Gen II Engine replacement/swap

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Doug36854

Active member
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
40
Reaction score
8
Location
Valley, AL
Ok, I have purchased a 2012 FJR1300A with around 20k on the clock. Prev owner had the oil drain plug come out on freeway. Not sure how or why that happened but engine is toast. It still runs but makes an awful noise. From what I have gathered, 06-12 Gen II engines should be pretty much interchangable (assuming they are not AE models & whatnot). So, I'm planning to buy a guaranteed to run & drive engine to drop into this new bike. I haven't swapped out an engine on an FJR before but with the internet and a service manual it should be doable. So, who has done this and can give me some pointers?
Thanks

 
I've done it. It's relatively simple.

FSM is essential.

Two people toward end of removal /

beginning of install helps a lot.

You should have a floor jack.

For some reason I remember the drive shaft

being key towards end of removal.

Take your time, be neat, be methodical.

Take pictures of all connectors before separating.

Maybe tape and label connectors and critical bolts, etc.

Check and re-check EVERY bolt and connector

during and after installation.

Take breaks, don't rush. Possible to do in one

long day. Easier in two, I think.

Don't hesitate to ask to help / advice.

Good luck.

Oh, one last thing. You might want to consider

checking the valve clearances while the engine

is out of the frame. You'll be glad you did.

 
When shopping for an engine I discovered that an engine guarantee means they will take the engine back, not a guarantee that the engine was good. And they did indeed take it back. In spite of their saying that the engine was running with no problems it had serious issues. Unfortunately, based on their guarantee I didn't discover this until the engine was already installed. The next engine we did a leak-down test while it was on the shipping pallet which made it easy to return.

I also found that the sellers were often very wrong about what year the engine was and had no clue if it was off of an AE or not. I found it useful to ask the professional salvage companies for the VIN of the bike the engine came out of and then decoded the VIN. This action found the dealer in SC had no clue what he was actually selling.

I ended up rebuilding my engine because it was a known.

 
I've got an engine that needs a new home. Has some miles on it but it's a good one.

 
I've got an engine that needs a new home. Has some miles on it but it's a good one.
Gen II? The one from an '05 won't do it - at least not easily.

I just had a look on eBay for Gen II engines. There seem to be a few listed but MAKE SURE that you are getting one for an "A" model. Lots of AE out there and while they can be converted for reasonable $$, you might not want to go through the hassle. Quite often, the sellers don't specify whether it is the "auto clutch" version.

Read JamesK's thread if you are thinking about an "AE" engine.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/161693-converting-gen-2-ae-to-a-engine-is-it-possible/?hl=engine

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Disconnect the battery, drain the oil and coolant, start at the tank and the seat, and take stuff off the bike and the engine, working down until the throttle bodies are off. Front forks will be in the way unless you can hoist the bike up once the mount bolts are out, so get the fork tubes off. Remove the rear wheel and the pumpkin, which gets the drive shaft out of the u-joint, then remove the u-joint. Remove the radiator and the exhaust system, along with the coolant pipe on top of the motor and the PAIR stuff. At that point, mount bolts is all that's left. FSM gives you the sequences and electrical connections that you have to keep track of.

When I did my transmission fix in '14, I got the engine out and back in by myself. I had the bike on the centerstand, with the centerstand feet on a 2x4 for a little extra height. With the forks out, i rocked the bike down so the motor was sitting on a low creepy-crawler, removed the mount bolts, and lifted the frame, which rocked back on the centerstand. With no rear wheel, I had to watch how far I lifted the frame, but I was able to let the motor roll forward onto the crawler and roll it out from under the bike. Then I put the forks, pumpkin, and wheels back on and rolled the motorless bike to the shed in the back yard, out of the way. Similar process for mounting, although I rigged up some lumber props to "pre-set" the motor at the right angle (by trial and error) so that when I lowered the frame the main rear mounts lined up easily, then a little finagling to line up the main front mounts. Once in place, i put the rear back on and weighted the top case, which raised the front where i could get a jack under it and complete the reinstallation safely.

 
Thanks for the info guys. Still searching for the best gen 2 engine to buy and the best transport co to get it from Livermore, CA to Valley, AL

 
Top