Dropping a Gen I Engine

If you have access to a lift most of what follows does not apply. First, park the bike where you can access both sides, yet it is out of where you'll be moving about. Whatever you have that is expendable can be used here. Lay wood, bricks, or whatever is at hand under the engine so that it is braced stabily. The center of the motor has a seam that extends down about an inch - a minor complication. The bike should not rock nor be able to be rolled. Wedges of wood are handy, but not essential. Remove the seat, tank, exhaust, clutch cable, and carbs. Disconnect the alternator and TCI plugs. Expose the drive sprocket and separate the chain - keep both ends accessable, perhaps with a wire hanger. It is very difficult to thread a chain through the enclosure without some means of drawing it. It is not necessary to pull the rear exhaust header, just loosen it and pull it out of the port. Removing it from the bike requires taking off the rear wheel. There are two bolts running through the frame and the front motor mount. It is easiet to start with these. With the rear fittings still secure, it should be possible to take loose the nuts and pop the bolts out with a tap from a mallet. If they do not drift out easily, stop and check the bracing under the engine. It is possible to bend these if you are not careful.

Next loosen the bolts securing the rear head mounts to the frame; move from one to the other until they are out. The engine will come out of the frame with the motor mounts and coils in place. At this point, the engine will likely want to pivot down at the front. If so, brace it up better. There are two bolts securing the engine to the bolted-on piece that is bolted to the frame backbone. One is standard, the other is threaded on both ends and holds on the foot peg mounts. Nuts loose and off they should draw out with some channel locks. A non-metallic mallet, then drifts might be necessary.

Now pull out some of the bracing until the engine can be rotated forward enough to clear the frame at all the mount points. You probable don't want to drop it all the way to the floor; just enough to draw it out to the right. Once it is clear of the frame, two healthy people (or one strong person) can lift from one exhaust port each and any point on the rear bottom and onto a bench - preferably onto a rig that allows it to stand upright despite the bottom ridge.

A quick-and-dirty tear down appears here. Some details may have been left out.

Continued Elsewhere . . .

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