New GS1100 G Restoration Project. Rebuilding my Dad's bike

[wedoo2]

Water worries me. Maybe try to use some good degreaser, then clean that off, and then use turpentine after that. I'm sure that many have power sprayed their motors, and yours looks like crap, but what if you miss and punch a hole in that plastic? Not sure of the result. You can get that clean enough to paint, and if you don't want to paint then you can find a way to blast off that thing with soda maybe, then start sanding.

I know that a lot people worry that their paint job won't last. But, I say either have a pro do it or have a can of paint around to touch things up if it flakes or rubs off.

 

[hampshirehog]

That's pretty much the standard condition of a lot of UK engines - road salt and our weather I suppose.

But you can make the things look like new again.

I usually strip the engine down and bite off a chunk at a time. The cases are easy to sort, it's the cylinders and head that are tricky. After years of pfaffing around I now get the cylinders media blasted - ?20 or so. Then make sure that they are 100% clean of grit - including (and especially) the oilways.The head is a different thing as there are oilways that are really difficult to remove all the blast media from. So I still clean them up by hand - rifle barrel cleaning brushes, a dremel, wet and dry on a lolly stick etc.

Or give Redditch Shotblasting a ring. They claim to be able to blast a complete engine without risking getting any grit on the inside. I think it costs about ?250 - and after a few weekends with a wire brush you might think it would have been worth it!

 

[londonboards]

Thanks wedoo2 - I do want to get all the old original engine paint off so I am going to need paint stripper (VHT ?) and probably grit blasting. Not sure that soda blasting will be strong enough. Don't know yet whether to get a compressor and have a go or just give it to a professional. We shall see.

Greetings

 

[londonboards]

Thanks for the offer old skool but actually the valve cover is in good condition. The worst part is the front of the engine and the flat part at the rear. This is just white powder at the moment.

But I am confident it is still useable. The engine turns over good. There is nothing seized. I suspect that I will get away with it. I will pop the head soon and we shall see.

Greetings

 

[londonboards]

hampshire I am going to follow your procedure. I will wash the engine (degrease it) as best I can with it all assembled. Then I will strip the top end and start on the cam cover, cylinder head and cylinder. I need to get all the old black paint off. I will try paint stripper and then resort to blasting.

I really didn't want to split the crank cases as it looks like a daunting task. But they do need blasting and I am sure that I can't do that will the crank and gears still in there. So I am slowly coming around to the idea that I have to split them and do a 100% rebuild in order to get the cases up to standard. Looks like I am going to need some more tools like pullers and so on.

Greetings

 

[hampshirehog]

I wouldn't split the crankcases just for cleaning them up. Decent paint stripper (Nitromors is all I have found that works - anything that doesn't tell you that you are going to die on the bottle doesn't work) and an assortment of scrubbing brushes will do the trick and pretty quickly. If you clean the cases up before your pull the cylinders you won't get any muck down inside the engine.

The clutch cover / 'points' cover and stator cover do get pulled though - they're easy.

 

[althomas101]

sight glass replacement

sight glass replacement

Sorry for the late reply.
It should come out not in. Here is a good write up on the replacement.
http://wiki.sabmagfaq.org/Site_glass_replacement

There are lots of websites that sell watch crystals just measure the hole.

 

[londonboards]

altomas101 - you are so kind posting that. Great help. That's another thing I have an explanation as to how to do it. Thanks.

Greetings

 

[Doona]

Looks like a great project

 

[londonboards]

Day 100 Rear Brake Cylinder Mystery

Day 100 Rear Brake Cylinder Mystery

Can't get the rear brake cylinder piston to come out. Looking on the parts fiche I am sure it comes out (has to) but does it have a thread?

See my blog: My GS1100G Blog

Greetings

 

[hampshirehog]

If it's really jammed in there remove the banjo bolt, stick a punch in the hole and give it a smack - making sure you don't hit the sides of the bore.

 

[Doona]

I had a similar issue with mine (albeit a GS750, so not sure if they are the same) I cut down a pedal bike inner tube and trimmed the rubber around the valve to be a really tight fit in the hole the banjo fits in, then I used my bike pump to pump it out using compressed air ( could use the compressor I guess, but watch your fingers!)
That released one of the stuck pistons, but the other was stuck fast.
So I split the caliper, got a piece of rubber (from the above inner tube) and clamped it over the hole that the hydraulic fluid flows though from one side of the caliper to the other (sorry for the rubbish description) it's the one that has the small rubber seal in it.
Then I fitted a grease nipple where the bleed ni

 

[Doona]

I had a similar issue with mine (albeit a GS750, so not sure if they are the same) I cut down a pedal bike inner tube and trimmed the rubber around the valve to be a really tight fit in the hole the banjo fits in, then I used my bike pump to pump it out using compressed air ( could use the compressor I guess, but watch your fingers!)
That released one of the stuck pistons, but the other was stuck fast.
So I split the caliper, got a piece of rubber (from the above inner tube) and clamped it over the hole that the hydraulic fluid flows though from one side of the caliper to the other (sorry for the rubbish description) it's the one that has the small rubber seal in it.
Then I fitted a grease nipple where the bleed nipple fits, and pumped grease into it. Hay presto out it popped. Alot slower (and messier) than using air, but it came out easily.
Might be worth a go

 

[Doona]

Fat fingers, sorry for the double post

 

[althomas101]

Grease guns can make imense pressure, I saw a guy use one to free a stuck piston before. He put plates over the intake and exhaust ports and pumped grease into the spark plug hole till the motor rolled over. For brakes usually you can just use the master cylinder to pump the wheel cylinder out of the caliper. If the caliper has more than one pot, use something to prevent the pots from coming out all the way, or else you will loose all your fluid and pressure once the first one pops out, and usually one is looser than the other. Once you get them pretty far out you can grab them with a tool and pull them the rest of the way out. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Guest]

Wow - that's pretty crusty looking. Place a value on your time to fix it as opposed to getting a board (or eBay) version. Unless its a labour of love and every part must be original to the bike, or they're abhorrently expensive in your neck of the woods, I'd go with a nicer one as a starting point. But if you enjoy the challenge.............

 

[londonboards]

Day 105 Engine Wash

Day 105 Engine Wash

You may read on other threads . . ."and I washed the engine". Just like that. This is another one of those seemingly simple jobs that takes me a whole day.

First I have to work out a place to do it in the garden. This alone required moving a ton of stuff. Then I had to work out an idea to get the engine off the ground and be able to reach the bottom. Then the actuall cleaning took a good long time and hey it's only 3 degrees C here (37F) with a windchill as well. I've now got back ache!

See my blog posting here: My GS1100G Blog

I made up a stand using grandad's old car ramps:

All the grease came off in the end.

Then I got the same set up moved into the garage so I can work on her over the winter:

Greetings

 

[SVSooke]

Yeah that's "I washed the engine" is hard work put into 4 words.

 

[Good Times]

I spent days cleaning my motor. Lots of nooks and crannies on those ol' motors.

 

[Biggie]

Hey nice work man! Be creative and the results are there