How do you work on your motorcycle engine?

I piled wood blocks on a small moving cart and managed
to get the engine out of my VT500C Shadow.
Now What????

It's precariously balanced on this wheeled cart.
It's too heavy to lift onto the floor. I'm even afraid
to lay it on its side for fear of cracking a side casing.
And the water pump sticks out waiting to get bent.

I've been thinking about ways to weld up a frame to bolt it to.
But then I'd have a big thing to store that I'd probably never
use again.

Looking for hints and tricks for working on a motorcycle engine
by yourself.

Or am I just worrying too much and should just roll it over on the
side covers and get on with it?

Thanks, mike

 

www.charlesatlas.com

 

HAHA, Good link! Maybe C.A. can help me when that bully kicks sand in
my face and takes my girl!


FYI - defintion of HAHA is lol for those who still get visited by the
tooth fairy.

 

I normally pick the bugger up and pop it on the workbench. Don't drop
the bloody thing, and don't put it on the floor because it'll be too
hard to pick up from there, you can't get under it.

If lifting big heavy things isn't your forte, get a friend to help
and/or buy a cheapo engine crane thingummy.

If it's a funny shape and won't stand up on the bench, I nail four bits
of wood together into a little square cradle for the bottom of the cases
to sit in.

Actually, my greatest invention is an old 5-wheeled office chair, with
the chair bit removed and a wooden engine cradle bolted to the top, fits
under the XLV engine and makes it easy to rotate and roll sideways out
of the frame ... and it's a nice height to lift from/to.

-----sharks