My engine swap progress.. Essay warning.. (Now with Pics)

Well we started on Friday, equipped with Tea and rubber gloves, we set to work removing the old engine... It got delivered from the bodyshop all nice and shiney and clean with its new panels..

Tank, carbs, bodywork all came off without issues. We had a bit of a mare with the rear engine mount, and also removing the rear bolts holding in the exhaust at the rear block, but eventually with some perswasion, it freed.

Next was the exhaust, dammmmnnn, the thing was a mare. The clamp at the bottom that sticks out the fairing was seized solid... After about an 30 minutes of fiddling, it eventually came off..

Next up, rear wheel off and down to tyre shop (Watling Tyres, Gravesend, will plug them as they are always superb with me) to have the damn bolt removed, they also gave us some new bolts for the exhaust clamp for free. Nice 10 minutes and we were on our way back home.

After putting everything in its place in the garage so not to confuse nuts and bolts, we removed the last few bolts and dropped the engine out. Getting the lump out (bar the few bolts) was relativly simple. Gettting it in, another matter....

We took the chance to give the bike a good cleanup. All the frame, all the oily gunk around the front sproket, inside the swinging arm, rear shock etc (it gets used every day, all weather), it was nasty. It left dollops of gunk on the garage floor which I walked in and treded all the way through the hallway in the hosue (got beige carpet in the living room, so gald i never walked in there!!!). Left the misis cleaning that up... :S Next up, engine back in..

Recently my dad has had a spine operation to remove two discs (inc cutting away some of his spine) so I was dam I wasn't going to let him do any lifting. We must have about 3-4 trolly jacks between us, but his was at his house, mine and my GF's were at our mums. Siccor jack simply wasn't going to work either, so wooden block lodged underneath and manpower it is then... We spent a good hour trying to get the engine in, becoming concerned as it was catching on a few bits, we couldn't work out why.. We eventaully got the rear exhaust over the frame, but we still couldn't get the front of the engine up into position. I tried liting it from thr top of the frame, sitting on the floor, and doing it myself with a full engine of oil wasn't a comfy thing to do, it jsut wouldn't go in. As it happens, the engine slipped down a bit by mistake, but into a position where the lower rear engine mount fitted. Blinding, get that lined up, bolt went through, the engines half in, ish...

Once the rear was in, it was a case of lifting the front of the engine up and alligning the other bolts, This saved half the weight and was so much easier. We had a few issues getting the engine alligned, but after some tightening, loosening, tightening, loosening etc etc, the engine was in and in place... Copper grease on EVERY nut and bolt we removed, so to ensure no issues should we ever need to take anything out again (why manufactures dont do this as standard defies me, tyhe original nuts were b1tches)

We re-connected the wiring up and hoses, re-connected the carbs, battery and fired up up without the tank or exhaust on. It tried to fire up, wicked, the new engine works....

By this time, it was about 10pm on Friday, the old man was starting to loose his rag at silly things, so i made him stop, he was going away for the weekend, and I thought it better to leave the bike, get some rest, come back to it on Monday with a fresh head...

Monday came and I was at work, so my dad went in to carry on working. I came home to find the bike re-attached together, fairing and tank back on, it looked spotless, cleaner than the day I picked it up orignally. The brand new exhaust was on and shiney, and it was ticking over as I pulled up.. He had started it without any major issues (other than connecting the vacuum and fuel pipe the wrong way, then removing the plugs etc until he worked out what it was ha ha), then had drained the oil, serviced, new filter etc....

The bike sounds SO quiet with a brand new exhaust on, gonna take some time to get its standard note back. Good point are that i've got my old exhaust to chop up come the time I can afford to get a rear can. The new engine sounds so tight still (done 3k per year, women rider, got all the documentation too).

Bad points...

Decided to carry on and check the rest of the bike. We removed the rear caliper It seems the rear pins in the rear caliper are seized SOLID.. £3 EACH, for a peice of steel, was not to impressed, but what can you do..... In the end, we had to drill out the exisiting pins, but its meant we've had to trim some of the pad housing (where the pin goes through), the pads are in, but one is at a slight angle, it'll be ok and brake ok, but will give un-even pad wear, so i'll be loooking for a 2nd hand Curvy SV rear caliper before winter, probably asap.

Tonight we're re-fitting the rear caliper, will get the rear wheel in, then check over the front brakes as well. Also going to replace the brake fluid, and have already done the coolent. Its strange but the old man has had to cut down the R+G crash bung bolts (the gold ones) as they stick out still, unsure why, but for the moment, we've left the bungs out..

I have progress pics from Friday, but couldn't get any of mondays progress as i was at work. Will get some snaps tonight and post them up.... A PROPER naked SV So naked, it hasnt' even got an engine.

All in all, i've spent about £250, i've got an older engine, but with half the mileage of my broken engine (broken was at 21k), that includes bits and bobs, oil, filter etc... Its had a full clean and service, and looks spotless (you watch, the 1st day back to work, it'll hammer it down and get filthy again >-( ). It can then be booked for an MOT on saturday as its run out while it was away and should be good to go again. Im hoping to get out on it tonight round the block to check everythings ok and then re-check all the bolts.

Essay over Pics later..

[Skip]

Good write-up there Daimo - glad to hear the black beasty is back to health - maybe it will hit the low 12s next time eh?

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by Daimo

Blah Blah Blah.;....

I really love my Dad .......

Essay over Pics later..

Aww



Cheers
Ben

[TSM]

Originally Posted by Daimo

Copper grease on EVERY nut and bolt we removed, so to ensure no issues should we ever need to take anything out again (why manufactures dont do this as standard defies me, tyhe original nuts were b1tches)

Should threadloc be used instead as you dont want thoes engine bolts comming loose.

Originally Posted by 21QUEST

quote]

Aww



Cheers
Ben

Well we haven't really spoken in 4 years, only recently started talking, so its good for the relationship. He's really enjoyed it as well as he loves doing things like this.

He said to say thanks for the tool, simply wouldn't have happened otherwise. Gonna check everythings ok and will ship back off to ya. Massive thanks for that!!

As for copper grease, he's used it on all he engine builds/swaps etc since he was 16 (he's 46 now), and never had any issues, so i'll trust he experience with it

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Daimo

i'll be loooking for a 2nd hand Curvy SV rear caliper before winter, probably asap.

Its strange but the old man has had to cut down the R+G crash bung bolts (the gold ones) as they stick out still, unsure why, but for the moment, we've left the bungs out..

With the fisrt, it'll probably be easier to find a SRAD caliper, it's identical- and you can often get them with the nicer alloy torque arm to replace the rusty SV one. I think Busa works as well...

With the bung bolt... Never come across that but logically if the ends stick out more than before, the gap's narrower... Any chance there's been a spacer misplaced or left out?

Will deffo look into the SRAD conversion then, but i'll get it back setup tonight and working first...

Thats what I thought, but the lids always been on the kit, and it was delivered from the factory last year (i know i know.... lol).. WE'll cross that when we come to it though, just want to get her all back and working and legal again

[northwind]

Ah, I thought it'd been fitted before.

Well done to you and your Dad Daimo! There's always the odd spell of effing and blinding during this kind of exercise.

[jambo]

Good effort!
One of the jobs I've managed to avoid thus far but I know it can be a pain from speaking to others that have been through it, still, you've saved yourself a load of cash which has to feel good