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1980 gs1000gt JUST PURCHASED

  • Thread starter Thread starter SHEM
  • Start date Start date
S

SHEM

Guest
I Just bought this bike. I love how it feels and its FAST! However after I got home from a long stop and go ride in hot weather and a fresh tank of gas I noticed the rear tire had oil on it. Then I noticed a trail of oil from where I backed it up to the sidewalk, then I noticed a small puddle of oil underneath the oilpan. It looks like its dripping from two bolts under it. Any ideas please?
 
Clean off the oil with simple green and a pressure washer or hose and then see if you can pin point the source of the oil, some have used flour or talc powder to find the wet spot.

You may have a leaking drain plug or need a new gasket on the sump.

Photos please, of the bike and the area were it's leaking from.

Welcome to the GS forum, I see it's your first post.
 
newbie

newbie

Thank you for your quick response! Its just weird that last nights ride didn't have any leaks and then today it did. I will attempt to clean and find specifically where. Im planning a 200 mile round trip in a few days. I was thinking of just going and hoping the best. Maybe a oil leak stopper additive?
 
NO, find the leak and fix it. Who knows what that leak stopper will stop up?

Check to see if there is fuel in your oil. A bad petcock can dump a lot of fuel into the crankcase, if the oil is thinned out enough it may find a new leak when it gets hot…

If there's much fuel in the oil don't run it anymore until you change the oil and fix the petcock.

As far as your trip in a few days, it may be wise to catch up on 34 years of neglected maintenance before trying something like that. Previous owners almost never do everything that they should.

Edit, yeah that pic above looks like thinned out oil to me.
 
gas smell

gas smell

I just smelled the crankcase from the oil filler. It smells like gas. I did just fill 5 gallons in. Do you think this is the reason. Like you said a bad petcock? If so can I safely ride it 10 miles to the dealership service dept?
 
No, don't start it at all. Can destroy the engine. How far above the proper oil level in the window is the oil now? Sometimes a couple gallons or more of fuel gets in the oil, bad news.

The leak may fix itself or at least slow way down once proper oil is back in the engine. The petcock is a very easy DIY type repair.
 
bummer

bummer

Do you know the cost of a new petcock and is it hard to replace myself?
 
oil level

oil level

Its too dark now to see but I will check the level in the morning
 
Petcock is $50ish from Z1 Enterprises. Probably more from Suzuki. Very easy to replace. You will need something to put some gasoline in while you replace it.
 
You will also need a new oil filter and 4 litres of oil. Something else...your front rotors look an odd colour. By chance do you have some pads sticking? and from the picture your front calipers look to be in an odd position, but it might just be the angle of the picture. Either way you should prop the front of the bike up so the front wheel is off the ground and spin the wheel to make sure it's spinning freely, then apply the front brake, the again spin the wheel to make sure the pads are coming off the rotors properly.
 
fun while it lasted

fun while it lasted

Well I enjoyed my two rides. I will have to park it for awhile until I get all the parts and tools. I don't have any. Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.
 
SHEM said:
Well I enjoyed my two rides. I will have to park it for awhile until I get all the parts and tools. I don't have any. Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.
Click to expand...

What's your location? There are probably forum members very close that would be happy to help you with the petcock and the oil change, maybe give the bike a good once over to check for any other problems you might not know about.

What azr said about the brakes is very valid, and very important.
 
You probably have the fuel petcock without the lever, so check it not on "prime" it should be horizontal, (prime will fill the carbs and keep filling the crankcase if there is a stuck float.)

If you do buy a new petcock get a new rubber gasket and 2 new washers as they may need replacing and better to have those parts on hand when you do the job, it only takes about 30 minutes to complete.

There is quite a few basic things you can do yourself if you have some tools and the desire.
It can get expensive to take it to a shop and many shops don't like working on these bikes as the young mechanics have never seen these bikes, or they can't be bothered with them.

Good luck.
 
It really is best to buy the OEM one. I bought the ones from Z1 'once', the fuel tap and vacuum ports are pointing the wrong way, makes the fuel line a real PITA and it only lasted 2 years. For an extra $30 I could have had a factory one that would last another 30 yrs.
 
Kiwi Canuck said:
You probably have the fuel petcock without the lever, so check it not on "prime" it should be horizontal, (prime will fill the carbs and keep filling the crankcase if there is a stuck float.)

If you do buy a new petcock get a new rubber gasket and 2 new washers as they may need replacing and better to have those parts on hand when you do the job, it only takes about 30 minutes to complete.

There is quite a few basic things you can do yourself if you have some tools and the desire.
It can get expensive to take it to a shop and many shops don't like working on these bikes as the young mechanics have never seen these bikes, or they can't be bothered with them.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
I have the same "dreaded 1980 petcock" - several of the guys on the site have warned me about it. Thankfully, mine hasn't failed yet.

Yes, make sure it's horizontal - you'll need a small flathead screwdriver to adjust if necessary. It says PRI on top. If you're vertical, your gas is a flowin'.

If you are leaking gas and not oil, it's possible that you smelled the leaked gas with your sniffer down there at the oil fill hole. A stuck float can and will leak gas onto the ground - happened regularly on my 550.

Post your location & maybe a local GS'er can give that pretty bike a once over for ya.
 
anyone in Seattle?

anyone in Seattle?

I would definitely welcome any assistance as Im not "in the money" I barely could afford this beast at $1000
 
Not the dreaded 80 PC.

Something else going on.


When you get your mega welcome from the boss of this fine forum, take the time to do the catch up maintenance. That's a pretty bike, but it's also pretty old, and needs stuff.

Enjoy!
 
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