K
koolaid_kid
Guest
You are a touch rich, Scott, but not too much. Pistons, squish area look fine. How many miles?
-
Required reading for all forum users!!!
Welcome!
Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.A note to new registrants...
All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.A Special Note about Email accounts!
DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.A note to old forum members...
I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.
Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...
-
Returning Visitors
If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.
If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.
81 GS550T Full Rebuild...In Ohio
- Thread starter cowboyup3371
- Start date
A little over 22000; what is the squish area?
L
loud et
Guest
Not sure of the term squish area either, but Yes, the cam chain guide stick comes right out you open it up. pops in , pops out.
K
koolaid_kid
Guest
The squish area is where the valves reside. Not sure what else you would call it, but I am sure there is something else.
K
koolaid_kid
Guest
Thanks, Steve. 
Yes thank you Steve. So how were you able to tell that small space was good by the picture George? Is there anything special I should look for when I'm physically looking at them?
K
koolaid_kid
Guest
The dome where your valves live is the top of the squish area. The roof, if you will. Of that speaking I was. (in my best Yoda voice.)
Today was the family fun day as in everybody got involved with working with me. Even Paul wanted to come out so we put him in his wheelchair and let him do quite a bit of cleaning:
So he and Justin took care of frame bits:
He had a blast and was talking about it quite often after they went inside :clap:
Meanwhile, all three girls and I worked on removing the valves from the head and then these little buggers...
I hate those dang things
Here are what my intake valves look like. Any suggestions on how/what to use to clean them up?
So he and Justin took care of frame bits:
He had a blast and was talking about it quite often after they went inside :clap:
Meanwhile, all three girls and I worked on removing the valves from the head and then these little buggers...
I hate those dang things
Here are what my intake valves look like. Any suggestions on how/what to use to clean them up?
Once those were out, I started in on my pistons:
Used an Allen Wrench to help push the hinge pin out
Although I used a wheel to try cleaning off the carbon, I couldn't get it all. I'll stick them into Berryman's and see how well all that varnish gets off
How do the cylinders look to you all? (Best picture I could get)
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
And 4
I also found out that all of my top and middle piston rings are well within specs (0.20mm to 0.25mm with service limit at 0.07mm) so that's $100 saved for other things.
Used an Allen Wrench to help push the hinge pin out
Although I used a wheel to try cleaning off the carbon, I couldn't get it all. I'll stick them into Berryman's and see how well all that varnish gets off
How do the cylinders look to you all? (Best picture I could get)
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
And 4
I also found out that all of my top and middle piston rings are well within specs (0.20mm to 0.25mm with service limit at 0.07mm) so that's $100 saved for other things.
K
koolaid_kid
Guest
Wire brush on a wired drill or a bench grinder (much easier) to remove the buildup. Be sure and wear eye protection.
Do you know how to lap valves?
Do you know how to lap valves?
Finally, did a little cleaning on the cases with Simple Green and water. I say a little as there's a lot of dirt, oil, and grime in places my brushes won't get to, even my bottle brush. So I'll do more later with better stuff.
I didn't see why that base gasket would have started leaking on me but I'll do what cleaning I can. When it's time to put new ones on, I'll just have to ensure I properly torque everything.
I didn't see why that base gasket would have started leaking on me but I'll do what cleaning I can. When it's time to put new ones on, I'll just have to ensure I properly torque everything.
I've seen the procedure online and have had it explained but also have been told I didn't need to worry about it since I'm not replacing them. I'm nervous about doing it myself the first time though.
What's the truth?
K
koolaid_kid
Guest
You MUST lap the valves. It is not that difficult.
L
loud et
Guest
Already said, but agree, lapping valves is very easy, I dont think you could really mess up. O'Rielley, Autozone, Advanced, they all have the double ended suction cup tool, about 6 bucks and a twin tube pack or course and fine grit lapping compound.Maybe 5 bucks. It takes a lot of work to manually remove any material....its just a low material removal process to minimize any nicks, deposits or waves/irregularities and mate the surfaces a bit closer. Easy and good stuff.
+1 on the wire wheel in the drill also. I used it to remove the buildup on the valves, its hard as a rock, but so are the valves...you will not hurt them at all, but regardless I paid attention to not run the wheel on the shaft of the valve.
Nice to see the kids workin with ya
+1 on the wire wheel in the drill also. I used it to remove the buildup on the valves, its hard as a rock, but so are the valves...you will not hurt them at all, but regardless I paid attention to not run the wheel on the shaft of the valve.
