Help Needed (Lots of it)

[TEX2TL]

Ok so I bought my GS about two months ago. And after riding and recharging the battery and putting off other things that need fixing I have decided to take her a part and fix everything that is wrong before I ride again.

So first I took the wires connecting the stator and the r/r apart, they were twisted and sealed together. Went through BassCliff steps and determined my stator is bad. Battery read 12.2 at idle and only went to 12.4 at 4000rpm. I then tested the stator wires and and got 0 ohm on the wires. So I will be ordering a new stator and attempting to replace the old one. My first question is do you have to replace the r/r? And if not is there a test for the r/r?

Next is I took the fuel tank off since I need to replace the light switch. And fix my fuel gauge. Well after reading about the fuel gauge I now relize there is no run off hose attached or wires so do I need a whole new gauge?

Once I figured out that I needed a run off hose for the gauge I found other hoses missing like the carb vent hoses. How important are these I have put 500 miles on this motorcycle riding it how I got it

I wanted to start a thread cause I am ready to order parts and do work and I know the questions will be endless.

Thanks for the help and thanks for BassCliff his website is like having someone there I caught my self asking questions with no one talking back now I need some one to talk back.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

Ok so I bought my GS about two months ago. And after riding and recharging the battery and putting off other things that need fixing I have decided to take her a part and fix everything that is wrong before I ride again.

So first I took the wires connecting the stator and the r/r apart, they were twisted and sealed together. Went through BassCliff steps and determined my stator is bad. Battery read 12.2 at idle and only went to 12.4 at 4000rpm. I then tested the stator wires and and got 0 ohm on the wires. So I will be ordering a new stator and attempting to replace the old one. My first question is do you have to replace the r/r? And if not is there a test for the r/r?

There are tests for your R/R, they're in the Stator Papers, which you can find on BassCliff's site. There are some static tests, and some tests you can only perform after you have a good stator with the bike running (like the voltage output tests).

The bottom line is that your stator being bad does not automatically mean your R/R is bad. However, the stock R/Rs are not known for being particularly robust. Even when working "properly" within specs, they can put out too much voltage: particularly for the 80 and later bikes with transistorized ignitions, which can be damaged by running hot. Replacing the R/R with a used Shindengen unit is a highly recommended upgrade (as is bypassing the useless stator loop up to the controls). Take this pause to clean all of your wiring well, and to establish a quality grounding scheme.

Next is I took the fuel tank off since I need to replace the light switch. And fix my fuel gauge. Well after reading about the fuel gauge I now relize there is no run off hose attached or wires so do I need a whole new gauge?

Are there no leads left at all? The hose can be replaced easily, but if the gauge wires are missing you will have to solder new ones in or find a replacement gauge.

Once I figured out that I needed a run off hose for the gauge I found other hoses missing like the carb vent hoses. How important are these I have put 500 miles on this motorcycle riding it how I got it

The vent hoses are meant to establish ends in a place that will be free from turbulence. The pressure seen at the end of those hoses are your carbs' reference as to what "atmospheric" pressure is. Usually they're tucked away under the seat. If they're in bad places you can see power loss at times like when there are cross-winds (e.g., passing a truck). When the airbox is absent to provide a wall of protection (like when replacing the stock airbox with pods), it is often suggested just to leave the hoses off, because right there behind the head is probably the least turbulent place you're going to get.

 

[TEX2TL]

Ok so I will just buy both at the same time. Just need to decide what company to use. And cleaning up a lot of the the wiring is top on my list, it is crazy how many wires I have found that have the insulation cut o them.

Im sorry I should have posted pictures it looks like there are wires that are suppose to go to the gauge but from what I have read it that they are suppose to be attached to the gauge like soldered.

And I will go ahead and replace the carb vent hoses since i never plan on going to pods. My goal it to stay close to stock but in all working order.

I will try to most more pictures soon so I can get more help.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

I'd do a forum search for replacement regulators. You'll find lots of hits. There are a lot of fine choices for used R/Rs cheap on eBay which will probably more robust than OEM or OEM replacements that will cost you a lot more. I have a Shindengen SH541 IIRC. My stock R/R would put out up to 15.5V, which is within specs for Suzuki but can damage igniters (mine pretty much died) and boil battery acid. The Shindengen keeps to 14.6V or less. They tend to have larger heatsinks and are thus less vulnerable to heat damage.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff1/images/stator_compat.html

Scroll down for a list of some compatible R/Rs.

 

[TEX2TL]

Where did you buy your r/r from? I see on the list that on that model they came off of a Honda gs1000 but in eBay all I see is ones from goldwing 1100.

 

[FiremanBob]

Smart move to replace the R/R at the same time, and a Shindengen MOSFET is the way to prevent charging system problems in the future. I got mine here: http://roadstercycle.com/Shindengen%20FH012AA%20Regulator%20upgrade%20kit.htm

I especially liked the complete kit, with all soldering already done, so all I had to do was connect the wires. He did a high-quality job on all the connections and was a pleasure to deal with.

 

[tkent02]

Smart move to replace the R/R at the same time, and a Shindengen MOSFET is the way to prevent charging system problems in the future. I got mine here: http://roadstercycle.com/Shindengen%20FH012AA%20Regulator%20upgrade%20kit.htm

I especially liked the complete kit, with all soldering already done, so all I had to do was connect the wires. He did a high-quality job on all the connections and was a pleasure to deal with.

