Strip down procedure

[peteremc]

New to the forum and excited by this and the fact that I've just started a strip down of a 1982 R65LS and looking for some advice about best procedure for removing the engine and gearbox from the frame.
Do I put a jack under the motor, undo the engine mounting bolts and get a mate to help me wrestle it out of the frame ...
OR
Jack up the whole bike, put stands under the barrels, undo the mounting bolts and take the frame off the motor?
Also, interested in the weight of the motor/gearbox. Is this an easy 2-person lift?
Many thanks for any and all advice received.

[jamestnewsonr65]

Welcome to the forum

Without the gearbox the engine is heavy but can be moved by one person. Easier also if you remove the cylinder heads as the engine is pretty skinny then.

I took mine out whilst the bike was on the stand and then jacked the engine. Managed it on my own but probably a two person job really as the engine has to be lifted and then tilted to get out.

[montmil]

Welcome aboard, Peter. You'll soon discover several of your countrymen abide 'round these parts.

Before you get too terribly deep into your R65's rehab, I encourage you to beg, borrow, steal -or as a last resort... buy a shop manual. Both Clymer and Haynes offer these books. Either one or both will be very helpful for you. I have both but most often go first to the Clymer.

Removing the gear box from the chassis makes engine removal far simpler. Yes, you will need to securely block up the engine prior to removing the lower engine mount bolts. Entice a mate to help wiggle the engine free of the chassis. Offer some liquid refreshment as a post-work reward and you'll be golden.

Take many, many digital photos as you proceed with your project, especially location of wiring and related components. Avoid those future WTF is this and where does it go moments.

Due to the possibility of damaging engine block studs, cylinders and pushrod tubes, etc, I would encourage you to leave the heads attached while removing the engine. A loose cylinder could accidentally slip off and leave you with potentially expensive repairs and replacements. That's the last thing you want to be concerned with as you muscle the engine free. Carbs and exhaust should be removed.

Here's an excellent site for detailed information and answers to many Airhead maintenance questions. Lengthy, wordy, but a treasure of help. http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/technical-articles-list.htm

When in doubt, ask questions prior to committing wrench to hardware. Folks here in the R65 Asylum have done it all at one time or another.

We love photos of member bikes. Post up something. Don't make us get medieval on ya, mate.  

[peteremc]

Thanks fellas,

jamestnewsonr65 I actually didn’t think about splitting the gearbox from the engine. Thought it might be a major deal, but now that I have investigated that a bit further it seems like it’s not too hard and quite an advantage, so thanks for the tip. I also figured it was probably a 2 person job, whichever way I went.

 montmil, funny you should mention those manuals. I have invested in both! I had a Haynes, but found it a bit light on, so bought a Clymer (from Texas, actually). My latest favourite reading.

I have a growing file of photo’s, which I think will be invaluable.

Also, I’m with you on not removing the heads etc. I’d rather put up with the pain of trying to jiggle the motor out, than possibly do some very expensive damage.

Carbs & exhaust already removed. Tried for a long time to remove exhaust without the proper tool. No luck whatsoever and lots of frustration. When I got my hands on the tool, it was literally a 3 minute job. Proves the theory that any job is easy if you have the right tool.

Thanks for the website. Just another one I’ll add to what my wife calls “motorcycle porn” that I’m glued to late at night.

Thanks for the tips.

[montmil]

... Carbs & exhaust already removed...

When the time comes to reinstall the exhaust header pipes, slather on some copper-based anti-seize goop onto the threaded exhaust stubs. Many horror stories abound with sad tales of threads destroyed by overly zealous efforts to remove the butterfly nuts after they have become locked on due to corrosion.

[peteremc]

The tips on the exhaust and using copper anti-seize, I picked up from Youtube and some highly informative sessions from Chris Harris (very funny man). I had a major panic over this issue, because I had the bike for about 7 years before I learned about this issue, and the exhaust had not been off ion that time. Thankfully, when I did get it off, the threads look like new! Jest lucky, I suppose.

Anyway, I pressed on with the strip down and put some blocks of timber under the motor to support it while it was on the centre stand, then folded up the stand, unbolted the frame from the motor. Took about 10 minutes to unbolt and remove the gearbox, and then I enlisted my brother to help me and the motor came out in about another 3 minutes.

So, the final act of deconstruction to get to the frame is complete (the whole reason why I started this exercise, because the paint is peeling and the frame is rusting. Not sure why, but time to fix it.)

The attached photo is where I'm up to.