Thanks bmwdumptruck not quite sure what to do at the moment. I would love to do it myself. I have read the Haynes manual and it looks a bit daunting. How easy is it to take the engine out of a bird?
Not sure its a job for someone 'not mechanically competent' to be honest.
Never had to do mine so I'll be honest and say I can't quote from experience. Have done many cars/vans etc over the years though. So if mine went I would do it myself without a doubt.
Firstly where would you do it? Not a job for out on the road, or on the lawn, especially this time of year. So have you got a decent dry garage, good lights, and decent set of tools?
Ive not read the manual so you have a head start there, but does it say to remove the engine? Cos I wouldn't unless it has to come out for a reason.
Off the top of my head it would go something like this.
Strip fairing and tank off. Remove battery.
Remove exhaust system.
Remove airbox and FI manifold.
Drain coolant and disconnect hoses as necessary. Possibly remove radiator.
Remove ignition bits, coils, leads and any breather hoses that might get in the way.
Cam cover off, cam chain off (as per manual instructions, very important this bit)
Head off.
As has been said, you should get it skimmed and pressure tested.
You'll need a decent torque wrench and possibly a degree gauge to tighten the head bolts down properly.
Reassemble the cam chain, again follow the instructions. (This is probably the most important part of the job as getting it wrong could destroy the engine)
Then reassemble in reverse order as they say.
Tips.
Spray lots of wd40 0R gt85 around the exhaust studs for a few days before starting.
A few digi pics might be a good idea to show how things fit in relation to each other, take as many as possible.
Keep everything clean, cover the block with a sheet while the heads off so nothing can get inside.
Keep all the parts in an ordered pile, group things together etc An experienced mechanic can chuck all the bolts in a box and suss what goes where from experience, but i would suggest some cardboard boxs with the bolts stabbed through so they're kept together in groups and in some kind of order.
Best of luck with it, and try to enjoy it. Theres a great feeling of achievment when you get it done and alls well.
