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Is changing base gasket hard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter gubzsuzuki
  • Start date Start date
G

gubzsuzuki

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I have a 82 gs1100 and the gasket has been leaking and I need to change it, I have done all the work to the bike so far and would like to do this repair myself but unsure of how hard it is. If anyone can help me out or has done it before I would appreciate some advice. thanks
 
The two hard parts will be getting the old gasket off (I've been through that hell), and getting the cylinders back over the pistons, that fun is still on my agenda, so we'll see.
 
It's not hard to change it from a technical standpoint but you have to contend with scraping gaskets, retiming the engine, and sometimes broken exhaust manifold bolts. There also is the possibility of breaking studs that hold the head on the cylinders.

I assume you have good tools and a proper place to work. You need space, light and a clean environment to assemble it. Along the way you may find you need things like piston rings, pistons, and it would be a good time to adjust the valves since the head is off anyway.

Get a manual and read through looking for special procedures and any special tools you may need to borrow. A torque wrench is a must, piston ring installers are nice, you need small blocks of wood for holding things and as spacers for the cam chain.

You may find the intake boots between the carbs and the head are in need of new o rings or even replacing. A set of plugs is a good idea too.

As you can see it is a can of worms when you open something like this up. Be prepared to spend a little more and take more time than you originally thought. These are great bikes and easily worth the effort.
 
Good points all Duane. Replacing my head for multiple header bolt holes with inserts in them morphed into a total engine rebuild that will probably cost me $1000 before all is said and done. "Well, it's silly to pull the head without doing the rings, hell if you're going to ring it, might as well bore it, hell, why pull the head and not go ahead and get these valve seats recut, etc..., etc..., etc...."
 
doctorgonzo said:
Good points all Duane. Replacing my head for multiple header bolt holes with inserts in them morphed into a total engine rebuild that will probably cost me $1000 before all is said and done. "Well, it's silly to pull the head without doing the rings, hell if you're going to ring it, might as well bore it, hell, why pull the head and not go ahead and get these valve seats recut, etc..., etc..., etc...."
Click to expand...
I've helped someone that tore down a bike to solve a problem only to embark on a total frameup resto. It can get out of hand quickly. IF the gasket is only seeping just carry a quart and top it off once in a while.
 
duaneage said:
I've helped someone that tore down a bike to solve a problem only to embark on a total frameup resto. It can get out of hand quickly. IF the gasket is only seeping just carry a quart and top it off once in a while.
Click to expand...

Yep, mine wound up all the way to the frame (now powder coated wet black). I don't regret it, but once you start tearing it down, hard not fix/pretty up everything you touch. As far as the base gasket, if it doesn't leak bad, an old school Suzuki mechanic told me "you can replace those things, and they won't leak for a while, but with the temps those engines run at and as much as they move around (because of those temps), it's just gonna start weeping again eventually. If you want to do it, go ahead, but don't fool yourself it won't start weeping again in time.".
 
If replacing the base gasket, you might as well do a valve job and maybe
a ring and hone job if it is out of spec. All this is very simple but takes time. Simple hand tools such as a drill with a honer, lapping compound,
suction cup tool, and a 6" "C" clamp. You can make your own valve spring
remover tool from a 1" PVC pipe.

You will need to replace the head gasket, valve cover gasket, and the
oil seals if doing the valve job. Please note the base gasket is very cheap at roughly $20 versus the head gasket at $85. The valve seals are $40
for a set of 16. i.e. TSCC 16-valve set.
 
duaneage said:
I've helped someone that tore down a bike to solve a problem only to embark on a total frameup resto. It can get out of hand quickly. IF the gasket is only seeping just carry a quart and top it off once in a while.
Click to expand...


Guilty as charged.. Overall it is worth it, but if I had to do it again.. probably not. Especially on a small bike like the 550. That being said.. I still stop to just look at her when I walk through the garage. Now to get the final tune up done so I can start enjoying these warm days.

Amos
 
Note I did not out anyone by name, but the idea is the same. It's hard to keep the value of the project in perspective when it is challenging you to finish.

Against all of this you have to balance your time, skills and the fact we are now officially in riding season. I don't think I would voluntarily do a base gasket job right now unless I lived in Australia.
 
duaneage said:
Note I did not out anyone by name, but the idea is the same. It's hard to keep the value of the project in perspective when it is challenging you to finish.

Against all of this you have to balance your time, skills and the fact we are now officially in riding season. I don't think I would voluntarily do a base gasket job right now unless I lived in Australia.
Click to expand...


Noted.. I guess my real point in posting was to get thoughts going as to whether it is worth it to them to possibly go to that expense before they got too far into it, like myself.

