1980 GS1100LT Cleanup

[Guest]

Haven't accomplished much lately but did get a small luggage rack installed. About 18 bucks shipped to my door from Amazon but I did have to modify to work for my L. The rack was set up for a solo seat rack and I made a rear stand/leg anchor from 3/4" steel pipe and ran a 1/2" carriage bolt through then bolted underside of the fender.
I've had that Willie and Max bag since I bought my L new in 1980 and it still is in very good condition. I plan on eventually getting a new sissy bar bag and undecided on brand yet.


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[Guest]

I lost a couple of side covers.. The guy at the boneyard gave me a suggestion. I now use a small black zip tie through the top slot in the cover..

 

[Guest]

I lost a couple of side covers.. The guy at the boneyard gave me a suggestion. I now use a small black zip tie through the top slot in the cover..

I have lost several over the years myself and thanks for the tip.

 

[Guest]

Not much big progress to show but I've been taking care of the little items. I re-connected all the turn signal/brake light wiring and had one signal not flashing and found a rusty connection so figured this was a good time to do a little preventive maintenance...cleaned all turn signal/brake light bulb sockets and replaced all the bulbs, cleaned up any rusty/dirty electrical connections, replaced the headlight bulb, and replaced all fuses. I know the headlight bulb was original and probably some of the signal bulbs and now all lights seem much brighter.


I've been reading/watching videos on carb rebuild for quite some time and have decided to tackle the job myself. I also plan on painting at least the carb body and will use SprayMax or another 2k clear over the color coat....probably black carb body.


When I initially pulled the carbs off and then removed the bowls there was very little "gunk" in the bottom of the bowl and carb internals were actually very clean also. I haven't pulled and of the jets yet but do plan on using the stock ones again.


I don't want to cut any corners but from my reading it sounds like replacing all the o rings and possibly needle and seat is recommended?


best

 

[John Cross]

Nice work Loto! Obviously no P.O. issues to worry about as this is a one owner.

 

[Guest]

Haven't accomplished much lately and I was kind of stuck on whether to send my carbs off for a rebuild/paint or do it myself and I finally decided to do it myself. The tutorials on this Forum are a huge help and so far it has been far less challenging than I was expecting. I'll be ordering the orings for re-assembly soon.


Carbs had been through an ultrasound and I did a dip in 50/50 Simple Green/water, washed well with hot water, then used compressed air to dry.
SprayMax 2k primer, SEM Black colorcoat, and SprayMax Glamour (glossy) clearcoat....all were sprayed yesterday morning.


Black carb bodies and then I'll polish the tops and bottoms.


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[nvr2old]

It's been fun watching your project evolve and the tips/techniques that you picked up along the way..especially in the paint process. Higher quality materials that come in a "system" always make the job easier. The PPG materials that I use are expensive, but the quality and ease of application is undeniable. I'll look forward to your finished bike.

 

[Guest]

It's been fun watching your project evolve and the tips/techniques that you picked up along the way..especially in the paint process. Higher quality materials that come in a "system" always make the job easier. The PPG materials that I use are expensive, but the quality and ease of application is undeniable. I'll look forward to your finished bike.

Many of the issues I had with Rustoleum products were self inflicted due to painting in lower than recommended temperatures and humidity and also getting in a hurry. There were several instances of doing everything recommended and everything looks good until the final layer of clear goes on and then the dreaded spider webs appear. I've painted lots of homes/condos but the enamel paint on metal was all new to me.
I'm actually enjoying working on my GS again and if I can get the carbs done and have my GS start and run without taking it to a shop I'll be very happy with that accomplishment.

 

[Guest]

Orings came in today and got 2 carbs put back together using the tutorials for reference...much easier than I expected. I have stainless Allen head screws for the top and bottom and ordered stainless screws for the two carb gang brackets and if all goes well I hope to get carbs put back together in the gang soon.

 

[Guest]

Carbs are back together with all new orings (thank you Robert Barr) and rubber passage plugs and I tried to follow the tutorial closely and hopefully everything is back to gether correctly. I'm going to order new OEM fuel ine, vent/vaccum lines today so I'll probably attempt to put the carbs back on next week. I am going to try and use my old boots...they are still fairly flexible and are not cracked or weathered....I'll heat them up with a hair dryer and wipe a little motor oil on the boots to help slide on the carbs.



I used all new SS screws for the carbs and went with the button head for the gang brackets...got them from Alleyboltz.com and they are very reasonably priced and shipping is quick.


