More repair series complete and posted!

[bwringer]

http://bwringer.com/gs/

See any errors? Any other repair series you'd like to see? Any ideas, expertise, photos, and/or text you'd like to add?

Let me know -- I'd like to keep building this to include just about all the chores involved in keeping a GS alive.

Please note that this repair info is another site entirely -- it is not part of or related to thegsresources.com. It's just something I felt was needed, and many people here contributed.

Again, let's keep it going -- please take a look and email me at gs@bwringer.com if you can contribute info or ideas.

Thanks!

Here's the original thread where this got started, in case you're wondering what it's all about:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=26913

 

[bgk]

Brian,

Excellent site, and a valuable resource for us GSers.

You've obviously put a lot of thought and work into this.

Thank you.

 

[Sweaburg]

You da man Brian! Great site, thanks for taking the time!

Cheers,
Randy

p.s. I could contribute the "How to fuel up your GS" series :lol:

 

[focus frenzy]

very nicely done!!!
I wish I saw it a couple hours ago, I just flushed my brake fluid front and rear and could have documented it.

 

[bwringer]

Aw shucks, I'm blushing...

Is anyone doing a shim valve adjustment soon? I can do the writeup and photos about measuring and selecting shims, but I'd like some photos of what happens when the valve cover comes off. My bike's not due for a valve adjust in the near future

The shop manuals have pretty good pictures and diagrams of placing the cams in the right position, measuring the gap, and removing the shims, so maybe this part isn't needed as much.

I do feel that more info about measuring and selecting shims (things I wish I had known before now) will be very helpful, and I'll add that soon.

If you're wrenching on your GS (and you have some idea of what you're doing and some inside info to share), please take some photos, take some notes, and share!

 

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else have experience with the Colortune glass viewing sparkplug? Looks like a good idea, but I've never heard of such a thing.

 

[jtcrespo]

You ROCK!!!!!! The following part was a nice touch:

"The GS Resources
The premier web resource for sharing information and good times on Suzuki GS motorcycles."

 

[Jethro]

Hey, I'm famous!

I'm planning a valve clearance adjustment sometime soon, certainly in the next few weeks. I'll document it if someone reviews it for me- I'm a valve adjust virgin!

 

[Giblet]

Shim Tool

Shim Tool

Found this shim tool on the web for $32.95. May check the Suzuki dealer also. Is this a good price/correct tool:?: Have the Suzuki P/N also. Figure it will be like my brake tools, not needed much but indespensible when you need them.

http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/Index_Main_Frame.htm

 

[first timer]

cheapest price you will find for that tool so go ahead and get it.

-ryan

 

[kz]

Does anyone else have experience with the Colortune glass viewing sparkplug? Looks like a good idea, but I've never heard of such a thing.

Yes, I used them quit often in the late 70: ties on my rally car, as well as on standard cars with two carbs, worked fine.

You could see very well that if the mixture was to rich the flame went orange; in to lean the flame went white/blue and normal good condition blue and less white than if to lean.

If the engine was taking oil, and if you first reved the engine up, you could see that the flame went green during decreasing of the engine speed (more vacuum in the cylinders).

The color change is actually the same as the color change of the flame from a gas welder, the adjustment is done the same, just think acetylen is gasolin and oxygen is air.

I still have two of them and thought I would try them on the GS, but sparkplug thread is not the same on the GS as on car.

Don't know if they are available with "GS thread"

 

[bwringer]

The Suzuki tool (ST-GS1), second item from the bottom of the page is the one you need for shim valve adjustments, and it's listed at $29.95. Where are you seeing $32.95? Is that with shipping?

http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/tools.htm

The Carb Sync tool at $39.95 is a pretty good deal for mercury sticks if you don't have the cash handy for the Morgan Carbtune. I wouldn't even bother with the dial gauges.

I was thinking about writing another version of the carb sync pages oriented toward those of us with mercury gauges and no access to a Colourtune spark plug, but this topic is already very well described in the manuals and on many different web sites. Do y'all think it would be worthwhile to put up another carb sync page on my site?

There's not really anything that's different about syncing the carbs on a GS except that if the airbox is in place the two middle carbs should pull a bit less vacuum than the two outer carbs.

Here's the Carb Sync article from the CRC2 site, with some excellent info from a guy who probably knows more about motorcycles than any of us ever will:
http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/carb_synk.htm

One place where he parts with convention is to recommend syncing the carbs at higher RPM. After reading this, I used about 2,000 RPM and found that the mercury was far more stable and I was able to bring the carbs into sync much faster. At idle, the fluctuations are a little too large to get a good idea where the level really is. Don't run at this higher RPM too long, though. With the proper tool, it takes less than a minute to get everything set, anyway.

 

[Morgan]

I still have two of them and thought I would try them on the GS, but sparkplug thread is not the same on the GS as on car.

Don't know if they are available with "GS thread"

Assuming that the for the GS plugs are the same across the board, yes you can, or at least could get the right thread. I used an old one my dad has to set up the mixture after dissassembling the carbs for cleaning. What a wonderful tool. Dialed it in about right while assembling and then used the colortune to set it properly. The hardest part was finding a screwdriver small enough to fit under the carbs.

-Morgan

 

[Morgan]

While I'm thinking about it, I am hoping to get around to putting on a Dyna III ignition on my 79 GS850 some time this winter. Dyna's replaced it with a newer model, but I'd be happy to snap a few pics and do a write up if people are interested. If nothing else it could make for a good lesson in what not to do when intalling one .

-Morgan

 

[Giblet]

Shim tool

Shim tool

Big red numerals just below the picture. At least they are on my monitor. If you check the "Checkout" button it shows the price as $32.95. Shipping is $6. Suzuki dealer wanted $140+ for it. Must be the 24K gold plating. I'm hoping to get enough Christmas money to get a Morgan Carbtune but I may just go with the mercury sticks if thats a good deal.

 

[bwringer]

Oh, I was looking at the black type that said $29.95 on the right side. Just an error when he built the page, I guess.

Oh well, what's $3? I was more concerned that you might have been looking at the wrong tool entirely through some bizzare intar-web-net mixup.

One thing to consider before buying the mercury sticks is that the Carbtune doesn't contain poisonous liquid metal, just waiting for an excuse to escape and skitter all over your garage floor. I found this out the hard way, and had to buy a mercury refill a few years ago.

Once you fill mercury sticks, there's not really an easy safe way to transport them unless you drain out the mercury. And you have to make sure they're hanging vertically at all times. I have mercury sticks, purchased years before I ever heard of the Carbtune, but if I had it to do all over, I would scape up the additional $60 or $70.

But if you just want to get the job done cheap, I definitely understand that!

 

[Giblet]

Carb tune

Carb tune

It amused me to see someone else 8O "see" like I do :lol: . I'll probably wait till Santa comes and get the Carbtune. I'm not real crazy about mercury and have just about quit eating tuna. Going to order the shim tool next week. Gonna wander over to your site and see whats new.