The BreakdownMeister came along on Sunday to give me a hand removing the engine from my donor GPz550. I'd already stripped off most of the gubbins - tank, panels, assorted electrical bits and connections - so it was mainly a matter of removing exhaust, carbs, airbox and a few more bits of electrical plumbing. Amazingly, everything came undone with ease. The exhaust manifold studs didn't shear. The engine mounting bolts undid smoothly. The engine came out without having to pick up the chassis and shake it. It was transferred to a skateboard and trundled out to the front of the house to have its picture taken for Ebay. An engine on a skateboard caused a few of the street's kids to rub their eyes. I'm not swapping over the lump with the one I've already got, as the one in my bike actually sounds better and sweeter. It's just the head gasket weep that's an irritant. It's not enough to worry about, from the point of view of the engine's health, but it is enough to put oil mist on the no.4 carb and the clutch cover. I suppose it won't get any better and I'll have to replace the gasket sooner or later. That'll give me the opportunity to do a shim check as well, and it's an easier job than doing a full engine swap. The side panels and rack from the donor bike I've already transferred, and I now have a bloody nice looking and excellent-running GPz550, stock except for a Laser 4-1 system. For well under £600, I'm pleased. It's almost too good for winter hackery. So the rest of the donor bike, along with the engine, is on Fleabay. Things like coils, reg/rec, CDI igniter, oil cooler, lockset, etc etc are always in the want. I may keep the Motad Neta exhaust that was on the donor and put it on mine in place of the slightly manky Laser. The tank and forks and brake calipers can go up next week. The donor bike also has a newish-looking back tyre and ditto chain, which I'll hang onto. Incidentally, Timo rocked up in his latest SOC - an unimaginably clean and unmessed-with VW Jetta GTI. That's the rare (and horribly ugly) Golf with a boot. The grille is stock Jetta - boring and rectangular headlights in place of the Golf GTi quad-headlights grille. It's a real Q-car. Just 35k miles from new, and it cost him £500, I think. It really is a bargain of a car. Until it breaks, of course.....
