81 GS550T Full Rebuild...In Ohio

[cowboyup3371]

My Baby's Got Shoes

Got back over to the garage after my daughter's swim practice tonight and finally have something to proudly show:



Yep, she's finally got her shoes back on. I just noticed something too, it's been exactly 1 year and 1 day since I started this fun. Although I ordered the new exhaust gasket from PartsNMore today and a new clamp for that H connection to the left pipe, I won't see them until next weekend. So I'm thinking I'll deal with the exhaust leak for a few minutes to start it up and see if it will run right. Course that also depends on the kids, their schoolwork, and other activities so I may not even be able to until the weekend anyway. We'll see.

I'd be carefully sanding it a bit more Scott.Looks like sanding dust in the orange peel to me to.Might just know a bit about orange peel and runs

[tkent02]

So is it just sanding dust like Rusty said in my other thread?

Must be. Just rinse it off as you go.

[cowboyup3371]

So is it just sanding dust like Rusty said in my other thread?

[tkent02]

You can't be through to the primer, you're not even through the orange peel in the color yet.

[cowboyup3371]

I did the work with a friend of mine who's pretty good.

While using 1000 grit to sand the tank today, I started seeing white specks but without any obvious dulling in the paint. Am I going too far?

Here's pictures of the tank from a bit of a distance. The best picture for the specks will be the last one:









Should I keep going or stop and buff this thing yet?

Well.... looks like you're hitting the undercoat. I don't know 'cause I've only just scanned your posts. who did the paint job? I'd be inclined to get it stripped back and resprayed.
jag

[cowboyup3371]

Am I messing up?

While using 1000 grit to sand the tank today, I started seeing white specks but without any obvious dulling in the paint. Am I going too far?

Here's pictures of the tank from a bit of a distance. The best picture for the specks will be the last one:









Should I keep going or stop and buff this thing yet?

[cowboyup3371]

The entire wheel is painted and it looks like the weights just fell to the ground as the RTV is still on the wheel. The weights on the front are still on but they were sitting at ground level whereas the rear was from above. And yes, the weights do extend past the lip by a mm or two.

I don't know but I'm so tired of fighting with this dang thing I'll just get the shop to do it.

[tkent02]

The RTV also did not work on keeping the Harbor Freight stick on weights to the rear wheel. I'm going to go by a local Kawasaki dealer tomorrow morning to see how much he'd charge to balance both wheels and put better weights on.

That's weird, did the RTV peel off the chrome rim, or did the weights come off the RTV? The weird part is that mine have been there for two years now, this bike has been stuck in mud, through many gas tank deep water crossings, sand, gravel, washboard roads at 70+mph, a few thousands of miles of rocks and roots and has fallen down or been dropped dozens of times. I just checked, not one weight is missing, even though the weights are a bit wider than the wheel, they actually stick out a mm or so past the side of the rim.

[cowboyup3371]

My pattern of weekend only fun continues with one exception - I'm off tomorrow for the federal holiday (just not paid for it this year, furloughed instead for the day). Stopped over at the bike this morning and put the front pegs back on, added in the brake lines, and tried to install the exhaust. Unfortunately, the exhaust gasket and clamp for the left pipe broke when I tried to replace the studs I was using for new bolts. So, I'll be ordering a new gasket/clamp tomorrow.

The RTV also did not work on keeping the Harbor Freight stick on weights to the rear wheel. I'm going to go by a local Kawasaki dealer tomorrow morning to see how much he'd charge to balance both wheels and put better weights on.

As I have been stuck at the house at night this past week helping kids with their homework, I brought it and the side covers over to hopefully work on it this week. That way, I can get something done.

[cowboyup3371]

Thanks Tom, I'll pick up some of that then.

[tkent02]

I'll find some epoxy tonight to reattach them but if not I'll find someone who can re-balance them with better ones.

Epoxy? How are you going to remove them next time?

I have been using red RTV to glue them on some of the wheels, they don't come off even on dirt bikes bouncing on sharp rocks all day long. When the time comes to remove the weights the RTV just peels off.

[cowboyup3371]

You are getting distracted. We don't have enough patience for this. Did you finish sanding and polishing the paint or not?

Yes, you are right, I am getting distracted by kids and work.

Had planned on sanding the tank today but kids need my attention as I have to take the eldest to her marching band competition here shortly. I'll try to get back over there tonight or tomorrow.

[cowboyup3371]

We have electrical power!!!!! Got up early to go over to the garage and after plugging in the battery and headlight, I turned the key and voila we have lights. After moving two of the headlight wires around to give me both low and high beams, I saw the kill switch was set to off. I pushed it to run with the intent of seeing if I could push the button once I put oil into it (hadn't done that yet). However, the bike began trying to start on me once I did.

After shutting it off and adding oil to the bike, I disconnected the right handle switch and verified the bike would not start. I then reconnected it and began removing various parts to ensure something wasn't cutting the wire. However, I think after removing the shrink wrap and not finding a problem in the wiring that maybe my connector may have a cut or something inside allowing the green/yellow and orange/white wires to touch. I say this as once I pulled them out of the connector, I could only repeat the symptoms once I touched the terminals together.

So I'll probably order a few connectors from Cycle-Recycle II and hope it gets here early this week.

Other than that, the horn is re-attached and still sounding as tortured as before. The choke cable is finally in place and I installed the replacement tail light shipped from SuperBright LEDs. The friend whose garage I'm using also resprayed the one wheel with the scrapes after mounting the tire and we learned the Harbor Freight weights won't stick very well. I'll find some epoxy tonight to reattach them but if not I'll find someone who can re-balance them with better ones.