1978 GS1000 Lost motivation

[HaggisHombre]

I removed all the parts from my 1978 GS1000 and striped down the top end of the engine, I had great plans. Now I have lost motivation to put it all back together. I am ready to re-grind the valve seats, replace the valves and continue from there. I purchased many new parts for the bike like a new motogpwerks exhaust, electronic ignition, modern brake system, stage III jet kit etc. Do you think I would be best to sell the parts vs trying to assemble the bike then sell. Although healthy now numerous illnesses prevented me making progress over the last few years. Sad story I know, and I hate giving up.

 

[Nessism]

A running bike is always worth more than a non runner. I'd get it running first and then decide about adding the accessory parts.

 

[eil]

If you sell the bike as a pile of parts, you will not get anything near what you will for it in running condition, or by selling each part one-by-one on eBay. Since motivation is your issue, I seriously doubt you want to go the eBay route.

If you just want to unload it and be done, and don't care about all the lost moniez, post it up on the parts wanted forum. For the right (low) price, someone will take it.

I have some problems with motivation myself, one thing that seems to work consistently is to start with something small. Polish or paint a piece. Bolt one thing to another. Mount a tire. Before you know it, you're halfway done and having fun again.

 

[HaggisHombre]

Thanks EIL and Nessism, I appreciate the advice. I did buy the paste today to grind the valves. Perhaps I will start that and see where I get to.

 

[rustybronco]

One step at a time my friend...

Look at my signature. Determination will see your project through. Tell yourself your going to finish it.

 

[HaggisHombre]

Today I reground the valve seats, tomorrow I will replace valve guide seals.

 

[londonboards]

Well done - keep going. We all have days/weeks/months/sometimes years when we don't feel like it.

Keep us posted (give us some pics) and we'll support you.

Greetings

 

[tfb]

When I bought my GS1000 UTTER basket case, the first thing I did was buy two new tyres. That meant that money had been spent, and tyres if left for too long will go hard and lose their grip, etc. So that mean that my Inner Scrooge was now the one driving the project before the tyres got too old. :xsmilie_mrgreen:

 

[HaggisHombre]

Today I spent 3 hours installing the 8 valves 2 hours for the 1st one and 1 hour for the other 7, phew. In that 2 hours I discovered that you need to expose the slot where the cotter half's seat and a bit more. Some Moly paste also helps the cotter half's stay in place. Finally the whole process would have been easier, removal and installation if I had purchased the right tool instead of making my own. Regardless its done, yeh. Cylinder installation next weekend and once again I do not have the right tool. When I was a motorcycle mechanic in the 70s all we used was our hands squeezing the rings and sliding the cylinders on. My recollection is that it was not easy and easy to break a ring but I will give it a try old school.

 

[Flyboy]

Good work, keep at it, Jennifer is 4 years and counting already, had a few spells where the motivation just was not there.
Every little thing you do, no matter how small is one step closer.

 

[HaggisHombre]

Thanks Flyboy

 

[Kiwi Canuck]

Today I spent 3 hours installing the 8 valves 2 hours for the 1st one and 1 hour for the other 7, phew. In that 2 hours I discovered that you need to expose the slot where the cotter half's seat and a bit more. Some Moly paste also helps the cotter half's stay in place. Finally the whole process would have been easier, removal and installation if I had purchased the right tool instead of making my own. Regardless its done, yeh. Cylinder installation next weekend and once again I do not have the right tool. When I was a motorcycle mechanic in the 70s all we used was our hands squeezing the rings and sliding the cylinders on. My recollection is that it was not easy and easy to break a ring but I will give it a try old school.

I used the wooden block method, and it worked well, I carefully used a small screw driver to compress the last piece of ring in so the cylinder would slide down as my fingers were not quite strong enough.

Here's a couple of pictures of the setup, the wooden blocks keep everything nice and straight.

 

[tfb]

When I was a motorcycle mechanic in the 70s all we used was our hands squeezing the rings and sliding the cylinders on. My recollection is that it was not easy and easy to break a ring but I will give it a try old school.

Make yourself a pair of piston ring compressors out of strips of thin aluminium sheet, about 1" in width, which can be clamped up using 1" long self-tapping screws. They work a treat, and the soft aluminium means nothing gets scored or scratched.

 

[wymple]

Push those rings in with popsicle sticks. Eat the popsicles 1st.

 

[HaggisHombre]

Ok cool those are good suggestions. Currently the 2 to end pistons are up do you see any problem doing it in that configuration?

 

[tfb]

Eat the popsicles 1st.

That's gold!

Currently the 2 to end pistons are up do you see any problem doing it in that configuration?

No, just find whichever configuration makes sense to you. Personally I find it easiest doing the inner 2 cylinders first, but only because it makes handling the ring-compressors easier. But if you have first eaten the popsicles, my guess is that either config. will be fine.

 

[HaggisHombre]

Me and my son installed the barrels without the ring compression tools. Also we did not use the wooden blocks. At first it seemed like it was not working but once we got the ring compression technique down using the Popsicle sticks they went on quite easily. It did take about 30 minutes.

 

[posplayr]

I used the wooden block method, and it worked well, I carefully used a small screw driver to compress the last piece of ring in so the cylinder would slide down as my fingers were not quite strong enough.

That is a clean setup.