If you can solder you can get one on Ebay for $8 or so.

 

[TEX2TL]

If you can solder you can get one on Ebay for $8 or so.

Cant solder so Im screwed there should have paid more attention to my father when I had the chance.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Cant solder so Im screwed there should have paid more attention to my father when I had the chance.

i can't either but am trying to teach myself. You can pick up real basic kits from Radio Shack for about $10-$20 and a fairly inexpensive iron for about the same.

 

[TEX2TL]

So I ended up going with a RMSTATOR.COM for the parts. I got the stator, the r/r, and a gasket, I assume I am going to have to buy some wire ends since it looks like the r/r comes with a female attached. Is there anything else anyone can think I will need?

 

[850GT_Rider]

Is there anything else anyone can think I will need?

Remember this little piece of advice from your "Mega-Welcome"?

***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 [and most other models] has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.

What I have noticed at the rallies is that very, very few 850Gs are actually running right. Make VERY sure it's actually running the way it's supposed to before busting out the modifications.

Brian's E-Z and fun plan for GS850 happiness:

1) Seal the airbox and air filter with weatherstripping.

2) Ensure no intake leaks. Spraying WD-40 or water doesn't tell you much, since very small air leaks can cause problems even though they won't suck in enough WD-40 to make a difference. Replace your intake boot o-rings and boots if needed, and seriously consider spending the lousy $28 for new airbox/carb boots.

3) Ensure clean carbs with correct settings, new o-rings, and original OEM jets. No, not just squirted with something. I mean completely disassembled.

4) Check/adjust valve clearances (Manual calls for every 4,000 miles. This is not optional.)

5) Ensure healthy electrical system.

6) Seriously consider upgrading coils and plug wires.

7) Install new, stock NGK B8-ES plugs gapped to .031".

8 ) Fine-tune float height and idle mixture screw to ensure best off-idle transition.

9) Clean air filter and reinstall with only the lightest oil mist -- over-oiling and/or letting the filter get dirty is a common and critical mistake, and will make the bike run funny at low speeds and run rich. This may take a few tries.

10) Make sure the exhaust seals are sealing.

11) Ooh, much better now, huh? You're gonna need upgraded suspension - Progressive or better fork springs and shocks. Set suspension sag appropriately.

12) Upgrade brakes with new pads and stainless lines to deal with all that extra speed.

13) Install new petcock, since I'm going to head to the roof with a rifle if I have to read about yet another #2 plug fouling and failed hillbilly attempts to rebuild the petcock and/or deny there's a problem.

14) Oh yeah -- check compression somewhere in there to ensure the valves and rings are reasonably healthy.

15) You'll probably need new OEM clutch springs -- the clutches last forever, but the springs get tired after 20 years or so under pressure. E-Z and cheap.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

I know NAPA sells some weatherproof butt splices with screw-on ends. For the life of me I cannot remember what exactly they are called and thus can't find a link. Dorman also has an un-NAPA'd version IIRC. They seem to do a good job, especially when combined with a little dielectric silicone compound. Been holding up my R/R just fine (I can solder, I just chose not to at the time and have not felt the need to go back yet). They're a bit spendy, but if you can't solder that's probably the next best thing; that or GM Weatherpak.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

Oh, now I remember: Posi-Lock or Weather-tite was the name of the product.

http://www.posi-lock.com/shoponline.cfm

R/R output needs a yellow, blue for the rest.

 

[TEX2TL]

Thanks I will look into those. Now time to sit and wait on parts

 

[TEX2TL]

So tonight I drained the oil and pulled the left crank case off. Not to hard so far but demolition is always the easiest part. My question tonight is what does gas in the oil look like? Do it separate like water? I have a slight film over the top of the oil.

 

[TEX2TL]

Can anyone tell if there is something wrong?

 

[cowboyup3371]

I'm no expert, yet, but that stator looks cooked.

 

[TEX2TL]

Got my Stator and R/R units in today from RMSTATOR.COM They were perfect already having insulation, and male and female ends on. I just hope I did it right. This is the biggest mechanical project I have ever done. I have to pick up oil and a filter tomorrow then I will be able to start it to see if I did it right.

Next I am going to do some research on gas in the oil. I really feel like this is a problem on my bike. And how to get the fuel gauge working.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

Did the oil you drained smell like gas? Was it over-full?

Typically, fuel infiltrates the oil for one of two reasons, with the petcock being either partly or fully at fault. Either the diaphragm in the petcock is rotting and allowing fuel through down to carb #2 through the vacuum line, or it's not holding back fuel properly (or is set to PRIme when it should be set to on) and the needle valves can't hold back the flow forever. It's pretty typical for 30-year-old petcocks. Even if the needle valves in the carbs are leaking a little bit, the leakage should be limited to most of what's in the fuel line. If fuel is allowed to flow without vacuum either through malfunction or leaving on PRIme, the only limitation is the amount of fuel in the tank.

If the needle valves in the carbs are leaking VERY badly (either because there's a chunk of dirt or rust sticking them open or their outer o-ring seals are bad), this will cause poor, rich running, fouling and can cause fuel to overflow when the bike is running.

A new petcock can be had for ~$50-60, and is a two-bolt replacement. You can try to take them apart and rebuild them, but success stories are rarer than failures.

http://www.z1enterprises.com/Petcock-vacuum-Suzuki-1715.aspx

http://www.z1enterprises.com/Petcock-vacuum-Suzuki-1716.aspx