something has gone horribly wrong piston hitting valve

[chuck hahn]

yes...1 and 4 at TDC.. Do it just like the manual and the pictures of what you should see depict.

Quick question, I'm assuming this means when the 1 & 4 cylinders are at TDC . Am I correct?
While Holding down the timing chain rotate the crankshaft in normal direction to bring the T mark (on nos 1 & 4 cylinder side of advance governor) to the timing mark

[chuck hahn]

Could be worse...youre not 250 miles from home at 3 AM and it happened!!!!

I know that situation all too well. I got some things that need some cash thrown at them too. I pay the bills first and then save a little till the funds are there...which may be SEVERAL weeks down the road!!!

Exactly, which kind of sucks right now because I HAD a trip to my family reunion in Melber, KY planned on the bike. Looks like I'll be sucking gas in my F-250 now lol.

[chuck hahn]

I know that situation all too well. I got some things that need some cash thrown at them too. I pay the bills first and then save a little till the funds are there...which may be SEVERAL weeks down the road!!!

No I know it shouldnt be that bad of a job its the $ involved lol. With work slow and seems like everything need matinence at the same time the bike may have to go on the back burner for a few weeks.

[chuck hahn]

well...let me give you a suggestion.

Since the head is off anyway, have the valve seats recut and lap the valves. Put in new valve stem seals. measure the spring lengths per the service limits stated in the manual. See that you havent also broke any valve guides when they hit. Do a very meticulous and comprehensvie rebuild of the top end only.

If there wasnt anything wrong with the lower end and tranny before, then theres no real reason to even trouble with it.

In reality, all you need to do is get that head and valves in order again, new head and cover gaskets, be sure the tensioner is done right, and then retime it. It seems daunting, but its really not that bad of a task.

Ok thanks a lot for the help guys. This was a hard lesson but I guese those are the ones we remember most. I've already got the cams out and the chain is hanging from the frame. I really want to time it and do a compression test. I mean worst that can happen is the valve be bent in which case I will tear the entire motor down anyway because if your gonna do the top end you might as well do the bottom.

[chuck hahn]

Did you knock the aluminum tabs out of the crank slots? Youll need a new aluminum nut..it actually does two jobs. Its a spacer AND a safety shear keyway for preventing what you did from ruining the crank and / or causing further damage.

Its a lesson you had to learn one way or another..but now you know.

just put the bolt back in the end of the crank and leave it alone. Get the cams out and get the head off. Dont do anything else..just get thentop end opened up.

Get a service manual downloaded and read it step for step and ask questions BEFORE if your not sure.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

The 12 mm bolt is fine. It looks like the slots are actually in the nut and the tabs I broke were on the crank.

[sedelen]

Okay so how is that avoided ? I read that those adjusters are not to be touched EVER but doesnt everything fail eventually? The reason i ask is because when i do my top end this winter i planned on replacing it

Indeed, everything seems to be designed to fail eventually.
Here's your service manual if you don't have it already.

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/80-83_GS1100T-LT-EX-1000SZ-EZ-SD-ED-ESD.pdf

You will find references on pages 7-10, 7-19, 7-20, and 7-21.
You will find out how to rebuild it on pages 7-30 through 7-32.

This might help you also.

http://www.bwringer.com/gs/camchaintens.html

[chuck hahn]

OK..now thats better. How does the back of the aluminum nut look...like theres some sheared off tabs? take a flat tip screw driver and knock the broke off tabs out of the slots on the crank. does the STEEL bolt thread back in without any problems? Does the threads on the bolt look damaged? I suspect not...you simply twisted then tabs off the aluminum nut...which saved your bacon.

[chuck hahn]

How about some pictures...we cant "see" what you see without them.

[chuck hahn]

The back of the 19MM aluminum nut has two tabs that fit into the slots..its a male / emale meshing arrangement. Take out the 12MM center bolt and remove the aluminum nut thing. See if the tabs on the back of the aluminum nut have sheared themselves off.

Is that a clear enough description?