need encouragement about rebuild

[bwringer]

We may be able to offer more specific advice if you would care to reveal what sort of GS you're planning to dive into.

[ron bayless]

We may be able to offer more specific advice if you would care to reveal what sort of GS you're planning to dive into.

I THOUGHT I DID.sORRY.IT IS A 1980 GS 1000L WITH 33,000 MILES,RUNS LIKE A SCALDED DOG.I LOVE IT.I HAVE HAD EVERY TYPE OF BIKE AND BRAND EXCEPT HARLEY.I LOVE THE MODERN DAY PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING OF THIS OLD BIKE.ONE TIME I EVEN OWNED A PUCH 250.BET YOU NEVER HEARD OF THAT.RON B

[tkent02]

ONE TIME I EVEN OWNED A PUCH 250.BET YOU NEVER HEARD OF THAT.

Puchs are good.

[ron bayless]

Puchs are good.

One technical question.if i have to pull the head which will of course require removing the cams,will i have to regap the valves?I dont know if my motor uses shims or if the valves are self adjusting.

[ron bayless]

valve adjust?

Puchs are good.

One technical question.if i have to pull the head which will of course require removing the cams,will i have to regap the valves?I dont know if my motor uses shims or if the valves are self adjusting.

[redtires]

Well Ron...I sure hope things are going well so far. I am in the tail end of my rebuild and the warm weather is just killing me having to drive to work everyday in my car. Some super good info in the posts here, especially about just taking your time, no matter how torturous it seems. Just a few things that happened to me...first I dropped a 10mm socket down into the case...off to Napa for a spring magnet...then, after (notice I said AFTER) I got the cylinder block and head on, installed the cams, etc, etc... I was looking in my manual to make sure I had everything right...I came across the illustration of the cam chain/cam assembly. At this point I can't find, nor can I remember ever seeing the cam chain block guide. After scouring the garage, totally in denial that I knew exactly where it was....I didn't find it. So, I had to disassemble the whole top end, again, and with a small flashlight..low and behold there it was, buried deep at the bottom of the crank, a little black triangle that just didn't look like it belonged. Sooooooo....reassembly, re-timed, relieved. Now I'm just playing cowboy trying to wrangle the wiring harness back together along with all the other cables, etc...

As for the valves, yes, they are shimmed and hence not self adjusting. But, Suzuki made like 20 or so different sizes of shims (sizes are printed on the back). Best bet is just to buy a set of feeler gauges and then check vs. the specs in the manual. If you do need shims, you can just do some simple math..and voila...you can order up some shims...if needed.

[ron bayless]

tHANKS,MAN.GOOD INFORMATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT.WHAT A BUMMER,YOU ALMOST WERE DONE AND HAD TO G O BACK IN.DANG!

[mark]

Well Ron...I sure hope things are going well so far. I am in the tail end of my rebuild and the warm weather is just killing me having to drive to work everyday in my car. Some super good info in the posts here, especially about just taking your time, no matter how torturous it seems. Just a few things that happened to me...first I dropped a 10mm socket down into the case...off to Napa for a spring magnet...then, after (notice I said AFTER) I got the cylinder block and head on, installed the cams, etc, etc... I was looking in my manual to make sure I had everything right...I came across the illustration of the cam chain/cam assembly. At this point I can't find, nor can I remember ever seeing the cam chain block guide. After scouring the garage, totally in denial that I knew exactly where it was....I didn't find it. So, I had to disassemble the whole top end, again, and with a small flashlight..low and behold there it was, buried deep at the bottom of the crank, a little black triangle that just didn't look like it belonged. Sooooooo....reassembly, re-timed, relieved.

Holy smokes. I've had two problems so far. Big scratch in one cylinder, (oversized pistons) and one of those 4 bolt things that holds the cams to the cylinder heads had one bolt stripped out.

[ron bayless]

Holy smokes. I've had two problems so far. Big scratch in one cylinder, (oversized pistons) and one of those 4 bolt things that holds the cams to the cylinder heads had one bolt stripped out.

Now i guess its a 3 mm bore and a wiseco piston and ring set? A new cylinder block would be way too expensive.Maybe a honing would get rid of the scratch?

[Chris Bohane]

I stripped my engine for vapour blasting, to clean paint off it, that had been applied by a partially sighted person, in a very dark shed, with a yard broom!
All went well until I came to refit the carb intake rubbers.
They didn't.

Bought new rubbers, great they fit.
Now the carbs don't.
Get replacement carbs.
Now the airbox dosen't fit.
Get replacement airbox.
Now the choke cable has a different nipple.
Get replacement choke cable.

Attach fuel tank and press the button.

Fuel is now pouring out of the new carbs.
Dismantle again.
Get replacement float bowl seals.
Get replacement rubber "O" rings for carbs.

While carbs are apart get tops mirror polished.
Ditto float bowls.

Save up another load of patience before continuing with rebuild.

The worst thing of all?

It's only a bloody trike!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i276/201156/TrikeBarrelRECustomShow022.jpg

Good luck with yours, it's all worth it in the end.

[ron bayless]

I stripped my engine for vapour blasting, to clean paint off it, that had been applied by a partially sighted person, in a very dark shed, with a yard broom!
All went well until I came to refit the carb intake rubbers.
They didn't.

Bought new rubbers, great they fit.
Now the carbs don't.
Get replacement carbs.
Now the airbox dosen't fit.
Get replacement airbox.
Now the choke cable has a different nipple.
Get replacement choke cable.

Attach fuel tank and press the button.

Fuel is now pouring out of the new carbs.
Dismantle again.
Get replacement float bowl seals.
Get replacement rubber "O" rings for carbs.

While carbs are apart get tops mirror polished.
Ditto float bowls.

Save up another load of patience before continuing with rebuild.

The worst thing of all?

It's only a bloody trike!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i276/201156/TrikeBarrelRECustomShow022.jpg

Good luck with yours, it's all worth it in the end.

Wow! That is one absolutely beautiful trike!!! Beautiful!!! Really.Wow

Man,brother,it sounds like you have the same luck i do.it makes me feel better.Ha!