1200 engine removal

[walker70]

Hi guys,finally well enough to get back to pulling the engine after having the flu for over a month,anyway I am down to having everything ready to unbolt so as to take the engine out,but am curious about how the best way would be,have looked at Steve Saunders video and he shows taking the timing belts and right sprocket off but do you really need to do that,shop manual to do this only if you are going to replace the belts or whatever,also a video I watched the other day shows taking the rear wheel off and then pulling the final drive unit off,seems like there is a better way.

[Rednaxs60]

You have to remove the u-joint from the engine so taking the rear tire and FD off is necessary, not a lot of room to move the engine forward enough.

You may want to consider removing the right side exhaust studs as well or you will have to raise the right side up just enough for the exhaust studs to clear the frame.

The manual recommends removing the clutch slave on the rear of the engine, required.

Looked at my pictures when I removed the engine and can't remember if I removed the timing belt covers. Try without removing, if works great if not, it does not take long to remove the covers.

I used my floor motorcycle lift.

Not much left of the bike when you do this:

[walker70]

Thanks,was hoping not to have to take that all apart but it will be easier,had already thought about removing the exhaust studs cause with my luck I would break them off for sure,by the way when you took the rear wheel off did you have to support the rear end or not.???

[Rednaxs60]

If you don't already have one, would recommend a small tap and die set. Valuable tool kit for the older GWs. I replaced the exhaust studs on my two bikes, but if you clean them up with a die for the studs and tap for the nuts, makes putting these parts together much easier. It is also recommended to use an anti-seize compound on the threads as well.

Cheers

[walker70]

Ha,got a tap and die set just in case of that happening but luckily they came off with hardly any trouble at all,also have anti-seize so no problem there,but I do hate to take the rear wheel off since I just got it back on after putting new wheel bearings in but it is going to save time in the long run,by the way I'm just asking, when I get the engine out to replace the stator would you have the engine sitting like it came out and pull the rear cover off that way or tilt it so the cover is pointing up,it seems like it would be easier tilted up so the cover can go on with less trouble,I know Steve Saunders video shows it tilted up.???

[Rednaxs60]

Forgot to mention that there is still a lot of oil in the rear case even after you have drained the oil. Need a catch basin under it, makes a mess without one, been there.

I did all the work on mine on the jack, but next time and there will be a next time, I intend to raise it higher to be easier to work on. Also get a good strap wrench that is big enough to fit around the clutch basket, and the rotor if you intend to remove these, makes torquing these items easier when you put back.

Cheers

[CrystalPistol]

I R&Red my 1200's engine without removing FD, engine output shaft slid out of U-joint. I have a piece of plywood with strips of molding about 1/2" tall & wide that engage cooling fins of motor, mas a block with about 2" dia hole to accept small floor jack head … R&Red it myself moving jack with engine with one hand, balance engine with other, U-joint was easily started up on shaft with one hand.

Plastic stool is just for sitting.

[walker70]

Hi,quick question for CrystalPistol,when you pulled your engine did the ujoint spring forward after the output shaft came off,reason I ask is while I was watching the ujoint on my bike has spring tension on it so I am wondering if it makes the driveshaft slide forward and makes the fd seal slide out of place,sorry I thought it was a quick question.

[CrystalPistol]

Hi,quick question for CrystalPistol,when you pulled your engine did the ujoint spring forward after the output shaft came off,reason I ask is while I was watching the ujoint on my bike has spring tension on it so I am wondering if it makes the driveshaft slide forward and makes the fd seal slide out of place,sorry I thought it was a quick question.

That spring is restrained by a snap like ring, it'll only push the U-joint a short distance and it stops. U-joint stays on the drive shaft and in the swingarm end. No problem.

[walker70]

Hi,I finally got my engine out and ready to put the new stator in,after worrying about how hard it would be to get that thing out it came out without any trouble at all,I didn't even have to fight it one bit,Yea,by the way,pay no attention to the clutter you see,once I get the bike back together I am going to be doing some serious clean up.

