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shim size all over the place.....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chopperjake
  • Start date Start date
pulled the jugs

pulled the jugs

Ok, sounds reasonable. Guess I'm all the way in there, so I pulled the jugs. Little bit of carbon in there, but I don't see any damage to the dome of the piston. Not sure what the "skirt" is? See pics...... Cylinders themselves look pretty good to me.









So I was gonna get a new base gasket (any certain kind better than others?) and start re-assembly.

ps - I do feel in over my head, but so far everything has been moving forward fine.
 
You should really have cleaned up your engine before you started to take it apart. All that sand a debris is not good for your engine internals.
 
It has been mentioned before, I will repeat it now, ... OEM gaskets are best.

You were going to re-use the head gasket because it looked good? Any further suggestions will hereby be withheld, as re-using a head gasket is just ludicrous.

Don't forget to check your valve clearances when it all gets together.

.
 
Thanks for the tips Steve.

That's why I'm asking. If OEM is best, then that's what I'll do. New head gasket too. I was trying not to sink more cash than necessary into this money pit, but I don't want an oil-leaking money pit either.

How do I know if it's OEM part? Just make sure to order from Z1 instead of ebay or whatever?
 
Once a critical gasket such as a base or head gasket have been compressed under 30 FT LBS or pressure they are done. They are as squished as they can ever get and make a seal.

As for saving money.....you are by doing it right the first time. The gaskets are gonna be a one time expense if done right VS. say another tear down and more money for more gaskets when its leaking oil from every crack. Its all about how youre looking at the END results.

Take your time and go step by step in the manual and youll do fine.
 
Thanks for all the help Chuck. Glad my pistons look good.

Steve, I ordered new OEM gaskets all around.

Habsdoc - I cleaned all the goop off the engine.

Here's a pic of the bent valve



I wasn't quite sure where the bend would be. I guess I thought there would be a kink in the middle of the shaft, but it's more like the "hat" is just off a little bit. You can see the stem leaning about like the Tower of Pisa.

Got a whole new (used) top end in the mail today. I'm going to pretend the valves are good, do the leak test, and re-assemble and then check clearances and compression. I've already got a fair amount of pictures of the tear-down and I'll take some more of the rebuild. My final plan is to try to put together a quality "how-to" ala BikeCliff and either post it up here on thegsresources.com or bikecliff's website.
 
Here's the same valve twisted 180 degrees and now you can see it "lean" the other way.

 
Chopperjake said:
Got a whole new (used) top end in the mail today. I'm going to pretend the valves are good, do the leak test, and re-assemble and then check clearances and compression.
Click to expand...
Do yourself a BIG favor. :-k

You are going to have the top end off, your "new" head is of questionable (uncertain) quality. Take a few moments and install the valve seals that will be included in your full gasket kit. Yeah, OK, that "few moments" will likely be a couple of hours, but think of how much time, effort and money will be involved if you get everything together and THEN find out the valve seals leak. :oops:

.
 
YUP...its apart so put as much new in now and be done for the next 20 years is good advice. May not "need it" but like Steve says..1,000 miles from now you may have a differing i!!!!
 
okay, okay, I'm still listening.

I thought about doing the valve seals but feel a little bit in over my head. The manual from BikeCliff (http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/Suzuki_GS1100G_Service_Manual.pdf) (approx page 67) had me worried when it's talking about "valve guide removal" and "reamer" and such.

But are you just saying to swap out the seals (http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDe...ption=Valve+Stem+Seal+Suzuki&item=KL14-6386-1) but not the guides?

I was just afraid that if I removed the valve to change the seals then it may not seat back down right and I really feel out of my league with "valve lapping" or whatever.

Think as long as I put the same valve back in the same spot it will seat fine?

And, do you think these are better?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-GS75...f-8-/120999388256?hash=item1c2c202460&vxp=mtr

(my gasket kit from Z1 ( http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDe...Set+GS1100+(82-84)+Complete+Set&item=MAGK1295) (which I'm not even sure is OEM, although some people like the Vesrah ( http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?85146-gaskets&highlight=z1+gaskets ) didn't come with the seals, and I know some people like these on ebay vs the Z1 ones above.

(man, if i keep listening to you guys, before I know it I'll have a bored-over, nitrous-injected dragbike putting out 200 Horsepower....)
 
Chopperjake said:
But are you just saying to swap out the seals (http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDe...ption=Valve+Stem+Seal+Suzuki&item=KL14-6386-1) but not the guides?
Click to expand...

Yes, very easy to do and once you do one it's the same thing seven more times. No big deal. No special skills or tools required really.

I don't think it matters which you use, any stem seals are probably fine, but the original Suzuki ones are still going strong on most of these bikes. Sitting unused for decades dries them out, then they crack and crumble.

The gaskets I'd use the OEM ones on anything like a base or head gasket where if it leaks it's a lot of work to fix. Clutch cover or whatever, use whatever you want, if it eventually leaks it's no big deal to fix.
 
I wouldnt worry about the guides like Tom says. I squeeze the sides of the seals a tad with needle nose pliers and give a twisting pull and theyn usually pop right off the guides. Just be sure the guide tops and the groove the seals snap into are clean and free of stuck on old rubber. Some hemostats with a green dish scrubbie patch and acetone will take any stuck on crap off. Little wipe of oil on the top of the guide and push the new seals on with your thumb.

If they give you fits getting them on the guide, then get a socket that fits over them but rides on the metal rim and use that and a short extension as a toll. Little tap with a hammer on the extension and they go on. I always give them a little turn to be sure they are seated well in the groove too.

Little oil on the top of the stem as you insert the valve and turn it as you are going thru the new seals. This will spread the seals rubber and keep you from damaging the surfaces as the valve passes thru.
 
And yes on putting them back in the same spots. I take valves out from the intake side first and just one at a time. Take intake 1 out and run it on the wire wheel to get the carbon off. Permanent marker and mark the face of the valve I 1. Then do I 2 and so on.
 
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