Engine Removal

RIVA

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2011
Messages
779
Location
Cloyne Co.Cork Eire
I am about to remove the engine from my .10 Super Tenere. Has anyone here done this and if so do I need Yamahas Pivot shaft wrench as described in Service Manual. I have removed the rubber plugs and all I can see inside these is 14mm standard nuts. Am I missing something ?
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Vendor
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7,546
Location
TEXAS
No you dont need that special tool.... Ive removed them and reinstalled them... The motor is just very heavy and is best to have two people when you actually drop the motor out of the frame...

the top front bolts have some special "washers" (not sure the correct name)... make sure you take those out slowly and re install them in the same correct position. They are spacers for differences in the frame. If you re install them wrong I believe it will try and bind the motor or frame.... just go slow, it's not bad job.
 

Grape_salad

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2023
Messages
58
Location
Australia
No you dont need that special tool.... Ive removed them and reinstalled them... The motor is just very heavy and is best to have two people when you actually drop the motor out of the frame...
What does the pivot shaft wrench actually adjust? I've seen some posts in R6 and R1 forums that show it like this:

1738706035492.png

Is this like an adjustable sleeve that goes around the engine bolt, to space the engine from the frame? So without it there is just less wiggle room for dropping the engine down?

I've got a scissor lift i'm planning on using to lower the engine out on - so i can slowly lower it straight down. Any other tips or suggestions you'd have? This is my first time doing an engine removal on any bike (my bike is an oil burner so I'm buying an engine from a crashed bike - first step is to remove it from that bike)

the top front bolts have some special "washers" (not sure the correct name)... make sure you take those out slowly and re install them in the same correct position. They are spacers for differences in the frame. If you re install them wrong I believe it will try and bind the motor or frame.... just go slow, it's not bad job.
Good tip, thanks - I guess these would likely be selected for the frame, since the frame would have more dimensional variance than the engine assembly? Which I guess means i will need to preserve the configuration from the bike i'm swapping the new engine into?
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Vendor
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7,546
Location
TEXAS
What does the pivot shaft wrench actually adjust? I've seen some posts in R6 and R1 forums that show it like this:

View attachment 119195

Is this like an adjustable sleeve that goes around the engine bolt, to space the engine from the frame? So without it there is just less wiggle room for dropping the engine down?

I've got a scissor lift i'm planning on using to lower the engine out on - so i can slowly lower it straight down. Any other tips or suggestions you'd have? This is my first time doing an engine removal on any bike (my bike is an oil burner so I'm buying an engine from a crashed bike - first step is to remove it from that bike)



Good tip, thanks - I guess these would likely be selected for the frame, since the frame would have more dimensional variance than the engine assembly? Which I guess means i will need to preserve the configuration from the bike i'm swapping the new engine into?


Ya know, I don't "recall" seeing this type of bolt before. If I had to make a tool I would still have the tool or remember making it. I didnt make a tool like this to remove the motor or are install it... I wonder if they might have changed a few things as the years have moved on ? It took normal tools to remove and re install.. Ill have to go back and look at some photos... I believe I pulled the rear end and the swing arm so it would not hang up the drive... But Im not 100%. I have to look at my photos.. I will do that shortly and post the photo if I can find it. Other than that the motor is really heavy as I said and better to have two people so it doesn't roll off the lift onto the floor. I probably strapped the front down and then pulled the frame down to the lift while it was on the center stand. I might have gone over board but it worked out great and was over all pretty simple.
One note... If I remember correctly the motor between a 2012 and 2014, the water temp sensors are different..... eye-ball them and make sure they are both the same. It's in the rear right of the motor/trans area...... You might have to flip the sensors and possibly the plug.... FYI
 
Last edited:

Grape_salad

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2023
Messages
58
Location
Australia
Thanks.

It’s a 2013 engine i’m pulling to go into my 2010. Would have been nice to have a gen2 donor engine, but this one came up and the owner says it is rock solid with 80k kms on it. Even if it does turn out to develop oil burning problems (seems unlikely if it hasn’t by now) at least I can do a rebuild on my engine without time pressure.
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
4,453
Location
Rib lake wi
Thanks.

It’s a 2013 engine i’m pulling to go into my 2010. Would have been nice to have a gen2 donor engine, but this one came up and the owner says it is rock solid with 80k kms on it. Even if it does turn out to develop oil burning problems (seems unlikely if it hasn’t by now) at least I can do a rebuild on my engine without time pressure.
How much oil was it using ?
Guess I been lucky neither one of my Super Tenere’s have ever consumed any oil that I’m aware of.
 

Grape_salad

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2023
Messages
58
Location
Australia
How much oil was it using ?
Guess I been lucky neither one of my Super Tenere’s have ever consumed any oil that I’m aware of.
Oil light comes on after about 1000-1400kms, and needs maybe 400ml to bring the oil back to the line. So I’m having to top off the oil 3-6 times between services, depending on how much riding i’ve been doing. I suspect it has been getting gradually worse over time too, though i’ve only had the bike 2 years / ~15k kms, so it is a little hard to see a trend yet.

It’s unfortunate my bike is an oil burner, but i got it pretty cheap (the seller didn’t tell me it burnt oil, but he did price it accordingly). Even with this engine swap, i’m still ahead compared to what other super tenere’s and comparable bikes were going for when i bought it.
 

Grape_salad

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2023
Messages
58
Location
Australia
Ok, just to follow up on this in case anyone else finds this useful at some point:

The engine alignment tool was not required. The alignment bolt is a hollow threaded sleeve that goes over the rear upper mounting bolt on the right hand side. It essentially shims the space between the frame and the engine mount (sorry, i did not take any photos).

What this means is that when all the engine bolts are removed, the engine may still hang up on that rear upper engine mount, due to the pressure applied by the alignment bolt. I used a piece of wood and a hammer to gently tap the engine down off the mounts.

I suspect getting the engine back into the frame without loosening that alignment bolt might be tricky, but for removal it was fine. also i suspect getting the alignment bolt to turn while the engine is in there compressing it would require a lot of force, whereas once it's removed the threads would be unloaded and a lot easier to turn.

As far as the engine i removed - sadly it turns out it was damaged in the crash. The front wheel was pushed back into the frame and impacted it with enough force to compress the frame. The two front mounts, which go into the head, took that force and it cracked the head between the mounts and around the cam chain tensioner. Only hairline cracks - before we pulled it apart and noticed those cracks, the engine started up and ran fine. Maybe i'll be able to salvage it by swapping my head to it. We'll see.

Incidentally, this scissor lift dolly from Vevor (https://www.vevor.com.au/hydraulic-motorcycle-hoist-c_10310/vevor-motorcycle-lift-atv-scissor-jack-dolly-1100-lbs-wide-deck-hand-crank-p_010464588471) was fantastic for the engine removal. So easy to position, lower the engine and move it around once it was taken out. Also great for general maintenance of the front wheel/forks - wish i'd bought one years ago.
 
Top