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[Guest]

Getting closer....installed all the SS allen bolts and finishing up a couple of other loose ends. I wanted to finish everything except the carb install so I could place one last order from Parts Outlaw for any last minute parts...need a few clamps and minor things and I ordered OEM fuel line and OEM vent line so when that comes in I'll be ready to slip on the carbs.
I do plan on removing the fairing and side covers when installing the carbs.
Hopefully my next addition to this thread will be when carbs are on.


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[Tom R]

Something’s gotta give when you hit the first bump with that fork bag...

 

[Guest]

Something’s gotta give when you hit the first bump with that fork bag...

The fairing is mounted finger tight and tipped downward an inch or more and the bag is just sitting on the fender and the ratchet straps are compressing the forks slightly as well....I’m hoping that when fairing and bag are final mounted I’ll have a couple of inches between bag and fender...not a lot of clearance though.

 

[Guest]

The fairing is mounted finger tight and tipped downward an inch or more and the bag is just sitting on the fender and the ratchet straps are compressing the forks slightly as well....I’m hoping that when fairing and bag are final mounted I’ll have a couple of inches between bag and fender...not a lot of clearance though.

Also will affect the cooling of the bike, to some degree (no pun intended).

 

[Nessism]

Also will affect the cooling of the bike, to some degree (no pun intended).

Agree. I'd move or ditch that bag. The engine needs all the cooling it can get.

 

[Guest]

Still waiting on a few parts to come in from Parts Outlaw which were ordered on 05/28 and still not shipped....they seem to have the best prices of OEM parts but don't keep much in stock so shipping is usually pretty slow....need the OEM fuel and vent lines on order for "real" assembly...new battery and spark plugs were purchased on Amazon....old plugs had less than 500 miles on them but were probably over 10 years old.


I've had the carbs on and off several times and have been trying to find the easiest way (for me at least) to install carbs and air box. My boots are original from 1980 and are still in good condition and fairly flexible so I decided to use them....I'm sure if I would have purchased new boots the install would have been easier. I have read many of the install techniques and they were a big help and I did try most of them and had success but I'm just going to describe what I considered my easiest install method.


1.) Install airbox and attach to frame with at least one of the mounting bolts/screws.


2.) Sneak the wifes hair dryer out of the house and heat up the airbox boots. Make sure you have the airbox boot clamps on the airbox and facing the right direction then slide the carbs in at an angle and then slip them up and into place. I placed several shop towels under the carbs to hold them kind of level and then make sure the carbs are fully seated in airbox and tighten all clamps. I initially used a little oil on the mouth of the airbox boots and no heat and the carbs tended to pop out of the boots during install.


3.) Remove bolt/screw holding airbox to frame and slide airbox and attached carbs as far back towards the battery as you can..I once used a small ratchet strap to do this but found it was not necessary by using the install without boot method. If you can get the airbox to slide under the mounting tab that is used for attaching airbox to frame you will gain a bit more space.

4.) Put a very light layer of oil on the carb boots and heat them up with the hair dryer. Start with the inside carbs and slip the boots into place, rotate to the right direction and they will pop into place. With the boots heated up and a light coat of oil I was amazed at how easy the boots were to slip on after the carbs were in place.


5.) Install clamps and then attach airbox to frame with the 2 bolts/screws.


I'll try to take a few photos of the carb install when I am doing the final (hopefully) install.




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[Guest]

Agree. I'd move or ditch that bag. The engine needs all the cooling it can get.

The bag is larger than I expected and I do have concerns about cooling so I'm on the fence with it....if I keep may just use in cooler weather.

 

[Guest]

The 1100L manual says D8EA plugs and .024 to .028 Gap..I have new D8EA plugs and they are all gapped at .027.....I checked the gap on my old/existing plugs and they are gapped at .034. The last time plugs were changed was about 10+ years ago (but maybe 500 miles ago) and a bike shop did the service at that time.


Should I leave at .027? The plugs are black but no buildup.


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[ColoradoGS850L]

Loto, this project has been a lot of fun to follow and I love the look of your bike with the high back seat etc! If the new plugs are in spec, personally I'd say leave them be at .027 and install them.

 

[Guest]

Loto, this project has been a lot of fun to follow and I love the look of your bike with the high back seat etc! If the new plugs are in spec, personally I'd say leave them be at .027 and install them.

thanks and I have definitely learned a lot since first starting this thread. My wrenching/mechanical skills are pretty limited and I’ve did very little of that type work in the last 40+ years.
The remaining parts I need should be here on Saturday so with any luck I’ll get the carbs finished up and ready to start next week.