1983 GS550E: The Scenic Route

[DR Payne]

while you have the carbs out remove the boots and replace the o rings.
at this age they'll have shrunken and lost elasticity.

I had already put the carbs back in, but you're probably right, those O-rings are likely older than me and quite dead. I'll have to get them next time.

The valves were mostly in spec, but I did adjust 5 or 6 by the slightest bit. The cover O-rings and gasket were also in great shape, so I'm guessing the valves were checked relatively recently. So after a few dozen miles, including a few WOT runs as long as I could safely get away with, I'm happy to report that nothing seems to be leaking. It's back to singing that sweet siren song that got me to fall in love in the first place. I had to adjust idle speed a bit, (oh, and tighten a float bowl drain screw...whoops), and I think it may be idling just a little rougher than it used to, slightly more loping, so I think it would be worth checking the balance of the carbs. But it runs great so it now officially has the garage while the DR is back in the basement because its carb is also overdue, mostly due to those notoriously stubborn factory screws.

I'll keep a close eye on that hose, but there are no signs of leakage so far and I honestly think it's more than enough. If the pressure was so high that this wouldn't work, I think I would have seen a lot more oil coming out of that break in the line than I did. It was only leaking just enough to keep the top of the crankcase coated, rarely ever letting a drop hit the ground. If it does start leaking, I'll probably make up my own custom hard line.

So I'm gonna enjoy this baby for now, at least until I get the DR refreshed. Then I'll probably take it back in the basement for a new rear tire and to see if I can get the trip odometer to roll over past 100. It just kinda sticks around 100.2 with the 1 not quite in place, so I'm guessing it's getting jammed somehow. Might swap in some LED's while I'm in there. I can't decide. Sometimes I like the period-correct gradual on and off of an incandescent bulb, but I also like the brightness and reliability of an LED. We'll see...

Edit: I also decided to change the name of the thread (as well as add a couple pics from the manual to the first post). The more I live with this bike, the less likely I feel I am to fully, cosmetically restore it. It's not just that I don't want to spend the time or money, I'm actually kinda growing to like the beat up, worn look to it. All the important parts are in great shape, it's just lots of small imperfections. Chips and dents in the tank, peeling paint on the engine and exhaust pipes, yellowed clear coat on the swing arms, dull handlebars, and that weird bluing of the seat that I see on all these old bikes. Speaking of which, why the heck does the seat turn blue? How does that make sense?

Anyway, none of this stuff is really important, but it all adds up to give it a look that kinda reminds me of most every cool ship in Star Wars. They all had that battle-worn look with burn marks, panels missing, they all look like they had seen some sh!t. I think this bike is kinda the same. It's clearly lived a rough life, but I think it actually looks pretty good on 'er. I don't exactly want it to get it any worse so I'm gonna keep everything coated in wax and Armorall, but I'm not really that interested in making it look much better either. Not to mention the freedom that comes with not having something looking perfect. Like my truck or my favorite pair of skis, once a thing gets a little beat up, I find it really frees me up to just enjoy the thing doing what it was made to do and not worry about how it looks or babying it to preserve its pristine condition. I still take good care of all the functional aspects, but letting something look slightly like it just reentered the atmosphere has really become a thing for me.

So I don't really see this as a long road to restoration anymore. I see it more of just enjoying the heck out of this bike, fixing things here and there when needed or motivated to, but not really in any hurry to get to any sort of destination. I don't exactly know where I'll end up with this bike, but I know I'm gonna enjoy the trip.

[DR Payne]

Interlude: More Leaks

I am amassing quite a collection of O-rings.

So despite fixing the leaky oil hose, I was still getting a small pool of engine oil buildup on top of the crankcase. At first I thought it must be the other oil hose, but after degreasing everything and taking a quick test run, it was clearly coming from two places: the lower oil hose connection (both stacked on top of each other with aluminum washers at each mate), and the cam chain tensioner set screw. The first one was easy, just tighten that bolt more. Problem solved. The second, of course, was another O-ring that had expired.


The O-ring was so done that it retained a square profile even after relaxing on the bench for a while. It had no stretch, and tore right in half with all the resilience of Play-Doh. R.I.P.



I couldn't get the exact dimensions so I can order it from a more reasonable source, so I ended up waiting for this part to come from an official source which was quite an ordeal, but whatever. Easy fix, back up and running.

In the mean time I noticed that the left fork had left a small spot on the floor. I think it has been doing this since I got it, but I was only now just noticing it.



It appeared to be coming from the anti-dive unit, so I pulled up the diagram and found two O-rings that I could blame where it connects to the fork. Those I found dimensions for so I ordered a pack from McMaster-Carr for the price of a single O-ring from a dealer. I wasn't sure whether to go with Buna or Viton, but I doubt it really matters here. So I swapped the O-rings on both sides and refilled and repressurized the shocks. This was the first time I had to change fork oil and I was a little surprised by the color of the old oil. It was opaque, sort of a graphite grey like brake grease. I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it if I didn't have a record of the fork seals allegedly being changed only 3,000 or so miles ago which I would imagine meant new fork oil. Is it normal for oil to turn that color that quickly?



Anyway, I took it for a drive and for a while it seemed like the leak had stopped. A couple drops still fell off both sides along the way, but I just attributed that to the leftover oil hiding in the crevasses. That seemed to be the case for the right side which had not been leaking before, but the left side continued to leave a drop everywhere it was parked. So I read some more and it seems it's more likely leaking from a weep hole on the rear, meaning it's leaking internally. I haven't confirmed that definitively yet, but really where else could it be coming from?

