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Loud knocking

  • Thread starter Thread starter 81GS550L
  • Start date Start date
Now that's the reply I like. My sentiments exactly. Cheers! It's no show bike, but everyone who sees it loves it.
 
81GS550L said:
It's definitely not pristine. It's been beat up. I guess I'm at a cross road. Do I tear it all apart and restore or just stay w/what I got 'till it blows up.
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I guess I would use a shop vac and clean out any old shim pieces and then look around inside to check again before putting a new shim in.
Your pic doesn't show the lobe so I don't know if anyone here on the forum can really tell if it looks damaged "beyond repair".
 
That was the first pic I took this morning, before I cranked it over. It's beat, but nothing major. I'll take another pic tomorrow, plus I'll keep everyone posted how it is after I put in a new shim and run it. But I do have a question that was still not answered. I noticed the left front shim is cracked, how do I remove it and replace it?
 
A ZIP TIE!? I followed the link, it looks like a great idea. I'm gonna try it. Thank you.
 
Dogma said:
Well, mine won't be pristine when I put it back together (waiting on parts). This was my first time checking shims, so I didn't have any spares. I tried turning the engine without a shim in it and it chiseled the corners off the lobe and gouged the bucket. This happened at about the same time someone else did a similar thing. The advice we got was to get a flat stone (sharpening stone, talk to your friendly neighborhood machinist) and knock down all the burrs, raised edges, etc. After that, check on it at the next shim inspection (5000 mi). Oh yeah, get a magnet and make sure all the pieces are out, of course.

How bad is yours? I can't imagine what it looks like after running high revs with pieces loose in there. Does the damage show up well if you take a picture?
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hey thats me! (i think. i suggested using the stone.)
 
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550 cams are dirt cheap on ebay. That cam looks pretty beat, although it would run. I'd just change is seeing as how there is not a lot of money involved.
 
WOW! those GS's in your photobucket are gorgeous. Now that makes me want to totaly restore mine. What is the range in year, and cc, that will fit my '81 550
 
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81GS550L said:
WOW! those GS's in your photobucket are gorgeous. Now that makes me want to totaly restore mine. What is the range in year, and cc, that will fit my '81 550
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I think any 8V 550 cam will work, just get the right one (intake or exhaust). 1977 - 1982 I think.

Thanks for the comments about my 550's. Rode 400's for years and find the 550 a great size bike for most of the riding I do. :)

Edit: How about two low mileage cams for $30 shipped? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1982...hash=item230171300920&_trksid=p3756.m20.l1116
 
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That's a cool looking L.

WOAH! That cam is ugly!

Yeah, just replace it. Buy the shim changing tool from Z-1 Enterprises. I wouldn't mess with zip ties.
 
I thought it was going to be an expensive specialty tool . Z1 has it for only $15.
 
I just re-shimed my 550 and having no spares I found a 2 pence (UK Sterling) copper coin worked well as a temporary shim when swapping them about. Made my own bucket depressor as Haynes manual.
 
i thought my 2p shim would catch on eventualy,,, from "shim swap thread" 2 weeks ago:-D,also made the shim tool from an old spanner, one of those cheap pressed steel ones.



81 gs550e
 
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