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First Timer Guidance

  • Thread starter Thread starter crash-harris
  • Start date Start date
C

crash-harris

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Just got an '82 GS450 from my older brother for free. I still have to go get the key for it. He said he thinks there's a problem in the wiring. He told me that the starter turned really slow and not fast enough to start the bike, though I have no clue since it was semi-disassembled and the old battery is dead. As stated in my introductory thread in the Owners section, there will be pics! But be forewarned before you view them, she's in sad shape right now. So, I have a few questions.

1) Any ideas on the starting problem? He said he had to push start it and it would run.

2) Where could I get a gas tank? Going to have to get one since he ditched the stock one along with the petcock and everything (new fuel lines). Said after he removed the emblems the tank started leaking. Also want to get the chain guard.

3) So do the bolts that secure the emblems plug the tank?

4) Anyone ever though about using automotive open element filters (like K&N's) instead of paying $83 for 2 filters that would fit inside my massive $60 K&N for my truck? I could fit 6 or so of those filters inside mine. With the trucks we do the common "ghetto fab" for the open element intake using PVC or black rubber PVC flex connectors.

5) Where can I can new forward controls? Killswitch hasn't worked since my brother got it and the (headlight?) switch on the left side is almost toast as well.

I pulled the carbs off this evening and they look clean inside as well as the intake ports. Got questions about that down below.

Pics!


Stock intake box


Ohh the wires...


I'll post things up as I remember/make progress. I hope to at least get this poor thing up and running before summer is over. She'll really help save some gas on my daily 100 mile round trip to college and back next year. After the truck (Bruiser) is done I', thinking about tearing into this thing and porting the head (anyone ever done this?) and see if I can't get some longer folks and make a bobber bike out of it. She'll need a new chain off the bat and I'm really entertaining the idea of ordering some DOM (drawn over mandrel) tubing and custom bending some handle bars and maybe a backrest for a passenger.
 
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More Pics

More Pics

What I found under the layer of filth...
 
So where do the other ends of these cruddy fuel lines go to? (going to have to replace them). There is also a small open port where it looks like a hose should go on the left side of the left carb that I don't know what it's suppose to connect to.


Carbs


 
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crash-harris said:
So where do the other ends of these cruddy fuel lines go to? (going to have to replace them). There is also a small open port where it looks like a hose should go on the left side of the left carb that I don't know what it's suppose to connect to.


Carbs


Click to expand...
There is another thread on here about this same bike with the same question...

As *I* understand them, and ive never played with a GS450, but a Yammie 400 uses the same carbs, and pretty close to the same set up...

The Bottom "T" between the two carbs is where your ONE and ONLY Fuel line attaches. The hose port on the top of the one carb is where the vacuum line to the petcock attaches. The TOP "T" hoses attach to nothing I do believe, as they are vents to air. Again, if someone knows this bike better than I, please point out if im incorrect. But, that seems to be whats going on based on the diagram i looked at...
 
Hose it down, get your parts from Ebay or see if someone here has what you need, then go through the wiring, rebuild the carbs, set the valves, and see what you've got. Right now, there's too many issues that need to be resolved.
 
Also, those carbs are going to need to be completely disassembled and SOAKED in carb dip before you move on with them... If you need some help, and are still having issues when i get back into town on the 31st shoot me a PM and I may be able to come down and give you a hand man..

TCK
 
I just got done with an 86 GS450.
check compression
get a new battery.
Clean the carbs http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
Get o-rings for the intake boots
Get an airbox
Clean the wiring and grounds
adjust valve clearance

If the starter still turns slow with new battery check out stockers.com

If I remember correctly there is a vacumm nipple on one carb near the intake for the petcock.
Of course the fuel line
And a vent nipple that vents the float bowls. They go to open air so do not plug.
 
Thanks for the input. I kinda figured I should tear the carbs down and rebuild them and ditto on the o-rings. The fuel line help is much appreciated. I think since they go to open air I'll get a small filter and run both the vent lines into it and hide it under the seat somewhere where it won't feed the intake.

It looks like this weeks money is going to endup going into dual piston caliper brackets for my solid axle swap on the truck so a battery may have to wait unfortunatly, unless I have one that isn't totally dead that I can charge and use while I'm running through everything. After I get the key I could just use the battery charger for a short time to get power to the bike.

Anyone ever completely rewired one of these? I'm kind of thinking about doing that too since I have plenty of thinker-than-stock wire and shielded solid copper wire. Plus that would give me an oppertunity to strip the frame and repaint it and get everything clean.

I haven't gotten to read anything on how to set the valves, working my way through the material, but Since the valves are in the head I'm guessing the head will need pulled to set them so I may-as-well replace the gaskets and be certain that the cylinder walls are in good shape. New plug wires are for sure as well as plugs. Plugs that were with the bike, not in it, were 2 different plugs. I'm never a big fan of running different things one different sides like that. New tires will be in order later on as well.

Kid, do you know if the bike boneyard just north of Waverly on 23 is still running? I'm actually not too far from it, but I haven't had anytime to go check and see if it's stille a boneyard.
 
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DONT put a filter on them..they dont need it. And for some scientific reason i am not qualified to explain, they need to be FREE due to atmospheric pressure and blah blah blah.. Theyre not going to vent anything that will hurt anything else in anyway..

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you...like I said, when I get back from W Va at the end of the month, I am more than willing to lend a hand. Not to far away from you, and that area has some pretty sweet roads to carve, so i wouldnt mind the trip out...
 
