Engine Swap

[gaillarry]

Since my 81 GL1100 has a blown head gasket I've been thinging about an engine swap. I have a GL1000 engine in my garage. I bought it 10 years ago with minimal mileage on it. The bike was in an accident but the engine was good. I pulled the engine, filled it with oil, fogged the cylinders and stuffed it under my work bench.

I was looking at it today and thought why not swap the engines. Will at 1000 fit and work in a GL1100 and how big of a job is it!

[Paxton Gomez]

A gent from my neck of the woods offered to sell me his "1000 engine mated to his '83 Transmission, off his 83 GL 1100."

I've never met him nor have I seen his contraption but I have no reason to doubt his statement... although because of my hearing I sometimes get the message wrong!

In fact, he's building his '83 and I told him about NGW's.
The last time we corresponded he said that he has been reading NGW and getting addicted..!

B. R., are you out there? Did I hear you right?

[Frenchy]

Replacing the head gasket would definitely be the easiest of the two to accomplish..........

You have two key issues with putting a gl1000 motor in a gl1100 frame:

• 1. Ignition system....... You would either have to adapt the motor or the 1100 chassis to accommodate the other.
  
  2. Transmission Gearing...... There's basically two different gearing set-ups with the gl1000's... 75-77 & 78-79. The Latter would probably be a better match for the 80-81 gl1100 rear diff......

[Paxton Gomez]

Ok, gaillarry;
Now that the issue is settled, how much do you want for the GL 1000 engine?
Err... my birthday is coming up!

[gaillarry]

I ordered a head gasket for the GL1100 today and some other misc gaskets. I'll change the gasket and leave the GL1000 under the bench. I'd sell it but I'm way up in North Bay, Ontario Canada, shipping cost would kill you.

[Sidecar Bob]

When I bought my '83 the engine was siezed from sitting for many years and I had my written off GL1000 with a good engine. It wasn't much more work to swap the engine than it would have been to do the head gasket.

The result has a GL1000 engine & transmission with a GL1100 rear end. This results in seriously lower gearing than the 1000 originally had and thus much better mileage. I can still pass without gearing down so it isn't geared too high, but I often have to drop 2 gears when I have to go particularly slowly. No big deal.