At the point I contacted Duane about the bike I had a LOT of money tied up into misc bits and pieces that I had collected over the 5 years that the bike was a project. To be honest I was just ready to scrap it due to lack of motivation/time on my part, Duane convinced me otherwise, and did considerably more than that towards finishing the project.

So, my point being, for the money I had into redoing the bike, I probably could have found a similar condition bike which needed less work for about the same, maybe even less than I had into the project. By the same token though, I will probably respect this bike a lot more, and I doubt it will ever leave my possession, as it now means more to me than it did even at the beginning of the project (and the only sentiment it held then is it was my first bike).

Amos

PS. I agree with Duane, now (spring) is not the time to start this project. Keep an eye on the oil level, and a rag handy to clean up.
 
Well its leaking enough that I didn't ride it last year because it comes off the fins and gets on your legs after about a 1/2 hour of riding and I had to do a lot of home repairs that took all the money. So now I am wanting to get it rideable again. You all have good advice, it runs great still but I guess that doesn't mean it won't need more than I think to fix it. I just didn't want to bring it to a shop if not needed. I hate paying someone to do something that I can learn to do myself.:)
 
Did mine last month.

I agree with everyone here: It is not a technically difficult process, but can be time consuming as X breaks and you have to order a replacement or Z is worn out and you have to order a replacement.

If you're not in a hurry, don't buy anything until you get everything apart. That way, when you have to order 15 things you didn't originally intend on replacing, you save some $ in shipping.

In my misadventure, I wound up replacing broken cylinder studs, broken exhaust bolts, and airbox-to-carb boots (did the radiator hose thing-- works perfectly), valve oil seals, exhaust gaskets, etc, etc, etc.

But, all of the time between parts shipments gave me the opportunity to paint stuff and be thorough about everything.

If this isn't a daily rider, knock yourself out.

But don't expect to get this done over a weekend if you're going to need to ride on Monday.

If you need to build a valve compressor and don't have any 1"PVC laying around, a 3/4 slip x slip coupler works just as well.
 
Nah, you won't need to take it to a shop unless you somehow really screw something up.

If you have a manual and access to this website, which apparently you do :), you can do this.
 
To the "more than it's worth" point, it's just a personal choice we make. I could not BEGIN to sell the biker for what I have in it, and I could have probably bought some very nice bikes for that price too, but they wouldn't be THIS bike, that I know every centimeter of.
 
What brand of gaskets are the best to use? I am not trying to get this done over a weekend but I would like to ride by sometime in May.
 
doctorgonzo said:
To the "more than it's worth" point, it's just a personal choice we make. I could not BEGIN to sell the biker for what I have in it, and I could have probably bought some very nice bikes for that price too, but they wouldn't be THIS bike, that I know every centimeter of.
Click to expand...


I totally agree, I have a lot more in it already than its worth but I wanted one of these bikes since I was 14 and when I bought one I told myself that I would never sell it. I love this bike and have now owned it for almost 10 years.
 
I believe this project depends on how motivated you are. If it is a passion to do your own work and repairs - with pride of ownership and attention to details - than time and passion are no objects. But if you have either to work with, then either shelve the idea or take it to someone who can
do it. Forget the Suzuki service dealer as they have newer bikes to tend to.

But the whole idea of this site is to perform most or all of the maintenance at-hand to make our bikes more enjoyable with intrinsic value by devoting your time and passion into it. It is more valuable to you when you have spent time and effort doing it yourself....and knowing from the inside how
your own bike reacts and performs.

This site is a plethora of information for and from very technical people who are also owners of these classic machines. If it is not discussed, the problem does not exist. These machines take patience to work on, and as old as they are, requires constant maintenance with good technical skills to keep them up and running. These bikes do last a lifetime !!

:D
 
I am an expert at base gasket changing. I've done mine not once but TWICE. The first time I blew the base gasket 100 miles after a full bike restoration. :(

#2 was just this past week as I have been plagued with an ongoing oil burning issue, which in hindsight was worn out top piston ring(s).

The job over all is dependant on your specific level of skill and comfort. It's a big job that can be a PIA especially when it comes time to re-fit the cyl down over the pistons. This takes a steady hand and an EXTRA pair of hands to easily do. Suzuki recommends using 2 pairs of piston ring compression tools, which would be ideal, but who the hell is going to buy 1 let alone two pairs of expensive tools for a one time only job. Me and my 14 year old son snaked the rings up into the bores together and it wasn't too bad. After that it's pretty straight foreward. Patients is the key, and having the OEM Suzuki manuall as a bible helps tremendeously as well!
 
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