For the air filter, go to a cycle shop and buy a flat piece of fine mesh filter foam. You can trace out the pattern of the old filter and save some money. If you get ride of the airbox the carbs will have to be rejetted which is a real pain.
 
You don't have to pull the head to do the valves. Just the valve cover.
 
TheCafeKid said:
DONT put a filter on them..they dont need it. And for some scientific reason i am not qualified to explain, they need to be FREE due to atmospheric pressure and blah blah blah.. Theyre not going to vent anything that will hurt anything else in anyway..

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you...like I said, when I get back from W Va at the end of the month, I am more than willing to lend a hand. Not to far away from you, and that area has some pretty sweet roads to carve, so i wouldnt mind the trip out...
Click to expand...


Thanks for the offer, but I barely have enough time to work on any of my projects until summer quarter. My music professors harp on having free time for creative freedom by they bog me down with so much iMac specific work that I'm a chicken without a head. I think I may endup having to pull the 302 out of my parts truck this weekend too so I can wrench some parts off for a guy that wants to buy them. I should def. be up for it over the summer though. I may even endup in Dayton depending on if we blitz tour northern Ohio this summer.

Nessism, since I'm going to tear apart the carbs I may as well rejet them. I need to learn a thing or too more about carbs than I do anyhow, especially how to properly tune them. I've only worked with EFI since Bruiser's Big Ford Six is fuel injected. Plus, I think having some big truck filters there would look pretty sweet :lol: Thinking if I ever get a replacement K&N for my truck then I'll take the old on and put it one the bike (it should fit in there...)

Btw, also forgot to mention that I need front turn lamps at least. The rear ones are there, but with redneck, flat iron mounts instead of the stock ones.
 
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crash-harris said:
Anyone ever completely rewired one of these? I'm kind of thinking about doing that too since I have plenty of thinker-than-stock wire and shielded solid copper wire.
Click to expand...
You probably already know this, but be wary of using solid copper wire anywhere it might be subject to vibration. It will work-harden and eventually crack.
 
Yeah I fugured that too. I'd really like to not have to rewire everything for the simple fact that I only have 3 different colors of wire (and another color that is the solid copper).

I priced some things online that I need, found the turn lamps for the front and back, hand grips, speedo cable, frame covers, fuel cock. Shocks are costly, but I love how both tires will cost me about as much as ONE 35" tire for the truck :D
 
I strongly suggest you focus on getting the bike road worthy and keeping everything stock for now. Repairing the harness is much easier than building a new one and rejetting the carbs for a car air filter is going to be a time toilet with virtually no upside.
 
crash-harris said:
Thanks for the input. I kinda figured I should tear the carbs down and rebuild them and ditto on the o-rings. The fuel line help is much appreciated. I think since they go to open air I'll get a small filter and run both the vent lines into it and hide it under the seat somewhere where it won't feed the intake.
Click to expand...

Do NOT restrict these lines! They are vents for your float bowls which help equalize the pressure in the bowls to atmospheric pressure. If they are restricted the bike will starve at the most inappropriate times...like passing a semi on the interstate at 80 mph (ask me how I know) I even pulled the lines off and just left the nipples exposed on the carbs as this seems to give the best results. Some people have actually found that having too long of a vent line or having the vent lines get tangled will cause the bike to lean out at high RPMs.

Like everyone has said disassemble the carbs and soak them in Berryman's ChemDip. I know you don't want to but believe me you need to (again ask me how I know!). These are great little bikes if you take the time to do the things recommended here (don't forget the intake O-rings, get them from Robert Barr, search this site).

I rode mine ~100 mile round trip commute almost year round when I was doing my post-doctoral fellowship and it was great at it.

Best of luck bringing it back!
 
TheCafeKid said:
There is another thread on here about this same bike with the same question...

As *I* understand them, and ive never played with a GS450, but a Yammie 400 uses the same carbs, and pretty close to the same set up...

The Bottom "T" between the two carbs is where your ONE and ONLY Fuel line attaches. The hose port on the top of the one carb is where the vacuum line to the petcock attaches. The TOP "T" hoses attach to nothing I do believe, as they are vents to air. Again, if someone knows this bike better than I, please point out if im incorrect. But, that seems to be whats going on based on the diagram i looked at...
Click to expand...

You are correct, sir. </phil hartman voice>

Here's a picture of the carbs from my '81 450, with the hoses still attached:
carbsAirbox.JPG


--sarge
 
I will def. be soaking the carbs and freshing them up. As for the intake, I had to destroy the old one to get it out. I know that there are smaller filters that I can get that aren't much bigger than the K&N ones that are sold for it if the same size. Do you have to rejet for the bike-specific K&N's too?

With those vent lines I'll just get some vacuum tubing and run a short length from each vent and I'll make sure they point down so there's less chance of water getting into things.

Going to have to check and see if the boneyard is still open this weekend an maybe I'll be able to get a tank and some body parts.
 
While you are at the bone yard I'd look very hard for an airbox...they are a PITA to get in and out, but you won't have to spend weeks trying to sort out your jetting. Believe it or not the original engineers put a lot of effort into getting these things set up right in the first place and they will run like a top with the stock jets and airbox...just do a search for "pods" and see how many people have suffered trying to get their bikes to run right after ditching their aribox.

Just my $0.02 but I much prefer riding to wrenching!
 
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