78 GS 750 Rebuild

[Sam 78 GS750]

Nice build, really like that you're doing it all yourself. Great setup for painting and plating.

Thank you. I have farmed a couple of things out...some welding on the frame, getting the valve seats cut and head decked, and powder coat on the frame and other bits. Other than that, it's all me... I'll probably send some stuff for chrome plating. I'm only set up for zinc. I looked into a chrome setup, and it's way to expensive to make it worth my while.
I keep going back and forth on whether or not to paint the tank myself or get it done. That's a bit different than a rattle can on the engine or wheels...

[azr]

Nice build, really like that you're doing it all yourself. Great setup for painting and plating.

[Sam 78 GS750]

Also got the head assembled.

After paint
20171130_192001 by samL9, on Flickr

Rigged this up from an 8" C clamp and a O2 sensor socket. One of countless tips and tricks I've picked up from this site over the years...
Should have JB welded or bolted it up, but I just kind of awkwardly held it together to compress the springs and get the keepers on the valves. It did the job...
20171223_182920 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_182931 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_182959 by samL9, on Flickr

aaaaand done.
20171223_215557 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_215423 by samL9, on Flickr

[Sam 78 GS750]

...and some more

Fitting the gears
20171209_172755 by samL9, on Flickr

and the shift forks, etc.
20171216_181711 by samL9, on Flickr

Forgot to order one %^$%^&@! seal, so I had to stop here...
20171209_172910 by samL9, on Flickr

Finally came in, and got the cases together.
20171216_204304 by samL9, on Flickr

20171216_204344 by samL9, on Flickr

[Sam 78 GS750]

Speak with the words of this "power seal" where does one buy such things

I got it straight from the manufacturer's site, but bike bandit, and I think Amazon have it too...

http://wizardsproducts.com/motorcycle-power-seal-8-oz/

[Sam 78 GS750]

A few shots of the paint booth. Nailed some 1X3 boards to the rafters, and gorilla taped some plastic sheeting together. Added a couple of furnace filters, and a box fan. Then I used the box from my air compressor and some industrial velcro for the door. I cut up an old broom handle and rigged that up to hang parts from. Built it around the existing light hanging from the ceiling so it was well lit inside.

20170805_130303 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130326 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130412 by samL9, on Flickr

[thebrandonbeezy]

Speak with the words of this "power seal" where does one buy such things

[thebrandonbeezy]

Dude... yes

[Sam 78 GS750]

Some more random progress pics

Just to get an idea of the before on the engine...
cases assbld kickstart iolpan straps by samL9, on Flickr

painting in process
20170805_130449 by samL9, on Flickr
20170805_130458 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130439 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130431 by samL9, on Flickr


and the after...
20170805_134457 by samL9, on Flickr

Did all the engine parts the same way. Baked at 200 F for an hour, garnished with parsley, and done.

[Sam 78 GS750]

I tend to put things partly back together during disassembly so I don't lose them. After I took the pistons off, I put the wrist pins back in....

The other day I was putting new piston rings on, and I noticed I was missing one of the wrist pins. I looked in all the boxes where I thought it would be with no luck. I looked in all the boxes where I didn't think it would be...still no luck. A couple of days later I was driving around and racking my brain trying to think of where it would be. All of a sudden it hit me, but I thought no way...

Sure enough
20171223_171204 by samL9, on Flickr

Think 2 years is long enough of a soak?

[Sam 78 GS750]

Some very nice work.


Am trying to up my game & am curious about that zinc plating.
Wasn’t that cable guide originally chrome plated? Does zinc plating work on chromed parts?
Any tips / more info on zinc plating?
You mentioned a writeup — do you have a link?

Zinc plating starts at post# 129, and continues on throughout the next couple of pages... http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...61#post2177061

After you read through the zinc plating write up, go back to post# 1. You'll be blown away by the attention to detail in his build...

as far as the cable guide, I don't think it was chrome plated. If it ever was, any chrome on mine was long gone...

The sunglasses in the background of the plated covers are appropriate. haha.
Nice work, Sam.

Thank you. It's taking a long time, but I may just have this thing up and running by the spring (although that's what I said the last 2 winters..)

[steve murdoch]

The sunglasses in the background of the plated covers are appropriate. haha.
Nice work, Sam.

[jabcb]

Some very nice work.


Am trying to up my game & am curious about that zinc plating.
Wasn’t that cable guide originally chrome plated? Does zinc plating work on chromed parts?
Any tips / more info on zinc plating?
You mentioned a writeup — do you have a link?

[Sam 78 GS750]

Some polishing pics
20170122_190219 by samL9, on Flickr

20170124_001358 by samL9, on Flickr



Before
20170402_143350 by samL9, on Flickr

600 grit
20170402_172115 by samL9, on Flickr

1000 grit
20170402_175941 by samL9, on Flickr

Black compound on sisal wheel
20170402_191629 by samL9, on Flickr


brown compound on stitched cotton wheel
20170402_200719 by samL9, on Flickr


White on loose cotton wheel
20170402_204742 by samL9, on Flickr

Red on flannel wheel
20170402_213510 by samL9, on Flickr

And after Wizards Power Seal. Took a little bit of the shine off, but the protection is worth it.
20170402_222507 by samL9, on Flickr

Did all of the engine covers like this...

[Sam 78 GS750]

...and since everyone loves pics. Again, in no particular order.


Wheels. Wish I would have gotten a before pic...
Wheel by samL9, on Flickr

Wheel2 by samL9, on Flickr


Plating setup and some before and after.
20170115_173633 by samL9, on Flickr

20170115_173645 by samL9, on Flickr

20170115_173726 by samL9, on Flickr

20170115_190927 by samL9, on Flickr

20170115_211732 by samL9, on Flickr