Take the easy stuff off

First you need to take off a lot of the parts to get to the motor.


Start by removing the seat(s), side covers, the spark plugs, the battery (set it on a piece of wood or cardboard in a cool dry spot. DO NOT set it directly on a concrete floor!), remove the rear footpeg assemblies, the slip on exhaust pipes, the instrument console on the gas tank, the gas tank (be sure to shut off the gas first!), your carbs and the intake billets. Let the throttle cables dangle on the front of the forks, they won't get in the way. Remove the coils and note where they went (diagram this in the notebook you have). Remove the electrical ignition black box as well. Then tie the wiring harness up on the left side of the motor for easy access.

This picture was taken further along in the process, so don't worry about all the missing parts in the shot. This shot is so you can see that it would have made it a LOT easier if I had done it sooner.



Remove the 3 large nuts/bolts holding the triangle shaped bracket that holds the motor to the frame in the carb area.
Pull the cam cover off by removing the 4 screws on top and wiggle it out the side, being careful not to scratch it or damage the gasket. Keep the gasket, we will re-use that later when we put it back together. Now might also be a good time to adhere the gasket to the cover with a small amount of RTV applied gingerly around the cover to hold it in place. This will make the re-installation of the cover easier as the gasket tends to fall off if you don't stick it on.
Then you need to remove the entire header assembly and crossover pipe for the exhaust. The crossover requires you to get down under the bike and loosen the nut holding the clamp on. There are a couple other bolts and the 4 header nuts to get it off. Set these two parts aside and be sure they don't get damaged. You should also clean up all the joints of carbon buildup for re-assembly later. Especially where the headers connect to the motor, clean them up good for a good seal when you put them back together. If you have a lot of carbon scrape it off with a small screwdriver or if you're brave you can use brake fluid, just don't spill it on anything painted or powdercoated.
Take a break, you've earned it.

Next Step


Back to the main page