Post on engine removal?

[Hawkinspickle]

Hi folks, I am having trouble finding any posts regarding the proper steps to engine removal. The manual I have states that I need to removal the cylinder head but I am sure that I read somewhere that you can remove the engine in tact through the right side of the frame provided you remove the oil filter cover. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Dan

[DiverRay]

Been a while since I've done it, and I could not find a post, but here goes.
1. Engine WILL come out the right side in one lump, without carbs or oil filter on.
2. I seem to remember pulling most of the things off the frame around it, rear brake pedal and MC, coils/ballast resistor, and move wire harness a bit.
3. I was going to paint frame, so I didn't worry about a scratch or two. Raised the engine with a floor jack and 2X4 to get it even with the frame as I was pulling all the mount bolts.
4. As engine is HEAVY, and I was by myself, I used some steel I had to make a "slide" for it, and man-handled it out the right side, sliding down a bit to the floor.
5. To install, I wanted to keep my freshly painted frame looking nice, so I installed the frame on to the engine! Frame is a LOT less weight than engine, and again, this was done as a one man show.
6. Bolted up some of the mount bolts, then used a come-along to lift the unit and put it on the floor.
7. re-assembled it from there.

[Hawkinspickle]

Thanks for the information Ray. When you say "...you installed the frame on to the engine", do you mean you had the engine on its side on the ground and then carefully slid the frame over it? Not sure I'll do that because I will likely have the wheels, steering, and everything else on it.

[Ranger_xs1100]

Hope this helps.... I hang a come-along from the garage overhead beam. Then wrap a strap around the engine and crank it up just enough to take the engine weight off the frame. After that it's a combination of wiggling the engine out of the right side and/or moving the bike frame to the left as needed. No heavy lifting required, just some moderate pulling and tugging and sometimes a little guidance with a piece of wood. I then reverse the come-along and lower the engine down onto a 4 wheel dolly. I've done this 3 or 4 times by myself.

[DiverRay]

Yes, that is what I did, so as not to mar the frames new paint. BTW, that bike was in the Quail that year! I even used the Friday ride as a shakedown, with a lap or two around Laguna Seca on it.

[tarzan]

The ones I’ve removed I layed the bike on its side and picked the bike off it

[bikerphil]

Another option is to remove the middle drive assembly before lifting out the engine. It will be a little lighter and no danger of tearing the driveshaft boot that way.