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Update - Help Real Bad Electrical Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
i guess trailering the bike to my friends is the only option then. :?

i'm not even sure any of IL'ers have the tool...how much was it to get? what kind of shims do i need to purchase too?

i'll read through my Suzuki repair manual tonight about valve adjustments.
 
The last I know of, the tool was about $30, in 1980. For Genuine Suzuki.
The shims come in various thicknesses. There are several. You can sometimes swap the existing shims around on the bike, if you're lucky.
Sometimes you find they are all within spec' and you don't need to change any of them. If you hear some "ticking or clicking" going on from the valve area, you may have to adjust with thicker shims. If your valves are too tight, you won't hear anything but you can burn up a valve.
 
i think my engine is loud because the exhaust gaskets need to be changed...

Joe, Ryan, have you guys done a valve adjustment before? 8O

~Adam
 
Adam,

I have done valve adjustment on screw type adjusters only. The procedure is similar for shim type adjustment. You position the cams at a specific place (Low part of the lobe) and measure the gap between the cam and the follower (screw type) or shim/bucket. If the gap needs to be adjusted you either adjust the screw or out in a thicker of thinner shim.

Also, I agree completely that the engine must be COLD. You're only looking at gaps of a couple thousandths of an inch so it doesn't take much to throw them off. You can leave the bike at my house overnight or even for a couple days if you need to.

Keith,

Are the 8 valve GS engines shim under bucket or shim over bucket? I thought they were shim over. If they're shim under you would have to remove the cams to get at the shims, wouldn't you?

Thanks,
Joe
 
i'm waiting to hear if Ryan has the tool for valves...if not i'll have to pick one up.

what kind of shims do i need exactly? i'll go to the Suzuki dealer and ask them...i just need to know what kind.

~Adam
 
Joe, the 8 valve are shims OVER buckets as you said. I was typing faster than I was thinking, so you got me.
You know, this is quite an historic moment, my last mistake was back in the 70's. 8O :lol:
Adam, just to add info, there are 20 different size shims. They are in increments of .05 mm. Before doing the job, I would check with your dealer to see if they have them all in stock. If they don't, then it could take several days to get 'em in. This is a job you can't buy the parts for in advance. Only after you have it apart, will you know which one(s) you'll need.
 
Adam,

It's a good thing you're an engineering student because this requires MATH! You measure the gap for any given valve. If the gap is out of spec you remove the shim and check it's thickness. The thickness should be printed on the shim but sometimes it is hard to read or worn off. The most accurate method would be to use a micrometer to measure the shim. Using the measured gap, the shim thickness, and the desired gap, you calculate the shim thickness you need. As Keith said, sometimes you can swap shims around to get all the valves within spec. It might be a good idea to do yours, Ryan's, and maybe even Domino's at the same time to increase the odds of having the correct shims to get everyone's valves in spec.

Joe
 
Joe Nardy said:
It might be a good idea to do yours, Ryan's, and maybe even Domino's at the same time to increase the odds of having the correct shims to get everyone's valves in spec.

Joe
Click to expand...

....I agree, but in order of the oldest/cleanest 550 to newer/less clean.....OK? Hahahaha....
 
Or maybe we'll go from noisiest to quietest! OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

ZING!
 
I don't know, putting you guys in a garage with all that beer...
I think the shims are gonna hit the fan!
 
that's SO nice of you to let me go first Domino. :D ;)

i have a micrometer...so measuring thickness wont be too hard.

so i guess getting a bulk of shim sizes is out of the question....we're gonna have to do somethign, because we cant rush the job and try to find shims on a saturday or sunday afternoon...
 
ValvetoolSuz.JPG


found the tool...its $29.95 from CycleReCycle 2. http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/tools.htm - near the bottom.

Joe...i was trying to figure out how we could possibly get shims on the weekend. there's no way we can 'guess' the size we need. Would it make sense to start the job on a friday night (14th i guess now) and find the shim size needed. that leaves saturday for going out and finding a dealer that has the shim size needed. I would assume most places are closed on sunday's...we could save the tires for that day.

looks like i'll have to trailer the bike over anyway...so i'm gonna start working on getting a trailer.

~Adam
 
Adam, I was just wondering, does the manual you're using show the correct way to use/position the tool? You can gouge things up if you're not careful.
 
awesome Joe. are they pretty good, well stocked? the Suzuki dealer by me sucks ass.
 
Adam,

I'm not real sure. It isn't a real large dealer and I don't do much business with them. You could call and ask them how their shim supply is I guess.

Joe
 
Is this still the same post?

Update on the starter problem - for those interested in following the drama. I just was feeling things weren't okay with the starter - even though it turned with the battery, sudden trauma (like removing it from the case - or even opening the case cover) made it do things it didn't do before..

I took the starter out again, hooked it up to a now fully charged battery, and it gave me a weak turn. I did it again, and nothing. I hit it with a wrench (my fool-proof tactic) and hooked it up again, and still nothing. Then I had a beer, watched some of the Bulls game (I wanted to hit my tv with a wrench), hooked it up one last time and it turned, but only for a few seconds - then stopped.

Just about that time, I lost a bolt in the starter casing &%@!. Lucky for me it fell through the drainage, not into the case. Pulled it out with a wire hanger. Then I hit it with a wrench, for good measure.

My starter from ebay should be at my house on Wednesday or Thursday. I'll let you know how it goes.

ANDY
 
Andy,

Yes, you will find these posts tend to ramble. While not so organized, it can be amusing. Keep us up to date on your progress.

Thanks,
Joe
 
Andy, how were the brushes in the starter motor? How long were they?
Were they wearing flush on the commutator? Was the commutator extremely dirty, grooving or burned? Any of this will cause hard starting, especially when hot.
 
Success - Bad Electrical Problem

Success - Bad Electrical Problem

Update:

Well, thanks to the help of this forum, and specifically Joe Nardy whom I am eternally indebted, I received a $49.00 starter in the mail today from ebay, installed it, and the bike is as good as new. I did all the things that would kill my ability to start the bike previously, and I couldn't get it to stop starting. Success!

My key learning - sometimes there is more than one problem so diagnosing what is wrong can be challenging. Find out what is right with the bike and work backwards. To some of you, this is old news. But, an intermittent bad wire near the kill switch and a bad starter motor made this a frustrating problem that was a rewarding experience. I met great people, and hopefully will be able to ride with them soon.

Thanks again.

ANDY
 
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