Progress!!! 1978 GS1000E Restoration/Performance Rebuild

[JJ]

Sorry, I don't have a home machine shop. Now, if they were out of wood, I'm equipped for that.

[philosopheriam]

As a journeyman tool and die machinist, I have to disagree. Most modern threads are made to international standards, and with the correct tooling, both male and female threads can be made without the mating part.

So, can you name the international standard to which a set of threads from 1978 *supposedly* conform? Here's another thought - I as an end user am going to bring a threading job to you, and if you thread the male piece at the top end of its tolerance and the female piece is already at the top end of it's tolerance (which you do not have in your possession), the male piece will not thread into the female piece and I will come back to you as the machinist and request that the job be re-done at no additional cost to me.

This is why every machinist with whom I have ever dealt wants the female piece in their possession for measurement - unless the threading is for something uber-common, such as a 1/4-20, 1/4 NPT, m6-1.0, etc...

[JJ]

So, can you name the international standard to which a set of threads from 1978 *supposedly* conform? Here's another thought - I as an end user am going to bring a threading job to you, and if you thread the male piece at the top end of its tolerance and the female piece is already at the top end of it's tolerance (which you do not have in your possession), the male piece will not thread into the female piece and I will come back to you as the machinist and request that the job be re-done at no additional cost to me.

If both pieces are at the top (or bottom) end of their tolerance, but not OUT of tolerance, they will fit together. It is done millions of times daily in the world of manufacturing.

Do you think the original sets of forks and caps for motorcycles are hand-mated for fit at the factory? NO WAY!

I'm sure that the threads on the fork caps is a modern standard metric thread diameter, pitch, and form. If the caps are made to tolerance, and they don't fit together, then the problem is with the threads in the fork.

This is why every machinist with whom I have ever dealt wants the female piece in their possession for measurement - unless the threading is for something uber-common, such as a 1/4-20, 1/4 NPT, m6-1.0, etc...

As stated earlier, I am sure that the threads on our forks and caps are both based an international thread standard. You have been dealing with some ****-poor machinists if they can't machine threads without having the mating part in their possession. A possible reason for that is that they doubt their own abilities at turning threads.

BTW. great work on your bike!

[philosopheriam]

Christmas Eve progress:

Installed rear fender and liner and license plate bracket.




Sealed intake boots to head using gas-resistant RTV (from a company called Silicone Solutions). Liberally applied break-in lube (again) to cam lobes and tappets and bathed top-end in oil. Sealed valve cover end plugs (w/same RTV), installed breather cover gasket and valve cover gasket. Filled crankcase with oil.

[Guest]

I've never heard of anyone using RTV for the intake boots, is there a reason why you did that? project is draw dropping as usual. Nice touch with the intake boot bolts.

[blowerbike]

did you flip the half moons around with the lip towards the cams?
hard to tell from the pictures...everything's looking good!

[rapidray]

Anthony, pull the valve cover back off & flip the half moons around so the lip is INSIDE the head. This will keep them from ever blowing out & will also stop cam walk if you have any. It takes very LITTLE sealant on those, & only at the top where the corners of the half moons meet the head surface, UNDER the valve cover gasket. Just a little dab at each end of each half moon. The bike is looking OUTSTANDING!!! Merry Christmas!
Ray.

[jsandidge]

I never heard that flipping the half moons around would stop cam walk. I'm going to do that myself. If anyone knows it would be Ray!

[Guest]

Looking fresh.

[philosopheriam]

Anthony, pull the valve cover back off & flip the half moons around so the lip is INSIDE the head. This will keep them from ever blowing out & will also stop cam walk if you have any. It takes very LITTLE sealant on those, & only at the top where the corners of the half moons meet the head surface, UNDER the valve cover gasket. Just a little dab at each end of each half moon. The bike is looking OUTSTANDING!!! Merry Christmas!
Ray.

Damnit Ray!!! Can't you mention stuff like this BEFORE I put things together :-)

Merry Christmas!

[philosopheriam]

I've never heard of anyone using RTV for the intake boots, is there a reason why you did that? project is draw dropping as usual. Nice touch with the intake boot bolts.

The head was ported by Ray, and the sealing surface for the boots is a bit thinner on on the "top" of each port. The boots I am using do not have o-rings, so, to ensure a good seal I put some gas-resistant RTV around each port and then tightened the boots down. Ray suggested this, and I have seen it done on many other bikes with carb and boot upgrades.

Also, the boots I am using are much larger - they are meant for the 34mm flat slides I will be running. The mounting holes of each boot are 8mm, whereas the original mounting bolts are 6mm. To keep the boots perfectly centered on the ports, I used stainless steel shoulder bolts that have a 6mm thread and an 8mm shoulder - the boot rides on the shoulder and the shoulder is short enough that when it is tightened down it does not bottom out. Under each shoulder bolt is a stainless belleville (curved and serrated) locking washer to prevent loosening under vibration.

[Grimly]

If both pieces are at the top (or bottom) end of their tolerance, but not OUT of tolerance, they will fit together. It is done millions of times daily in the world of manufacturing.

Do you think the original sets of forks and caps for motorcycles are hand-mated for fit at the factory? NO WAY!

I'm sure that the threads on the fork caps is a modern standard metric thread diameter, pitch, and form. If the caps are made to tolerance, and they don't fit together, then the problem is with the threads in the fork.



As stated earlier, I am sure that the threads on our forks and caps are both based an international thread standard. You have been dealing with some ****-poor machinists if they can't machine threads without having the mating part in their possession. A possible reason for that is that they doubt their own abilities at turning threads.

BTW. great work on your bike!

Actually, here's a thing.
The GS1000 caps I have are 29mm fine, the GS850 caps are 32mm fine, on the same size 37mm tube.
I can see why Suzuki went up a size on the 850, to allow for the mechanical pre-load device.

Given the number of swaps, mix'n matches and general PO uselessness over the years, if I were a machinist I'd not take the word of an owner that X bike is definitely standard and Y size is the thread. I'd want the forks in my hand to see exactly what they are. I'd suppose he's learned the hard way.

[philosopheriam]

Christmas day zinc plating :-)

Here's a few odd and ends that I forgot to do - bolts for my controls/switches, miscellaneous washers, etc...

[xl CR1ME lx]

Just read this entire thread. Outstanding work!

[philosopheriam]

Just read this entire thread. Outstanding work!

Thanks bud!