GS450 Engine model Identification

[Blacky]

Hi all,

Wonder if anyone out there will be so kind and assist me, I recently purchased a decent looking GS450 engine, unfortuanately the original frame was long gone, the only lead i have is that its a 1980's GS450E engine.

I need to confirm what model it is as i want to start restoring it and need some info to order and purchase parts i.e. gaskets seals etc...

I have attached some pictures that might help, oh and i'm based in South-Africa...

 

[wally]

Not sure, but I know Pete and the other 450 guys will chime in soon!

I am from Cape town - also with a 450!

Welcome!

 

[Blacky]

Hi Wally,

Thanks for your response, i'll wait for the others to reply, great to know that there are still a few 450's alive out there!

What version do you have and is there somewhere local where one can source spares for the engine? I'm building it into a KZ550 frame... going the cafe racer route...

 

[wally]

Parts are pretty hard to come by - depending what you look for.

Mine is also 1980-ish - your motor looks the same as mine, judging from those chrome end caps on the cylinder head.

Things like gaskets are imports from Japan, but first try source as much locally as you can - postage from overseas is a killer (mainly because of our crap exchange rate...)

I use Suzuki South in Wynberg. The best guy to speak to is Achmat (Aggies). They are a bit slow (as with most things in Cape Town, but they can get hold of stuff). A full original Suzuki gasket set was quoted at R1500! A lot of money...

Hope you find what you are looking for locally!

 

[Blacky]

Oh, i see, it does seems like a lot of the 450 motors are very similar, this is why i'm trying to narrow it down as much as possible...

I'm not too worried if i need to import (Got an old landy i'm restoring as well, can only get parts from GB) as long as i can get the right parts, and yes the import cost are horrible!!!

Thanks for the pointers, i'll keep them in mind... Is your 450 still standard?

 

[wally]

Honestly, I have no idea...I bought a 2-for-1 special in January - both complete, but 1 was stripped down as a spares bike, but was running - I am working on that one now, and the other was a stock 1980 GS450ST, which I resprayed and prettied up and sold - quite by chance.


Try Crooks Suzuki in UK - they stock loads of the discontinued Suzuki parts.

 

[Blacky]

Hi all,

Here is what i'm up to... a GS450 motor in a KZ550 rolling frame...

 

[wally]

Cool, was it an easy fit?

 

[jfman]

I have attached some pictures that might help, oh and i'm based in South-Africa...

I hate to be the one to break it to you but your engine is missing four valves. :-s

 

[Guest]

Basic knowledge of these engines:

1. From 1980 on the engines are basically the same with minor changes
2. before 1980 you had points ignition but everything on the engine looked the same
3. after 1980 you got an ignitor with a mechanical advance.
4. after 1983 you got electronic advance with no mechanical advance.

You could check to see what's in there and see what range of years you fall in.

Depending on the year you might notice that the valve cover gasket is different. as in they moved just one hole so the gasket doesn't fit all years..


Here's a link check it out and see what years and parts are different for the 450's from 1980-85 and see what you have.


Almost all of them have the same base 400 450 500, all the same except for maybe a few upgrades over the years. Only real difference is from the head up.

 

[Blacky]

I hate to be the one to break it to you but your engine is missing four valves. :-s

Hi jfman,

Not sure what you mean, the motor is complete and was a runner... I might be missing something, please explain??

 

[Blacky]

Hi Mekanix,

Thanks for your help, i'll browse through and see what i can make out. If i take a picture of the ignition and points could you possibly narrow it down a bit more??

 

[koolaid_kid]

Hi jfman,

Not sure what you mean, the motor is complete and was a runner... I might be missing something, please explain??

LOL. They made an 8 valve 450, but it was never sold in the U.S.

 

[Blacky]

Hi Wally,

Actually yes! it was as if the frame was made for the engine... to think it had a 4cyl lump... all i had to do is relocate the rear and bottom engine mounts and fabricate 2x new upper front engine mounting plates, the pitches of the original plates holes were slightly out...

 

[Blacky]

Hi Koolaid Kid,

Oh, i see... but was that not a very special run in a small quantity?

All i have to go on is that its a 1980's 450 E...?? I have an engine number but could mean nothing without the frame number right??:-s

 

[koolaid_kid]

IDK if you can track by the engine number. I do know that they were never the same number as the frame number. And if you have rectangular end caps it is the 8 valve engine, round is the 4 valve engine.
And I have no source of production numbers. I do know at the time the US was only interested in larger displacement bikes, especially since 4 strokes at the time made significantly less power than equal displacement 2 strokes and were a lot heavier.

 

[Guest]

LOL. They made an 8 valve 450, but it was never sold in the U.S.

Oh really ? Do Tell.

Regardless of what you think you have you can call it a 1980 450 and be 99% right for all parts you get. However there are advantages to newer year parts. So check for differences when you need to get them and compare then.

 

[koolaid_kid]

Oh really ? Do Tell.

Regardless of what you think you have you can call it a 1980 450 and 99% right for all parts you get. However there are advantages to new parts. So check for parts when you need them and compare then

Showoff.
Get that thing running, doggone it.

 

[Blacky]

LOL :lol:

Thanks for all the help guys!!! i'll get on it... will post more pics as i progress.

I have moulded my own Cafe' style fiber glass seat and have chopped and hopped the frame tail as well, so its coming along...

 

[Guest]

getting there. Learning engineering from scratch

While your looking at the engine take a look at the carbs to see what you have for jets . I wonder if it was properly jetted with those pod's.
Also those look like emgo's. (cheap and sometimes problematic) A good set will help when your tuning it later on.

What you are you planning to do with the exhaust pipes? I see they are just cut off.

You could use the engine number to see what range of years you fall in by using I think was the Haynes manual. In the back it has a few upgrades that later years had. So it says from engine model gs45x$$$$$$ to gs45x%%%%%% you will have the upgrade and all before that you will not.
It could help narrow down the years.


One upgrade that is universal to the base is a two piece pushrod for the clutch. Before 83 it was all one piece and eventually wore the seal out.

The later two piece let the smaller piece that went through the seal, stay still while the engine rotated. That stoped the seal wear.

There are other things like gear bearings that got updates as well.

I think one way to be sure is to look at your valve cover and see what year yours looks like. I think some have bolts in different places. Sort of like they were trying to put the bolts in different places to stop leaks and that created a different gasket.


Pics are good


Also while the engine is in the frame can you get the valve cover off ? You will have to change valve shim's eventually.