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Barn find 1980 GS450L!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
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levsmith said:
After lots of fiddling, it?s finally cranking! Now just have to get some fuel to it. I poured fuel in and tried cranking quite a bit, but no fire. I guess my next step is starting fluid, I want to hear it at least try to fire before I dig into the carbs
Click to expand...

Would be good to test the plugs for spark while you're at it. It's an easy test and eliminates one possible source of non-starting. Pull the plug, put it back in the cap, hold the threaded part against the engine, fire the starter and look for a spark in the gap area.

Possible outcomes:
- If no spark then you might have other electrical issues (coils, wires, pickup sensor, etc.).
- If you get a spark but it jumps all over the place rather than the gap, you need new plugs.
- If you get a consistent strong spark in the gap, then move on to fueling issues.
 
Glad your 450 is getting ready to chug. I'm the author of that other post with the formerly fully seized engine. Need any pointers, just ask.

Some notes:
  • The 450 is my first bike, sounds like yours too. Be wary of inheriting bad information from overly-confident crackpots. E.g., a fella at work suggests that spraying crab cleaner directly into the airbox side of the carbs while the engine cranks will "clean your carbs". Absolutely don't, I learned that was *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ advice after buying a new carb off ebay for $60 since it was cheaper than the sum of all the rubber parts that got damaged within.
  • Even today I am reminded that the factory manual leaves out some important details that the Clymer doesn't, and vice-versa. Spend the time double-checking a procedure between the two.
  • Just stick with OEM where you can. You can play around with electrical additions if you like (like adding a 12v outlet for your phone charger/heated gloves), but safety or engine critical stuff, stay with OEM. If you need to add new connections, stay away from "quick splices", I lean on marine splice connectors from Horror Freight, they are good quality.
  • Stripping the oil pan's plug is what later killed my engine, you can preemptively add a helicoil kit (14mmx1.25) so that you're screwing down into steel vs the soft aluminum.

Best of luck, it's been a great little machine.
 
Alright guys, update time! I had a little time to tear into it last night. Sprayed some starting fluid in the air box and after a few minutes of feathering the throttle and spraying more fluid, it finally got fuel from the tank and idled very nicely! I found the spot where it?s leaking oil. It?s a little shaft in front of the chain sprocket. I have no clue what the shaft is, but it?s been bent a little bit and I?m assuming that screwed up the seal in the block. Can anyone identify what this little shaft is so I can go about looking up a new part and a seal for it?

029CF0B5-CAF2-46A0-8B91-E312CE76478A.jpg
 
I believe that bent rod is your clutch push rod #19 on this fishe. #20 Oil Seal is probably where you're leaking oil. No idea if you can fix this without splitting the cases, but I doubt it.
 
Rich, thank you very much! I don't know if I would have figured that out, but it looks like you are correct. I went to the website you linked and it shows the push rod is not available. Everything I can find says it was superseded and is now a 2 piece push rod so that it can be replaced without pulling the entire clutch if it were to get damaged again. I cannot seem to find the new part number though. Anyone have any guesses? Maybe a trip to the dealer is in order...
 
Well it looks like the '83 and up had the two piece push rod. I went ahead and ordered the two new pieces, a new seal, the seal holder for this new style and a new crankcase cover gasket since I'll have to remove the clutch. I'm crossing my fingers hoping that it all fits the same. I'll update you all when the parts come in.
 
Mine was leaking from the exact same spot, being an 82 it was one piece, replacing both the shaft and seal took care of it. My question then became, how do it bend in the first place? Never did figure that one out.
 
Time for an update. I finally got the parts in and had time to work on it last night. Got the cover pulled off and the old shaft removed. I put the large half of the new 2 piece push rod back in and got the clutch side sealed back up again. I got stuck on getting the old oil seal out on the sprocket side. Hopefully getting a seal pulling tool tonight, I couldn't get it to move using wood screws. But so far it looks like all of the 1983-up parts are going to work on the 80-82. If it does end up working, I'll come back here and put all needed part numbers in so if anyone else has this problem, they know it can be updated to the new style. I'm still scratching my head wondering why Suzuki doesn't show the superseded part numbers.