So these are not meant to be serviced, only replaced as a unit, but they are not available. I see most people just delete them, but that doesn't seem like an option I'm interested in. I did find one mention of someone disassembling them, but not with any kind of detail, much less pictures. Seeing as how I don't have much to lose but more fork oil, I'm going to see if I can get in there and find whatever seal has failed and if it's something that can be replaced. It seems like a simple concept, just a valve that's externally actuated by the top part, so I imagine it's pretty simple in there. It's probably just a matter of whether or not it can be taken apart without destroying it.

So to update the list of known pressing issues, we have:

1. Anti-dive valve leak
2. Rear tire is toast
3. Front tire is the wrong size
4. Trip odometer gets stuck at 100

And a few other things that may or may not be issues, TBD. Hopefully by the end of the warm weather I'll have fixed basically everything that's actually broken, and I'll be able to move on to more...restorative jobs? Mechanically, at least.

[Cipher]

Interlude: More Leaks

I am amassing quite a collection of O-rings.

So despite fixing the leaky oil hose, I was still getting a small pool of engine oil buildup on top of the crankcase. At first I thought it must be the other oil hose, but after degreasing everything and taking a quick test run, it was clearly coming from two places: the lower oil hose connection (both stacked on top of each other with aluminum washers at each mate), and the cam chain tensioner set screw. The first one was easy, just tighten that bolt more. Problem solved. The second, of course, was another O-ring that had expired.


The O-ring was so done that it retained a square profile even after relaxing on the bench for a while. It had no stretch, and tore right in half with all the resilience of Play-Doh. R.I.P.



I couldn't get the exact dimensions so I can order it from a more reasonable source, so I ended up waiting for this part to come from an official source which was quite an ordeal, but whatever. Easy fix, back up and running.

In the mean time I noticed that the left fork had left a small spot on the floor. I think it has been doing this since I got it, but I was only now just noticing it.



It appeared to be coming from the anti-dive unit, so I pulled up the diagram and found two O-rings that I could blame where it connects to the fork. Those I found dimensions for so I ordered a pack from McMaster-Carr for the price of a single O-ring from a dealer. I wasn't sure whether to go with Buna or Viton, but I doubt it really matters here. So I swapped the O-rings on both sides and refilled and repressurized the shocks. This was the first time I had to change fork oil and I was a little surprised by the color of the old oil. It was opaque, sort of a graphite grey like brake grease. I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it if I didn't have a record of the fork seals allegedly being changed only 3,000 or so miles ago which I would imagine meant new fork oil. Is it normal for oil to turn that color that quickly?



Anyway, I took it for a drive and for a while it seemed like the leak had stopped. A couple drops still fell off both sides along the way, but I just attributed that to the leftover oil hiding in the crevasses. That seemed to be the case for the right side which had not been leaking before, but the left side continued to leave a drop everywhere it was parked. So I read some more and it seems it's more likely leaking from a weep hole on the rear, meaning it's leaking internally. I haven't confirmed that definitively yet, but really where else could it be coming from?

So these are not meant to be serviced, only replaced as a unit, but they are not available. I see most people just delete them, but that doesn't seem like an option I'm interested in. I did find one mention of someone disassembling them, but not with any kind of detail, much less pictures. Seeing as how I don't have much to lose but more fork oil, I'm going to see if I can get in there and find whatever seal has failed and if it's something that can be replaced. It seems like a simple concept, just a valve that's externally actuated by the top part, so I imagine it's pretty simple in there. It's probably just a matter of whether or not it can be taken apart without destroying it.

So to update the list of known pressing issues, we have:

1. Anti-dive valve leak
2. Rear tire is toast
3. Front tire is the wrong size
4. Trip odometer gets stuck at 100

And a few other things that may or may not be issues, TBD. Hopefully by the end of the warm weather I'll have fixed basically everything that's actually broken, and I'll be able to move on to more...restorative jobs? Mechanically, at least.

Unless you dud a super job of cleansing the fork innerds the color change is nothing.
Did forks once upon a time and the springs held a lot of blackish Grey residue.
Teflon from bushings and ash or water emulsion???
Use the old atf plus motor oil recipe and use that till fixed.

[Cipher]

Its unique to the mid 80s 550 es
But I'm sure fat new o rings will fix it.
if it was the brake fluid side leaking the paint would be damaged most likely
I wonder is the fork side of piston looks like.
if it can be readily removed show us a pc.

[DR Payne]

Yeah given how that area of the fork has been wet basically the entire year I've had the bike and there's still paint on it, I decided it's not brake fluid. And since it's probably not leaking from the new O-rings, I have to assume it's coming from the weep hole that generally indicates an internal leak based on what I've read. I'll probably give it a good wash and see if I can confirm before I take it apart, and when I do I'll definitely post pictures.

Most of what I found is on Goldwing forums, but how different could they be? Actually, just found a video rebuilding the anti-dive for a Kawasaki, but those units look very similar to the Suzuki. A few parts in there, but yeah, looks like it just comes down to O-rings.

[Cipher]

Yeah given how that area of the fork has been wet basically the entire year I've had the bike and there's still paint on it, I decided it's not brake fluid. And since it's probably not leaking from the new O-rings, I have to assume it's coming from the weep hole that generally indicates an internal leak based on what I've read. I'll probably give it a good wash and see if I can confirm before I take it apart, and when I do I'll definitely post pictures.

Most of what I found is on Goldwing forums, but how different could they be? Actually, just found a video rebuilding the anti-dive for a Kawasaki, but those units look very similar to the Suzuki. A few parts in there, but yeah, looks like it just comes down to O-rings.

You can see the weephole on the pic I posted
a 250 used what looks like a nearly identical unit but in gold paint so a different part number.
the plunger looks to be held in with just a circlip.
the upper and lower parts must have a gasket?