My engine is apart...need help

[Daddio87]

MY 82 SUZUKI GS650GL WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE HEAD GASKETS SO I DECIDED TO CHANGE THEM....NOW I WANT TO DO A VALVE ADJUSTMENT..WHAT DO I DO? IS IT THE SAME AS THE VALVE SEATS? I HAVE THE BOOK BUT DID NOT FIND THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION...IM THINKNG ABOUT BRINGING IT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE THEM DO IT SIENCE IT WONT COST AS MUCH SEEING HOW THE ENGINE IS ALREADY APART....WHAT DO U THINK..ANY IDEAS/QUESTIONS????????

[Steve]

First, would you mind turning down the volume? All caps is the equivalent of shouting.

Wait until the engine is back together before adjusting the valves. You have to have the cams installed, as you measure the clearance between the cam and the shims that are on top of the buckets that sit on top of the valves.

Other than ensuring that they are clean, valve seats have nothing to do with this process.

Please do not take it to a shop. First of all, they probably won't even let it in the door. Most shops have a 10-year rule: anything older than 10 years is not allowed. Second, your bike is older than just about everybody there, with the possible exception of the owner, and he probably doesn't turn wrenches. Very few of today's "technicians" know how to properly adjust the valves on your bike. Your service manual has the proper procedure. BassCliff has a picture-filled tutorial that enhances what you find in your service manual, and, if you follow the suggestion at the end of my signature, I can also offer you another 'tool' to make the job easier.

.

[Nessism]

My recommendation is slightly different than Steve's. I'd find machine shop in your area that does a fair number of motorcycle engines and take the head, pistons, and the cylinder to them. Ask them to remove the valves, clean them along with the head, and lap them into the seats and install new valve stem seals. The seals get old and hard with age and should be changed while the head is off the bike. Have the machine shop measure the cylinder for wear and if it's okay, have them bottle brush hone it so you can install new rings. You will need new gaskets (only use OE gaskets), new rings, and valve stem seals. Once the engine is back together you can adjust the valves via changing the shims.

All this stuff will cost you a few hundred dollars but the engine will be fresh when you are done and ready to do a lot more miles.

EDIT: Forgot to mention having the head and cylinder surfaced if there is corrosion on the gasket surfaces.

[tkent02]

And another disassembled parts bike hits Craigslist.

[BassCliff]

And another disassembled parts bike hits Craigslist.

Oh ye of little faith!

Mr. Daddio87, I gave you a "mega-welcome" in another thread. In those links you will find a wealth of information I have been creating and collecting from this generous community. There is a lot of material and lots of pictures to get you familiar with most of the normal maintenance tasks you need to perform. Feel free to download all of the "how to" guides to your computer. Most of them are in PDF format for your convenience. Once you get your motor back together, then you can start taking care of it. Oil change, valve adjust, carb sync, etc, procedures are all there. So get your bike back, roll up your sleeves and get busy!

If you can't find your "mega-welcome" (or at least somebody's mega-welcome), just click the link in my sig to visit my website and click on the READ ME page.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[legaleli]

Hey Daddio87...
You'll find one of the best "tools" you can have in your box is a digital camera.

Learn how to upload pictures so that the people here can see what you're doing - it will help YOU a lot knowing that you're describing what you want to describe.

[toejams1]

Daddio

If you have tackled changing a head gasket, then checking valve clearances should be very simple. Once you get the head, cam, chain (etc) attached, just follow Basscliff's guide on his webpage. It really is pretty simple, and this is coming from a technically challenged person.

I would ask (since I just recently tackled a head gasket), if you changed your head gasket, did you also change the base gasket? I know when I changed mine, I went ahead and did that as well. Not a whole lot more work, and I really would hate to change the head gasket only to see the base gasket spring a leak when I was done. That's an awlful lot of work to have to repeat. Also, I used an after market gasket set, and now I am going to have to tackle the head gasket again because it started leaking again after about 1000 miles. Actually, I think the culprit that failed is that little rectangular gasket and not the main head gasket. I'm a pretty frugal person, but I really think OEM is the way to go with gaskets.

[Daddio87]

yes i did change the lower gasket as well...i also cleaned the tops of my pistons while i was right there...i bought a 35 piece gasket set from Oldbikebarn.com..i got an Athena gasket set..are they okay? i got the tool to take out the valves(which ill do tomorrow) to replace some stuff in there.....im not sure if i need to adjust my valves or not(im sure they havent been do in awhile) but when i get up to about 5rpms there is a small vibration in the top of motor...does that mean i can cure it with an adjustment or do u think i will come across a bent valve or something.....what tools do i need to do the adjustmnet......



ps....FOR SURELY NOT A CRAIGSLIST PARTS BIKE....HAHA......600BUCKS AND ITS YOURS.....LOL

[tkent02]

ps....FOR SURELY NOT A CRAIGSLIST PARTS BIKE....HAHA......600BUCKS AND ITS YOURS.....LOL

Delivered?

[toejams1]

My bad,
I mis-read your first post. I thought you were referring to adjusting clearances. I will let someone with more know-how answer the question about the vibration. I am too much of a newbie to give you any decent advice.

As fas as the gasket set, I used an Athena set. After about 1000 miles, it started leaking (actually more like gushing) oil between the middle two headers. I have a feeling that rectangular rubber O-ring that goes there is bad. We had trouble getting that to fit properly. To be fair to Athena, the base gasket, valve cover gasket, and the main head gasket seem to be leak free as of right now. I'm really irritated that I have to pull that head off and do it again, as that was a lot of work (and probably took me longer than most people as I am not as experienced as others). I am getting an OEM head gasket and OEM rectangular gasket/O-ring (I really don't know what that thing is called) this time, as I don't want to take any chances. I have seen people on here say Athena is junk, and others say they are fine. Here is a thread that discusses the Athena stuff (I put a bitter rant on there right after my leak reared it's ugly head):

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=157220

[Daddio87]

Delivered?

u pay for the gas

[tkent02]

I generally pay about $100 or so for non running bikes.
Only need a few parts from the 650, not the whole thing.
When you part it out I'll take the cylinders.