LAB3, I was trying to figure it out too. The only thing I can think of is somehow during riding the chain carried a rock inside that cover. Jamming a rock between the chain and that rod would more than likely bend it.
 
levsmith said:
The only thing I can think of is somehow during riding the chain carried a rock inside that cover. Jamming a rock between the chain and that rod would more than likely bend it.
Click to expand...

A snapped chain will sometimes bunch up and wreck the casings, but in this case just bent the pushrod.
 
Got the old seal out and the new seal, smaller half of the push rod and the seal holder installed last night and everything is put back together. Unfortunately nobody in town has a filter for it so it had to be ordered. Hopefully I get to start it up on Thursday. That did give me some time to run a rag over it and get that 20 years of dust off of things. It looks like its going to clean up pretty well!

Grimly said:
A snapped chain will sometimes bunch up and wreck the casings, but in this case just bent the pushrod.
Click to expand...

That's the only other scenario I could think of, but the chain is still good. I'll have to ask the neighbor if he remembers replacing the chain before this happened. Maybe it had been bent for a while and just finally popped the seal.
 
levsmith said:
That's the only other scenario I could think of, but the chain is still good. I'll have to ask the neighbor if he remembers replacing the chain before this happened. Maybe it had been bent for a while and just finally popped the seal.
Click to expand...

It could have happened a decade or two back. Cheapskate owners often had chains snap, it got all the more exciting when it was a powerful bike, or one with rare (expensive) cases.
 
Okay all,
Got another issue. I got everything buttoned back up and fresh oil in. I started it up to take a test drive around the yard, put it in gear and when I let out the clutch, nothing happened... I'll be the first to admit that I've never adjusted a motorcycle clutch before. I fiddled with the adjustment next to the clutch lever, I screwed it all the way in and the noticed there was friction on the clutch but still not grabbing. So I went to play with the adjustment on the chain cover and the nut and adjustment screw were rusted up. I ended up snapping the screw part so I need to order another one, but I have no clue what it is called and I cant seem to find it in the parts diagrams. Anyone have any idea? Now that I've done some research, I see there is a coarse adjustment under the cover, I should have started there. I learned my lesson on this one! Thanks for any help. Picture attached is not mine, but the same idea. I wish my bike was this clean!

09-FinalIn-lineCableSetting.jpg
 
What you're seeing in that photo there is the end of the clutch cable, so you just need to order yourself a new clutch cable to replace that.
 
pete said:
What you're seeing in that photo there is the end of the clutch cable, so you just need to order yourself a new clutch cable to replace that.
Click to expand...

Wow, yeah. I was overthinking that one! That makes complete sense now that you mentioned it, thanks Pete. Got a new clutch cable on order!
 
Alright, just an update to this thread. Everything worked just fine, so I'm going to list all of the parts needed. Hopefully it saves someone else the hours! If you have a 1980-1982 GS450 (maybe other bikes as well) with a bent clutch push rod (original part number 23100-44101, discontinued my Suzuki), it can be replaced by the 2 piece push rod used in the 1983 and newer GL's. Here is a list of all the parts you will need to switch it out.

23110-44111 Clutch Push Rod (engine half)
23111-05A01 Clutch Push Rod (exposed half)
09285-06011 Oil Seal
23117-44102 Seal Retainer
11482-44110 Clutch Cover Gasket

For instructions, I used the following youtube video. It's for disassembling, but it shows all the steps needed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOfqNMDpIs
Start at 17:20 to see how to get to the clutch. Stop at 22:52. There is no need to remove the clutch like what is shown after that point in the video. Remove your left side sprocket cover, remove the chain, the sprocket, then the seal retainer plate, tap on the sprocket side of the old push rod to knock it out through the clutch side, then finally remove the oil seal. At this point its time for reassembly. Put the 23110-44111 Clutch Push Rod inside the hollow shaft of the clutch, then button everything back up on the clutch side. Moving to the sprocket side, reinstall your new oil seal, seal retainer plate, sprocket and chain. Put a little oil on the new push rod shaft and slide it into the oil seal. It should butt up against the other half that you placed inside the clutch side. Reinstall your sprocket cover and check for clutch engagement. More than likely you will need to readjust your clutch. Start with your major adjustments at the spot behind the small cover at the 10:16 mark in that same video. If you need more help with clutch adjustments, there are lots of videos on youtube. Hopefully this helps anyone who comes across this problem in the future! good luck and happy riding!
 
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