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New owner of a BIG project!

  • Thread starter Thread starter catdaddyrachel
  • Start date Start date
I'll have to order a shim kit and the removal tool to my running list of parts.
Do yourself a favor and save some money in the process. Do NOT get a shim kit. :-k

Yes, it will come with a few shims in most of the sizes available, but you will never need over half of them. The shims that were in the bike when it left the factory are just above the mid-point in the size range. Clearances always decrease, meaning you need thinner shims. The only time you will ever need a thicker shim is if you have some head work done and trim the ends of the valves.

Check your clearances, inventory your shims, determine what you need. Note that you might be able to move a couple of shims around in your engine, which will reduce the number of shims that you need. THEN order what you need.

I am not sure what the current arrangements are with the GSR Shim Club (contact member ghostgs1, as mentioned in previous post), but new shims from Z1 Enterprises are just under $5 each.

.
 
Looking at the head stock. It says its a 82 GS1100GK. .....
........
. . . . . . . . . .. ..i'm not concerned with the drive-ability of pods. I live in southern California so we get about 350 riding days a year.

I was going to say the forks look like maybe GK, and cant see one way or other in pictures the other definite signs of a GK (the extra frame work on the frame downtubes with threaded holes).

Of what you have remaining there, the front forks are about the only difference from a regular 1100G. THe GK fork tubes are larger diameter (43mm verses 38?37?). SO keep that in mind if/when getting fork seals. Also the fork tubes have a wider spacing so the tripple clmap is different, and then a regular 1100G headlight mount will not work either.

I am not that much of a gearhead to know the specifics, but I hear mentioned all the time on the forum here that the 850G and 1100G are fairly senisitve to having the pods instead of regular stock airbox, espceiall with aftermarket exhaust, and that takes a bunch of expereimenting with different jets.

SOuthern CA, San Diego.
My daughter and SIL were in SAnDiego for 5 years (Ocean Beach and then Oceanside). Was great to visit them and ride out in the canyons. I am missing that (but great to have them back here).
 
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Speaking of looking up parts, for an 82 GS1100GK you will find listings for GKZ which you would expect for a 82. ANd then there also is GK2, that will be for a late 82 or maybe called early 83. THe difference was the paint scheme, and some minor stuff, which will be of no concern to you.

FOr what you have left there, you could more easy look for 1100G, expecpt for the front fork related stuff I mentioned.
 
And with any G, especially an 82, you will want to learn about the hub (some call spline) in the rear wheel. Note that I said IN the rear wheel.

You obviously have lots other stuff to deal with.
But if you are going to ride it any distance a way from home (if would you do that on a "brat"), you will want to learn about that rear wheel hub. On microfiche is called "joint assembly".
A search here on forum of hub will be a good start.
 
About shims: if you are scrounging and trading shims, as you have seen these are the "big quarter dollar sized ones from the 70s and 80s" (as the parts counter kid called them, then said "naw, we dont have those old ones").

Anyway, be aware the other brands from about that time used shims about that size were just a bit smaller in diameter, and may seem like they would work and do work, untill they get spit out at high rpm and unpleasant things happen then.

THe GS shims are 29mm diameter, I think, and the others are something like 28.5, anyway is as small but noticeable difference that does make a difference. (Steve will pop in and correct my memory.)
 
THe GS shims are 29mm diameter, I think, and the others are something like 28.5

GS shims are 29,5mm, some Kawa (Z900 for one) and Yamaha models used 29mm.
Really small difference but i found out 29mm shims can make the GS produce strange
sounds.
Took a very long time before i spotted the 29mm shims used by a PO.
Buckets were not damaged (yet).

If you can find an OEM shim tool secondhand, it will probably last longer
than most aftermarket ones.
 
About shims: if you are scrounging and trading shims, as you have seen these are the "big quarter dollar sized ones from the 70s and 80s" (as the parts counter kid called them, then said "naw, we dont have those old ones").

Anyway, be aware the other brands from about that time used shims about that size were just a bit smaller in diameter, and may seem like they would work and do work, untill they get spit out at high rpm and unpleasant things happen then.

THe GS shims are 29mm diameter, I think, and the others are something like 28.5, anyway is as small but noticeable difference that does make a difference. (Steve will pop in and correct my memory.)

29.5 is what I recall from my initial reading.

I'd prefer to just order a shim kit. Since this bike has unknown miles and an unknown service history, it might need more extensive top end work i.e. might be dealing with bent valves or worn valve guides.

I'm also big believer in porting and polishing heads. It's essentially free power and tends to make quite a big difference in these older bikes. My CRF45 supermoto race bike picked up about 2 HP throughout the entire rev range.

