'82 GS550L - Senior Project (Father/Son) Rebuild

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

You cannot buy it rather you must channel it across generations of your DNA

Sorry dude I was using a bit of colourful language there is no product
:clap::clap:

I wonder, is Teutonic spite better than Celtic anger? 'Cause I'm more Scottish than German.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

I wonder, is Teutonic spite better than Celtic anger? 'Cause I'm more Scottish than German.

HA I am too In fact I am heading to a festival this weekend

Now if I was you I woud get me some evaporust and finagle some way of dipping thos shrouds.

Even a wetted rag in a zip lock bag would work

I think taking em off would be more truble than it is worth.

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

HA I am too In fact I am heading to a festival this weekend

Now if I was you I woud get me some evaporust and finagle some way of dipping thos shrouds.

Even a wetted rag in a zip lock bag would work

I think taking em off would be more truble than it is worth.

What did you mean by "a rag in a zip lock bag"? im a bit confused by it...

 

[Good Times]

I used vinegar to de-rust my stuff. Really cheap and works well. It is a slower process though. Takes a day or two to get the really rusty stuff clean. I found that apple cider vinegar actually worked a little better than the white vinegar.

Fill a container up with the vinegar. Dunk the part. Let it sit. Check from time to time. A little scrubbing and you're golden.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

What did you mean by "a rag in a zip lock bag"? im a bit confused by it...

Take a small rag or even paper towel
dip it in evaporust
place it in a small bag
then take the bag and use it like a condom over the shrouds

tape of the open end and evaporation will do the rest.

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

About to remove and clean engine

About to remove and clean engine

Yesterday my dad and I began the process, given by the GS550 Service manual, on how to take the engine off the frame. So far, we have removed the gear shifter, made a homeade engine stand, and removed the sprocket cover. The sprocket is absolutely Wonderfully dirty and i was wondering, would it be safe to spray down the engine with a hose with the sprocket cover off? or do i have to remove all this by hand? As always welcome to ideas and replies!

This is the primary and cover after taking the cover off.

 

[Tim Tom]

Use some heavy duty de-greaser. That and some elbow grease will work wonders. Any auto-parts store will carry a suitable product. I've had good results when rebuilding car motors with Gunk Engine Degreaser. Be sure to pick up more than one can, you'll go through it faster than you think.

If it's truly hard to remove a wire brush will help loosen it up.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

I use kerosene and a tun pan and a small parts brush.
Cheaper in the long run.

 

[raines45]

hey man im doing a rebuild/cafe project try this stuff called bar keepers friend for rust.
make sure to buy the powder not the pre made liquid unless thats all you can get.
get a wet rag ring it out/ pour some of the BKF on the rag and roll it up into a little ball then press firmly on the rusty spots and scrub.
then flip rag wipe and then dry with a dry rag.
watch what happens soooo amazing i use it on chrome for anything i use.. truck/bike/bolts/ whatever.

Also use SIMPLE GREEN somone else was talking about it on one of these forums its a liquorice smelling liquid that works wonders mixed with a little mineral spirits and a sponge/rag/tooth brush and spray with house after you have cleeeeaann metal!!!

 

[tswirl]

PB Blaster is also really effective at removing rust. It comes in an aerosol can for about $5 - spray it on and let it sit for a while before scrubbing it off

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

We really do need an update on this project.

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

So yesterday my dad and i power-washed the frame and engine.

Hoping to paint; The engine, frame, fenders, gas tank, and exhaust pipes. Does anyone know the best way to prep and paint the engine and exhaust pipes? i will be checking for comments as much as possible. Hoping to be done with the whole bike by christmas, should be a LOT of work. Thanks guys.

 

[Good Times]

Great job. Like those plugs.

Just a note: You might want to pull the oil drain plug to see if you got any water in the crank case. There's a "weep" hole under the starter that opens into the crank. I know I had water get in the motor through that hole. Just as a precaution, you may also want to pull the valve cover and check it as well. Any water sitting in there will rust the cams.

Onward!

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

Today we got the bike down to just the frame. No wheels. No forks. Just the frame on a lift! fantastic. however, it was too dark to take a picture so I will upload one tomorrow...I hope. We took off the rear brake drum and this is what it looked like:

Can this be saved? I was actually thinking about figuring out a way to make the rear brake a disc brake to match the front brake. Does anyone know a mod that i could possibly use to do this? Please let me know. But dont worry. take your time, i have PLENTY to do before i get to the brakes. Thanks guys.

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

Great job. Like those plugs.

Just a note: You might want to pull the oil drain plug to see if you got any water in the crank case. There's a "weep" hole under the starter that opens into the crank. I know I had water get in the motor through that hole. Just as a precaution, you may also want to pull the valve cover and check it as well. Any water sitting in there will rust the cams.

Onward!

Thanks for the tip. The oil drain plug was still in the bag marked "oil drain plug" and we pulled the valve cover, stator cover, clutch cover, and timing cover.

Tiny little bits of rust on some of the stator gears, but the rest looks good.

now to figure out a way to get the old gaskets off (both sides) without leaving little shreds of paper in the engine.

 

[Steve]

Just a note: You might want to pull the oil drain plug to see if you got any water in the crank case. There's a "weep" hole under the starter that opens into the crank.

I am not so sure about this. That is merely the top end of the "mystery hole" that most people see at the bottom end first.

It actually goes straight through, to drain anything that might collect in the starter cavity, but should not have any access to the inside of the crankcase.

.

 

[82 GS550L Basket Case]

Busy week - I'll help Tanner out with an update.
Got the primary nice and clean

Tanner and his mentor spent some time cleaning the wiring

All the easy stuff ground off...

Part of the lesson is about safety - goggles, long sleeves, respirator, gloves ... to start blasting the tricky spots clean

The better part of 50 pounds of Black Diamond grit on the ground, and almost all the paint off the frame.
The $18.49 Campbell Hausfield blaster from Tractor Supply Company works pretty good.

- Dad

 

[Good Times]

I am not so sure about this. That is merely the top end of the "mystery hole" that most people see at the bottom end first.

It actually goes straight through, to drain anything that might collect in the starter cavity, but should not have any access to the inside of the crankcase.

.

I stand corrected.

Hmmm....well then I wonder how I got water in the crank case? I had everything else plugged up tight.

 

[Qhergt]

you guys are inspiring me to do a complete rebuild of my bike!!

 

[Good Times]

Looks great there basket case. Nice job on the frame. Learning some valuable skills. Chicks dig a guy who knows how to sand blast.