Timing

[rollingroland]

Hi guys, my question is about my '78 GS550E. From your experience, if intake cam is one pin off since there are 19 pins between the 2 and 3 marks, would that affect the engine a lot and warrant the tensioner/cam chain/cam shaft procedure? Thanks!

[Ghostgs1]

Yes! Need to retime it. Ray

[rollingroland]

I thought so. Thanks Ray!

[Suzuki mad]

Your valves will be out enough to wreck the motor!

[rollingroland]

Thanks Suzuki mad! That bad? Bought it in April part basket case for 300. Never started or rode it yet. Since then, I cleaned and rebuilt the carbs and clutch, checked valve clearance and replaced some shims,replaced petcock with new manual one, and new air filter. PO, who got it to make a racer out of it, said he could not even make it idle right and there is cam chain noise.Bike sat in a shed for years. Now I can suspect that the cam chain timing might be the culprit for the rough running and noise.

[tom203]

Your valves will be out enough to wreck the motor!

Well member scott could tell you otherwise! enjoy his fun in this same category!

[rollingroland]

Timing

Well member scott could tell you otherwise! enjoy his fun in this same category!

Its a privilege to get to know you guys !

[Suzuki mad]

Well member scott could tell you otherwise! enjoy his fun in this same category!

Wow. That's a first on me.

[scott]

Your valves will be out enough to wreck the motor!

Well member scott could tell you otherwise! enjoy his fun in this same category!

Wow. That's a first on me.

All I can say is my cam timing is off on both exhaust and intake. Somehow, the bike did run like this. I don't know if it was some bizarre synergy of the degrees that each cam was off or what.

I also can't say for sure it didn't do some kind of damage. I'm in the process of correcting it so we'll see what kind of difference it makes.

[tom203]

All I can say is my cam timing is off on both exhaust and intake. Somehow, the bike did run like this. I don't know if it was some bizarre synergy of the degrees that each cam was off or what.

I also can't say for sure it didn't do some kind of damage. I'm in the process of correcting it so we'll see what kind of difference it makes.

Enough with the negative vibes! If a valve have been hitting a piston, you would have noticed it long ago. Play with cam chain tensioner before you reinstall it, so you fully understand how it works when correctly installed- note that sliding shaft (once unlocked) can ONLY move out and not in.

[scott]

Enough with the negative vibes! If a valve have been hitting a piston, you would have noticed it long ago. Play with cam chain tensioner before you reinstall it, so you fully understand how it works when correctly installed- note that sliding shaft (once unlocked) can ONLY move out and not in.

Ha - wasn't trying to be negative. Just not confident enough to say everything was running great with the mis-timed cams. As it's my first bike, I get excited just when it moves forward!