[walker70]

Man,I am here to tell you,I have never had a cover be as stuck as the clutch cover was on this engine,one of the stupid dowels was rusted up but with a little patience I finally got it off,now I would like to know what you guys would use to keep from getting dirt and such on the clutch plates when I pull the stator cover off to clean around the mating surfaces,plastic or what,by the way that motorcycle lift I bought from Harbor Freight was the best money I have spent in awhile

[walker70]

Hi again,think I have asked about this before but when you pull the stator cover if the output comes out with it can you line it back up and slip it back in with no trouble,did not here anything drop out but just want to make sure.???

[CrystalPistol]

I didn't tamper with mine's output shaft. It's just a shaft & gear with a spring loaded ramp shock absorber (for lack of better terminology) . Should go back as easy as it come out.

[walker70]

I wasn't trying to mess with mine either,it came out when I pulled the cover off but like you say it went right back with everything lining up,thanks.

[walker70]

Hi again,just curious about this,I wanted to check the resistance on both my old stator and the new one but am not sure if it is not reading it right because I am using one those cheap ohm meters from harbor freight,it does not show as I have seen in the videos.???

[DenverWinger]

That last picture (1.6 ohms) is about right for a stator winding. The other pictures show using the wrong range for low ohms. There's four tests, between all three stator wires (should all be around 1.6 ohms each) and finally between a stator wire and stator core (should have no reading).

[walker70]

Thanks for that,I had noticed on the videos that I watched the reading on the ohm meters were reading something like a 0.7 to 0.8 so maybe the meters those people were using are more expensive than mine and read differently

[DenverWinger]

As long as all three stator readings are pretty much same you are probably OK. Low-ohms readings can vary a lot between a a good and cheap meter.

[walker70]

Went and bought a better meter and the readings are good but I checked the old stator as well and both new and old give the same readings,can the old stator still be dying even while still showing a decent read,I was changing it out because a mechanic I know said that it was beginning to go bad and that was the reason why when I had my blinkers on all my lights would go slightly dim and also flare brighter when I rev up the engine.

[DenverWinger]

A little dim with engine idling and brightening when you rev up is pretty normal for these Permanent-Magnet alternators (standard stator), they don't put out all that much power at idle, and brightening up when you rev shows it's working....

[walker70]

Well,I have had this bike for a couple of years now and it only started doing it a few months back and I gone through all the electrical wiring and found no shorts in any of it,so even if the old stator is good I still feel better putting in a new one,it rules out that as a problem.

[walker70]

Well,I finally got the back cover on but now my brain is messing with me,like the lysol ads,I'm about 99.9% sure I tightened the three bolts on the stator and used the impact driver but it's that 1% of doubt that is bugging me cause before the engine goes back in I need be to sure so I guess I will get a new gasket cause I would rather do that than have everything come loose,anyone else have this happen to them.

[DenverWinger]

Is that what's called a "Senior Moment"?

[walker70]

Yes indeed it is,my older sister and I talk about having these moments all the time,but I would rather be sure that I did tighten those stator screws so getting a new gasket is cheaper than doing some damage to the engine.

[CrystalPistol]

Went and bought a better meter and the readings are good but I checked the old stator as well and both new and old give the same readings,can the old stator still be dying even while still showing a decent read,I was changing it out because a mechanic I know said that it was beginning to go bad and that was the reason why when I had my blinkers on all my lights would go slightly dim and also flare brighter when I rev up the engine. MVIMG_20180707_104620.jpgMVIMG_20180707_104627.jpg

What kills a stator is usually a dead short or open break in a winding …. they usually just "die" real sudden like.

You may have had another issue like regulator/rectifier, weak plug at reg/rec, other weak connector in charging circuit, etc … and your OEM stator my have outlasted the replacement.

I don't recall you having unplugged the stator and doing the prescribed AC Voltage tests on each (3) pair of yellow wires at elevated rpm. When mine went bad, I noticed long battery recharge and DC voltage reaching 13-14 volts after 10-12 miles open road after several stop lights. I suspected stator, did "prescribed" Hona tests, found one leg dead. Then I knew it was the stator.