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*HELP: Engine dislocated slightly from Frame!

6K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  TheNegative1 
#1 ·
Hi guys, I have a 2013 zx6r with 5000+ miles and I think I might got a slight problem :crying

Background: I had frame sliders on until I low sided at 4500 miles, after the crash I bought the parts and a dealer fixed it.

After the bike is up and running, I took the old sliders out, and didn't put in a new slider and kept on riding (it was VERY silly of me) and forgot that there need to be bolts that secure the engine in the frame slider bolt screw.

Issue: I was trying to fit in new sliders days ago and I realize the engine is already pushed a little away from the frame (shown in picture) and the bolt isn't alined..

Question: Anyone had the same experience or know what should I do or how much would it cost for a dealer to fix it?

DIY isn't an option for me since I live at an apartment and I have no tool or jack to fix it....

Any helps would be deeply appreciated, thank you! :BigGrin
 

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#2 ·
It's possible that the frame is bent if you rode it without either of the forward engine mounting bolts, but not guaranteed.

The simple answer, if you have no tools, is to take the bike to a qualified shop and ask them to fix it. I'm confident that most people could manage this if they had access to the proper tools and a place they can get away with working on the bike for an hour or two, but I've lived in an apartment before, and I can imagine what that's like. Anyway, here's what the shop you take the bike to will do:

0. Put the bike on a rear stand, or support it via the swingarm with jackstands.
1. Remove the lower fairings.
2. Support the engine from underneath with a floor jack. A scissor jack from almost any car will work, if you just can't get your hands on a floor jack. Be sure to put a block of wood on top of the jack so it doesn't damage the oil pan.
3. loosen the nuts on the ends of the rear engine mount bolts, but do not remove them completely.
4. Turn the heads of the rear engine mount bolts just a little - maybe ten degrees. This will loosen the engine mounts, allowing the engine to be loose within the frame.
5. Raise the jack under engine a little, install the forward engine mount bolts, and torque to spec.
6. Turn the rear engine mount bolts back until they're tight, tighten their nuts, and remove the jack under the engine.
7. Take the bike down off the rear stand and test ride.

If the frame is bent, no amount of raising the engine with the jack (step 5) will be enough to align the forward bolt holes. If that's case, consult a dealer or competent mechanic. The frames on these bikes are aluminum, and once they're bent, there's no truly safe way to bend it back into the proper shape.

Edit: The process I described assumes that your 2013 is similar to my 2005. Your mounts may be a little different from mine, and thus may not be exactly as I've described here. That said, the process is likely to be more or less the same.
 
#4 ·
Simple fix. I wouldn't take it to a dealer...but it also helps to have some tools. I've ran into this a couple of times with other bikes. Actually just happened the other week when I took the broken sliders out of my cbr500 and put the bolts back in. Sometimes even just removing the bolts will allow the engine to drop a bit, just enough to put it out of alignment. All you need to do is push up on it. How you do it is up to you. The first time I had to do it, I ended up using a jack but the second time, it was only slightly misaligned and I was able to just push it up with one hand and start threading the bolt with the other hand. It was very tight so I had to use a wrench all the way from start to end but it worked fine.
 
#6 ·
It would probably be a good idea to have a friend steady the bike for you as well while you are working on it so it doesn't tip over. I doubt that the frame is bent. You could probably sit on the ground next to the bike and push up on the engine with your feet (heals on ground and toes pushing up on engine) to lift it enough to get the bolts back in. As stated above, please have somebody hold onto the bike while you do this so it doesn't accidentally fall over on you.
 
#10 ·
Sabotage clearly doesn't sugarcoat things lol...but honestly, I never understood the people that say they can't do it themselves because they don't have the tools needed. So you'd rather spend hundreds of dollars to take it to a dealer (most charge around 100-150 bucks an hour for labor rate depending where you are), instead of going to a store and buying a $10-$30 tool to fix it yourself, which you can use many more times for other things as well. The way I ended up with a small toolbox full of tools is by not following that logic. I bet I probably spent a few hundred bucks total on all my tools (Harbor Freight helps haha), and saved myself THOUSANDS in labor and parts in the last few years of being a bike owner. And I started out in an apartment as well. I had just a single garage and at one point I had my car, a little trailer, 2 bikes, a bicycle, a rack of storage shelves and a few other things all stuffed in that 1-stall garage! :D
 
#11 ·
Yeaa.. but I'm known to make matter worse when it comes to DIY. I once tried to change the oil on my bike and still messed up badly: overfilled oil, over tightened the drain bolt, couldn't unbolt the oil filter cap because my tool wasn't good enough and made a huge mess.. ended up going to the dealer and have them changed the oil again that day.

So knowing the fact that I'll f up an oil change, I don't even want to imagine what would happen if I try to adjust the position of an engine :BigGrin
But I still want to learn how to do it myself though, I'll see how much the dealer quote me

pretty much im just VERY clueless when it comes to mechanical stuff and I don't want to mess up my bike more if there's a problem
 
#17 ·
Several have said exactly what I was thinking.

SO you don't take to fixing things natually. Fine, if you can ride than your trainable.
Need to find some local riders who work on there bike's.
DON'T ask if they will come over to fix it, ask if you PAY them to show you how and would they be willing to teach a brother to fish.

9 out of 10 times they won't take the cash but you offered. Before they come over ask what tools you will need to get.
Don't cheap out, cheap tools make things harder and won't last. Take care of them and they will last a lifetime.
Down load the manual, it will tell you everything you need.
Get a couple of torque wrench's think I have under $200 in all 3 on sale. Only really need two the larger half inch is for the rear tire axle.
With a torque wrench you will never OVER or UNDER tighten a bolt again.

Jack, a big fat Phillips screwdriver to help align the holes and some BLUE loctite. NOT RED.
If you can't turn the nut a least one turn by hand it's not on right, don't force it.
 
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