Nice to see the kids workin with ya
Steve
GS Whisperer
I got one of those tools. BOTH ends are too big for GS850 valves, I would guess that his 550 valves are even smaller.
I chuck the valve in the drill, then hold it up to the wire wheel in the bench grinder.
Besides cleaning the valve, it also offers the opportunity to verify that the head is not bent.
.
Dogma
Forum Sage
Eh? Why "MUST" if the valves and guides aren't changing and the seat's aren't being cut? Just to make sure of the seal while it's apart?
L
loud et
Guest
Quote Steve-
I got one of those tools. BOTH ends are too big for GS850 valves, I would guess that his 550 valves are even smaller.
**they had two sizes...I got the smaller combo one. I think it was maybe a 5/8 and 3/4 double ender. The 16 valve (exhaust I think) are quite small.
I got one of those tools. BOTH ends are too big for GS850 valves, I would guess that his 550 valves are even smaller.
**they had two sizes...I got the smaller combo one. I think it was maybe a 5/8 and 3/4 double ender. The 16 valve (exhaust I think) are quite small.
F
Flyboy
Guest
Good work Scott, +10000 on having the brood out here busy at it.
Like has been said, wire wheel the valves clean, can wire wheel the top of the pistons as well, but I would not wire wheel the sides of the pistons around the ring areas, unless you use a very soft brass brush.
The best thing for cleaning ring grooves is an old broken ring.......
Like Steve said, I put the valve to the wire wheel on the grinder, that way you can roll it in your fingers and check it is not bent.
Another way is to roll the valve on a flat surface, you will see if it is bent right away.
Truth is, Scott, you can do no harm lapping in the valves, I would not even consider putting them back without lapping them if I were that far in.
Easy peeezy, its just mindless work, the trick is to lap first with the coarse paste then with the fine paste, kinda like polishing.
You are looking for a uniform grey ring all the way around the valve and seat, without any marks or breaks, once you have that, put it all together.
It really does not take much.
The grey band is fresh metal on both the valve and seat, and means she is sealing up nice and tight.
Don't forget to pt just a drop of oil on the valve shaft so you have some lube between the valve shaft and guide when you are lapping.
Liners look ok to me, sure I can still see some cross hatch on number 1, just drag your nail and look for a ridge near the top, but I doubt you will find one, Jennifer has 3750000km on her and no ridge at all.
Now either you dropped a decimal place there or you are going to have to explain that one to me...............as I read it, your gaps are way out of limit
Which, again, knowing these motors and your milage, I highly doubt, break out that vernier again, something don't look right with those numbers.
Like has been said, wire wheel the valves clean, can wire wheel the top of the pistons as well, but I would not wire wheel the sides of the pistons around the ring areas, unless you use a very soft brass brush.
The best thing for cleaning ring grooves is an old broken ring.......
Like Steve said, I put the valve to the wire wheel on the grinder, that way you can roll it in your fingers and check it is not bent.
Another way is to roll the valve on a flat surface, you will see if it is bent right away.
Truth is, Scott, you can do no harm lapping in the valves, I would not even consider putting them back without lapping them if I were that far in.
Easy peeezy, its just mindless work, the trick is to lap first with the coarse paste then with the fine paste, kinda like polishing.
You are looking for a uniform grey ring all the way around the valve and seat, without any marks or breaks, once you have that, put it all together.
It really does not take much.
The grey band is fresh metal on both the valve and seat, and means she is sealing up nice and tight.
Don't forget to pt just a drop of oil on the valve shaft so you have some lube between the valve shaft and guide when you are lapping.
Liners look ok to me, sure I can still see some cross hatch on number 1, just drag your nail and look for a ridge near the top, but I doubt you will find one, Jennifer has 3750000km on her and no ridge at all.
Now either you dropped a decimal place there or you are going to have to explain that one to me...............as I read it, your gaps are way out of limit
Which, again, knowing these motors and your milage, I highly doubt, break out that vernier again, something don't look right with those numbers.
The specs for standard ring gap are between 0.10mm and 0.30mm per the Clymers with the service limit set at 0.07mm. So basically the gap should be a decent size but as it gets smaller than the rings don't work like they should. Let me go check my service manual real fast too.
EDIT: The Suzuki Service Manual says the same thing for ring gap
EDIT: The Suzuki Service Manual says the same thing for ring gap
Last edited: