GS1000 Base Gasket Replace. w/ Pics

[Smokinapankake]

Ya know, I just used white lithium grease on my exhaust header bolts and after a year they came right out when I pulled it to get it recoated. Still seemed a bit "wet" too. I would think some copper anti sieze would work okay, too but don't quote me on that.

[49er]

Ya know, I just used white lithium grease on my exhaust header bolts and after a year they came right out when I pulled it to get it recoated. Still seemed a bit "wet" too. I would think some copper anti sieze would work okay, too but don't quote me on that.

An English anti-seize, Rocol J-166 works great on those exhaust studs/bolts. It contains copper, molibdenum disulphide and graphite. I have used it on all my past engines. Any similar US product will work.

Billyboy, I have only just checked out this thread. Your early pics show the piston in #2 pot with dark marks on the rear skirt. This indicates that that piston is short on clearance with the bore under certain conditions. The colour of that piston crown is a very light brown with not much carbon on it compared to #1. I think that #2 has been running fairly lean and to a lesser extent, also #3. This is reducing the running clearance of the piston to bore. You need to address this leanness before putting any hard miles on your rebuild.

Fit your base gasket dry. If you oil/grease it you risk dust and grit particles sticking to it while you wrestle with fitting up the pistons to the jugs. When they are dry, you can give the base area a light blow with compressed air before dropping the pots onto the gasket. Just don't put the air gun too close to the gasket as the air velocity may tear the new gasket.

If you've still got the head off, put a straight edge across the chambers to check for a bow. If you have more than 0.003 inch gap under the middle chambers, you should bump straighten and then re-surface the head.

[Billyboy]

An English anti-seize, Rocol J-166 works great on those exhaust studs/bolts. It contains copper, molibdenum disulphide and graphite. I have used it on all my past engines. Any similar US product will work.

Billyboy, I have only just checked out this thread. Your early pics show the piston in #2 pot with dark marks on the rear skirt. This indicates that that piston is short on clearance with the bore under certain conditions. The colour of that piston crown is a very light brown with not much carbon on it compared to #1. I think that #2 has been running fairly lean and to a lesser extent, also #3. This is reducing the running clearance of the piston to bore. You need to address this leanness before putting any hard miles on your rebuild.

Fit your base gasket dry. If you oil/grease it you risk dust and grit particles sticking to it while you wrestle with fitting up the pistons to the jugs. When they are dry, you can give the base area a light blow with compressed air before dropping the pots onto the gasket. Just don't put the air gun too close to the gasket as the air velocity may tear the new gasket.

If you've still got the head off, put a straight edge across the chambers to check for a bow. If you have more than 0.003 inch gap under the middle chambers, you should bump straighten and then re-surface the head.

Thanks for all the advice! The bike used to have stock exhaust with a few of the baffles missing. I think Theat is the leanness that it evident. The bike was running very rich when I got a stage 3 kist from DJ. I think I've finally got the needles in the right spot. I'm thinking of getting a colourtune and carbtune from morgan's.

What's a "Bumb straighten"?

[49er]

Thanks for all the advice! The bike used to have stock exhaust with a few of the baffles missing. I think Theat is the leanness that it evident. The bike was running very rich when I got a stage 3 kist from DJ. I think I've finally got the needles in the right spot. I'm thinking of getting a colourtune and carbtune from morgan's.

What's a "Bumb straighten"?

"Bump straighting" is when you set the head up in a press and apply pressure in two or three places to straighten any curvature of the surface that mates to the cylinders. Care must be taken not to mark the mating surfaces during this operation.
If you just re-surface a warped head, the chamber volumes will vary when the head is torqued up. The greater the warp, the more variance will occur. The other problem with just re-surfacing without straightening is that the cam bearings will not be aligned correctly when the head is torqued up.
If the bow is 0.003 inch or less you don't need to re-surface. My 850 had 0.0025 inch bow and at 10.5-1 has not caused any problems without re-surfacing.

[Billyboy]

I got the cylinders and head back on.
It's really simple, just follow the manual and go slow.

I lubed up the rings and cylinders.
Cleaned the gasket mating surfaces. Wrestled through.
It's a pain dealing with the cam chain.
I just used my fingers and a flat screwdriver to pop the rings in.
After I got the cylindersdown flush I held up the cam chain and turned over the crank. I wanted to be sure I didn't screw up the rings. Everthing spun freely. \\/
Cleaned up some oil on the top of the cylinder block. Then got the head.
It's all really straight forward. Rubber cam channel gasket, head gasket goes on with the wider metal part to the cylinders.
Be very careful not to drop any washers or nuts down the cam channel.
Torque in sequence.

Didn't have time for a lot of pics, but they don't show much anyway.

Now cams and timing...

[Guy]

Nice job and well documented.
Just to clarify a point, the 1000 is not a bored out 850. It has a longer stroke and a completely different crank. The 850 is a bored out 750 though.
The egg shaped o rings are critical as they are sealing the two oil passages to the head so always replace them regardless.
An oiled or greased base gasket will seal quicker and more effectively than a dry one. The gasket needs to swell up to seal properly.

[Billyboy]

Nice job and well documented.
Just to clarify a point, the 1000 is not a bored out 850. It has a longer stroke and a completely different crank. The 850 is a bored out 750 though.
The egg shaped o rings are critical as they are sealing the two oil passages to the head so always replace them regardless.
An oiled or greased base gasket will seal quicker and more effectively than a dry one. The gasket needs to swell up to seal properly.

Good to know. Should I expect a little leaking to start with? I did replace the egg rings.

I thought the 1000 was a stroked out 750. Same case, isn't it?

[80GS1000]

Now cams and timing...

Nice job so far. The cams/timing part I'm waiting on with baited breath, seems like it might be the toughest part of this process?

[Billyboy]

Nice job so far. The cams/timing part I'm waiting on with baited breath, seems like it might be the toughest part of this process?

I think so. The plan is to read the manual, ask a few quaestions, make damn sure it's right before start up, (degree wheel check).

I'm only taking it one step at a time. If I look at the whole job I'll get scared and stop. "Too hard for lil ol' me."

[psyguy]

Nice job so far. The cams/timing part I'm waiting on with baited breath, seems like it might be the toughest part of this process?

i found it scary only in principle. once you go through the manual, theres basically only stamped lines and numbers to align and some cam chain rivets to count :?
literary

[Big T]

Good to know. Should I expect a little leaking to start with? I did replace the egg rings.

I thought the 1000 was a stroked out 750. Same case, isn't it?

There should be no leaking at all

Nope, entirely different engine, except for the shims

The cams are really easy. Line up the marks, count the links and install. Rotate the motor a few times and see if everything is still lined up. Torque down the cam caps. Check the valve clearances and adjust as needed. Carefully torque down the valve cover.

If you get stuck along the way, pass the time by bolting up carbs and exhaust. Fuel it, sync the carbs and you're ready to test ride

[Billyboy]

MAN O MAN OH MAN!8-O

I screwed up.

I snapped off a bolt in the cam journal caps.#-o

[Jackbob]

Hmmm - well i seem to remember mentioning this annoying scenario earlier in the piece. Mine snapped off as i was undoing it. The bugger would not come out using an easyout and i ended up having to take the head to a shop to have it dealt to with an end mill, and then a threaded insert inserted.

FYI - I have sent Z1 an e mail regarding the head gasket oil seals.

A mate of mine said he always uses a little loctite and if anything under-torques these bolts.

Good luck!!

[salty_monk]

Anything left to get hold of? Room to get in there with a mig to tack a nut on the end?

Dan

[Suzuki_Don]

I got the cylinders and head back on.
It's really simple, just follow the manual and go slow.

Now cams and timing...

BillyBoy I need a bit of info. When you put the cylinder head gasket on did you have to put "O" rings on the four corner studs or did your gasket have them incorporated as part of the head gasket. What type of head gasket was it that you used, Suzuki OEM, Vesrah, or what?
Thanks in advance.
Still waiting on my head to come back from machine shop.
Cheers