide it out the right side. I used a plasic milk crate and slid it right out on that.

Worked pretty slick. Reverse procedure to install.

[Rasputin]

I just wish I could show you guys how easy it is to remove ANY inline or other quad or mower type engine with a tool I made. The lawyer is on the patent thing right now so I can not disclose but I can have an XS motor out in less than 2 minutes once everything is ready to pull it. Complete engine with middle drive etc is a one man job.

[Yard Dogg]

Well I think tomorrow I'll organize the shed and start on this project. I'm going to paint the engine, frame, and fork down tubes black. Then I have to decide on tank and fender paint. This is gonna be fun. I never was able to get this far on my last bike, I want this one to be beautiful.

I might go with a standard orange and yellow ghost flame paint job over black. I was considering auburn wheels too just to be different, but it might be too much, Or maybe I'll just polish them.