Again, the plan is to get the motor squared away to establish a baseline, then strip the bike down for a complete refresh. All the rubber parts on the bike were hard as a rock so I think its safe to assume the swing arm and head stock bearings haven't been service in a couple of decades.

I read about the rear wheel splines being weak on this year. I also read that you can just buy a new spline from a suzuki boulevard and it'll fit right in. I think when I change the rear tire, I'll just change the rear spline at the same time. It's cheap and easy insurance as well as a worthwhile upgrade.
 
Ah, 29.5mm diameter shims. Okay.

....
.....
I read about the rear wheel splines being weak on this year. I also read that you can just buy a new spline from a suzuki boulevard and it'll fit right in. ...

Okay, good, you know about the rear wheel splines. The stock ones that year were kinda gold color. And yes the original part number has been superceeed by another part numbers that was used then and used in the 90 and more more current models.


....
.....
................................ I think when I change the rear tire, I'll just change the rear spline at the same time. It's cheap and easy insurance as well as a worthwhile upgrade.
And lube with a moly paste. And any time have rear wheel off, inspect and relube.
 
...The bike ran but only with the choke on. Jetting seems way off. Only cylinders 1 and 3 a firing regularly, 2 and 4 don't seem to be getting enough fuel. I'll order a jet kit and an exhaust next week when I get back in town. ...

Running only with choke on is a classic sign of carbs with clogged slow speed/idle circuits. Jetting is pointless until that gets fixed.
 
Running only with choke on is a classic sign of carbs with clogged slow speed/idle circuits. Jetting is pointless until that gets fixed.

you're totally right. I got the carbs apart tonight to get them cleaned and the air mixture screw in the #2 carb broke off at the tip. The previous owner must have screwed it in too tightly and broke it. This explains why the #2 cylinder problem.

Apparently this is a common problem but there seems to be only about a 50/50 shot of getting it unstuck. I think I'm one of the people in the "still stuck" camp. Despite about 2 hours of forum searching and going in and out of the garage has just yielded a damage carb and lots of frustration.

I read that the 36mm mikuni carbs will also fit and are a decent upgrade. Can anyone elaborate on this?
 
can somebody find him the carb clean link to take these apart piece by piece i feel like it will be a huge help

the carbs are completely apart. The tip of the mixture screw broke off inside the carb body due to the PO over tightening the screw.
 
I have a fender for a GK going spare if you want it... beer money. Occasionally I get down to San Diego, got a friend around North park area. I ran a 1000G with Pods. I wouldn't say it offered any benefit over stock other than noise & less MPG :)

I'm currently in the closing throws of finishing an 1100G project :)
 
I have a fender for a GK going spare if you want it... beer money. Occasionally I get down to San Diego, got a friend around North park area. I ran a 1000G with Pods. I wouldn't say it offered any benefit over stock other than noise & less MPG :)

I'm currently in the closing throws of finishing an 1100G project :)

that’s awesome!

id be willing to throw you some beer money or take you out for a few for your trouble. Do you have a build thread for your 1100G?
 
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you're totally right. I got the carbs apart tonight to get them cleaned and the air mixture screw in the #2 carb broke off at the tip. The previous owner must have screwed it in too tightly and broke it. This explains why the #2 cylinder problem.
Can you feel the tip of the mixture screw sticking into the carb throat? :-k

If you can, try rolling a round screwdriver shank across it. It just <might> dislodge it enough to pop it out.

.
 
Can you feel the tip of the mixture screw sticking into the carb throat? :-k

If you can, try rolling a round screwdriver shank across it. It just <might> dislodge it enough to pop it out.

.

I tried just about every trick I could come across when searching through the forum. Unfortunately it wasn’t going to come undone. I ended up drilling it out and refilling the hole with JB weld. I used a good needle to help shape the new port hole but I’m unsure if that’ll be enough. I’ll find out when I go to balance and tune the carb if that’s good enough or if I’ll have to buy a new rack.
 
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that’s awesome!

id be willing to throw you some beer money or take you out for a few for your trouble. Do you have a build thread for your 1100G?

Kinda but I'm not very good at keeping it up to date.... :)

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?256911-82-GS1100G-Project&highlight=

I'll make sure to keep hold of that fender for you. Not sure when I'll next be down that way but I'll let you know. I usually do half a dozen trips a year or so. It needs a bit of work on the leading edge where it's been dented but it's an easy fix (or you could cut that bit off given the nature of your project...) :)

Not sure I'd trust JB weld in the carb body. I'd be inclined to source a replacement. Chef1366 might have a spare body (Santa Barbara) and he's a great guy.
 
In case anyone was wondering how this turned out, here's the results. A lot of time and swearing and frustration later, shes running like a bat out of hell.




 
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