gs400 no oil pick up screen cover

[angrypants]

hi guys,

i'm working my way through the GSres. list for getting a bike back on the road with my gs400 (1978 ..probably - compliance Sept 80, but its a Army bike that was modded by an australian contractor .. has another plate for this, the vin is 73XXX... so it would appear to be a 78 model based on number lists i have seen, ..wire wheels and single disk front)

anyway on the weekend it was time to do the oil flush, oil filter and clean the oil pump pick up screen etc ...i get down on the ground with my torch and ... it has no screen cover like its supposed to, as per the pics in the manuals and fische, .....and its the model without a pan like to gs 450.
i checked again and google around and around and cant find anything to explain

see pics below... it has that recessed hole in front of the oil filter cover towards the front of engine. Has nothing after the oil filter cover.. only one cover.i'm yet to look in there but its in the correct place to be the filter cover. it also has a large drain plug at the back on the LH side which differs form the fische /manuals , it has the exhaust crossover pipe which would be right over this screen cover if it was where the pics say it should be .. is that a clue?


anyone know about this variation ? is this a cruel trick by suzuki

and what do i do?

a) will i have take of the crank cases covers and take off the bottom to do this ( is that hard and fraught with danger for a new to bike novice ?
or
b) should i just do the filter and see what i can clean form that hole ?? and look the other way keep going, (its only done 17000 kms so just over 10000 miles )

thnaks

grant

[John Park]

It's been decades since I had one of these, but I think the pickup screen is under the back cover, if you had one. The screen is just to keep stray large bits out of the oil pump and shouldn't need cleaning regularly. Just change the paper filter.

How often do you clean the pickup screen in the oil pan of your car? The screen on my 450 looked shiny clean when I pulled the pan at 60k.

The other 'drain plug' could be a pressure relief valve; best leave it alone.

Before you go far, be sure to check the valve clearances. And the o rings on the intake manifold boots will be toasted by now. But hang in there; the '78 spoke wheel 400 was what got me into GSs and I'm still there three decades later. And the old roller crank 400s had a certain raw quality that the new ones lack.

[bwringer]

Just change the filter and don't worry about the screen.

[angrypants]

thanks gentlemen - i will take that advice.

BTW its starts, which is a relief but wont idle without a little choke, i'm not too worried i have no plan to ride it until i get through the lists (think it needs new front wheel bearing there is a knock / side to side movement there).
i've done the front brake rebuild, installed new boots for airbox & a new filter, valve clearances are next ...i've got the gaskets and caps for that, will need shims, i'll get those when i work out which ones i need.
after that and then just ill keep working through the lists i found here carb rebuild and install the new o rings. this is a great place to search and lean

thanks again

grant

PS does anyone know why the Dyna-s ignition kit for this bike is so much more than the other GS's