Swapping Heads, Quick Question

I have a 1982 650 Maxim, and a parts bike of the same YMM. My head has a bolt snapped off in it. I'm going to simply swap heads. Everything that is from the cylinder-head-interface up will be swapped between both bikes, the only thing above the cylinders that will stay in my original bike after the swap is the chain. I've never swapped before. I know tolerances mean everything, and with things of this age sizes do change. I don't think it will be a problem, but do any of you think a swap of this nature will cause any problems or potential mis-matching?

 

Shouldn't be an issue. Be sure to use NEW o-rings on the two LH-most head studs (the ones with the brass washers under the nuts) and a new head gasket of course.

Don't play mixy-match with the cams or cam caps either.

Also I would highly recommend a manual if you don't have one because you'll be re-setting the cam timing.

 

I would have thought fixing the snapped bolt would be far quicker and easier than a head swap, is it difficult to get to?

 

Fitz, thanks! Are you referring to the two copper crush washers? I didn't see any o-rings save for the 4 for the YICS passages. And I will absolutely be replacing gaskets and even some other hardware. Anything that might pose a problem or is routine when removing the head.

I have a Hayne's. Seems to be a British version. I've been using lots of spanners. So many I now wonder what the heck a wrench is?!? And if you can "wrench on" something as a verb meaning "to crank the heck out of it with lots of torque" then can I can "span on" something?

Kick,

No way. I've seen a million threads about folks losing their bolts this way. I tried drilling out and would have been successful if I hadn't used an easy out. Word of caution: easy outs are really meant for fasteners that can be removed except that their head is destroyed. NEVER use one where the bolt, hole and/or their threads are compromised. It just won't work. Period.

 

There is nothing simple about swapping engines. Period. I started laughing when i saw the title to this thread.... Never done it on a bike, done it on tons of lawnmowers, a car, and other small engines. Fitz is right...

If you know the whole other engine + transmission is good, I'd move the whole thing. If not, It's gonna be cheaper and much less aggrivation to pull the whole head and take it to a machine shop. It's riding season

 

For sure, this is not simple.

I do not know that the whole engine & transmission unit are good on the other, or I absolutely would have just swapped. And I debated for a while the merits of just swapping the whole thing and crossing my fingers.

Yes, it is riding season, and I hate like hell that I'm stuck fixing and not riding. But A) I bought the bike recently, I'm in no worse shape riding than I was before I got it, a broken bike that is fixable and being fixed is like a bird in the hand. B) I'm not going to ride a slapped together bike. The only thing between my 60mph+ body and the 0mph ground is some textiles, I want to reduce the risk of testing the abilities of said textiles.

I have a problem though... I just looked through my old posts. Apparently I bought a 198THREE engine. I have a 198TWO bike. So... heh heh heh... erm... still... compatible? Please say yes pleasesayyespleasepleaseplease. Well, don't just say yes. But my fingers are crossed hard. If not, looks like I wasted time removing two heads and I'll be putting the 1983 engine back together and going for full swap. And crossing my fingers that the engine and transmission are as fine as I was led to believe.