Lost washer of the starter idler gear

[gdayjr]

When i took the side cover of my 1981 GS1000G on the magneto/starter side i managed to drop a washer.

It was the inner one on the idler gear pin that was closest to the engine block.
Not a big issue normally, i know, but it dropped down behind the clutch starter ring, and i am pretty sure it managed to go down the oilway into the motor.

Here is the question.
Has anyone else been clumsy enough to manage this, and...is that washer recoverable from inside the sump?
I will be taking the sump of anyway to check, but just thought i would ask the question to see if anyone else has had to go fishing for this washer.
Its the inner one in the attached picture. Part umber 3


https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs1000...-e01_model13508/partslist/FIG-08.html#results

 

[Brendan W]

Been there done that.
Went fishing in there for the lost one and found two.
Got it out under the starter clutch.
Used a live magnet as bait.
The oil can suck it to the pan so reel it in slow.

 

[gdayjr]

Been there done that.
Went fishing in there for the lost one and found two.
Got it out under the starter clutch.
Used a live magnet as bait.
The oil can suck it to the pan so reel it in slow.

I tried a magnet, but it kept latching on to the gear. I will be painting the main engine soon, so i will take the sump off and see if i can retrieve it that way.
Interesting that you found two, I am not that concerned about retrieving the washer, it was more about making sure it doesn't clatter into something important.

 

[Brendan W]

I tried a magnet, but it kept latching on to the gear. I will be painting the main engine soon, so i will take the sump off and see if i can retrieve it that way.
Interesting that you found two, I am not that concerned about retrieving the washer, it was more about making sure it doesn't clatter into something important.

First time I opened up for gasket replacement there were no washers on the idler.
I wrongly assumed they had been forgotten and got two new ones.
Second time in for stator wiring I dropped the inner one and went looking.
Took the pan off another time and found a third washer stuck in the sediment, bigger than the idler washer and half a dozen bits of insulated wire for good measure.
Looked like someone did a rewire on top with the cam cover off.
It's a cliche but you can't take anything for granted.

 

[gdayjr]

This motor was bored out to 1100cc about 4 thousand kilometers ago. The whole bike is under full restoration at the moment.
My daily ride is another GS, a BMW R1200GS, so its back to the old school on this one.
The motor was never re tuned since then and it has a bit of a flat spot at around 4.5 thousand revs, so i am uprating the carb jetting later as well.
Anyway, its time to re paint the main part of the engine now that the cases are polished up. That's how the washer dropped off the pin.
As i removed the cover, the pin came along with it for a while, just enough for the washer to drop off.
All part of the learning curve.

 

[chuck hahn]

Ive dropped them and was lucky with the pencil magnet retrieval. Dropping the oil pan will allow you to get it right away. Also a good time to clean the oil pump pick up screen.

 

[robertbarr]

I used a length of solid #14 wire with a 90 degree bend at the end. Just poked around in there and discovered the washer sliding around. It was a LOT easier than I expected.

 

[gdayjr]

Thanks for the inputs.
I will start painting the engine this weekend, then i have a full stainless bolt kit to put on it.
Good time to drop the sump and make sure all is well.
After the re bore the motor was not looked at by the previous owner, carbs were not checked, nuts were not re torqued, so a perfect time do all this while the motor is out of the frame.
The bike looked in reasonable condition for a 1981, but the more you take apart, the more issues you find.