Help!! On road trip and need help

[sam000lee]

Awesome. Last year I did a 1,500 mile trip with my GS450 and my buddy with a '85 1000cc sportster. My "well tuned" small bike faired far better then his poorly tuned big one. I love the packing aspect of having limited space and only bringing what you need.

[gs11ezrydr]

I usually back off the lock nut then set screw, remove the ignition pick up cover and slowly rotate the engine in the direction that it runs and apply very slight pressure with the knurled wheel until I find the place where it goes in the most then back it off just a touch then lock down the set screw then lock nut. Just depending on the spring for keeping the cam timing made me nervous, I though the set screw was exactly what it is called a (set) screw, and that was to keep the push rod from bouncing in and out while running. Another way just break the lock nut and set screw loose ,rotate the engine where it puts the slack in the back ,find the spot where the wheel turns in the most and lock the set screw , locknut,back down. I could be wrong because I never read a service manual on how to adj. the cam chain properly ,Just shown by another mechanic over 25 yrs. ago. Excuse me if I'm misinforming any one. I have a APE billet manual adjuster on my 82 GS1100 there you have to be a little more cautious not to eat the rear chain guide up by over tightening it.

[ukjules]

I dont want to hijack this thread but having started on some trips myself and in awe of these massive trips and the freedom it gives I find i must find out how i too can do one in the usa. (Sorry in advance to johnny who started the thread - and indeed he is now up and running !)

Route 66 is my goal, i live in the uk and it costs £1000 to transport a bike over there one way.
I need thus to buy a gs550 / 750 on the east coast , insure etc it and get going.
fortunately i have the time right now to do this.
whats the best site / place to buy a vintage suzuki ?

[Johnny]

User Cmiller started the thread. I just jumped in, 'cause coincidently, I had suddenly seen my bike do something similar to what Cmiller described. As for setting the cam chain tensioner, I don't think the Haynes manual even describes it (correct me if I'm wrong), don't know about the factory one yet.

[John Park]

I usually back off the lock nut then set screw, remove the ignition pick up cover and slowly rotate the engine in the direction that it runs and apply very slight pressure with the knurled wheel until I find the place where it goes in the most then back it off just a touch then lock down the set screw then lock nut. Just depending on the spring for keeping the cam timing made me nervous, I though the set screw was exactly what it is called a (set) screw, and that was to keep the push rod from bouncing in and out while running. Another way just break the lock nut and set screw loose ,rotate the engine where it puts the slack in the back ,find the spot where the wheel turns in the most and lock the set screw , locknut,back down. I could be wrong because I never read a service manual on how to adj. the cam chain properly ,Just shown by another mechanic over 25 yrs. ago. Excuse me if I'm misinforming any one. I have a APE billet manual adjuster on my 82 GS1100 there you have to be a little more cautious not to eat the rear chain guide up by over tightening it.

Not a good idea. The only way to set a fixed tensioner properly is with the engine fully warm - as in as hot as it gets. This will often result in a loose cam chain when cold due to the aluminum block and head contracting more than the steel chain. That's why Suzuki used the automatic tensioner, and also why their cam chains lasted so long - until some pinhead accountant decide to go with a ratchet type and the problems started. See Madura.

Hydraulic tensioners compensate for expansion. Porsche 911 blocks apparently expand 1/8" which translates to 1/4" of chain length. The Suzuki auto tensioner is one of the good design aspects of the bikes; sabotaging its action or replacing it with a fixed is a bad idea unless you are racing and know how to set it up.

The slight bit of kickback that occurs at low rpm from the cam lobes goes away above idle. So a slight 'action' from the knob is normal. And with so many old GSs running with no problems on the stock setup 'just depending on the spring' , well, there are two springs and two ramps in there as well.

If your Ape billet tensioner can eat the rear guide then the stock one locked should be capable of doing that if you get the lockscrew tight enough.