I just replaced that vent line after I found water in the secondary drive after a wash. I rode the bike about 15 miles or so, when I stopped oil was all over the left rear of the bike. Gear oil + water = overfilled + high speed = drain and fill with fresh gear oil. Now this ? = seals between gear box and secondary drive compromised.
I refill and hold my breath on the way home, I get home and immediately notice that my luck is holding, more oil , this time I'm down four ounces. $hit again, now I don't want to ride it out there again, I gotta oil leak that I can't address without a "complete" tear down and it's getting worse. Refil again and do about a thirty mile ride, oil is down again. Now she's parked til I do the tear down.
I spend a couple months sourcing every gasket, seal and o ring in the engine plus a new set of rings. Next a couple of weeks ago I set aside three days over Memorial day weekend. My buddy here in town is an instructor at MMI and spent many years as a factory rep for Suzuki. I take the Zook over there and by the time I leave his house we have her down to nothing.
I Spend the next day cleaning everything down to the last nut and bolt and measuring everything bore, bearing clearance, gear or whatever that has spec in the manual. I strip both cases, cylinder block, head and valve cover, wash, dry and paint with VHT bare silver caliper paint good for 950 degrees F. I was all jacked up, I was getting personalized instruction from a factory trained rep that teaches this stuff for a living, AND we have Beer!!
By that night we have the case back together, preparing the gasket surfaces on the cylinder and head.
Day three starts early, it's nearing the first of June here and that is normally when the average temps here get to the ton. I get the head back on it and torque it up. Eric published a video on engine removal and install recently that made that part of it effortless. Leaving the rotor and timing plate off when you install gives you a good handle on the motor, then it's just balance and leverage. Went in easy, 5 min max.
Didn't take any photos after these, had everything buttoned up and cranked her up at around 4:00 that afternoon, put about a hundred mi. on it that evening, adjusted cables, tweaked on the carbs and now everything is right in the universe. I changed the oil at 450 mi. and nothing at all except for a little sheen when you view it in sunlight from the rings seating.
I'm adjusting the valves tomorrow, re tourqing the head bolts and cleaning the air filter again, she shoul be good to go for an additional 80k or so.
MarloBramble, myself and a couple of others are leaving on the 28th for Telluride, CO and parts unknown. 1700 mi., four days of great curves, a sweet ride, camping in the mountains around a campfire and a bottle of Jack, it just don't get any better than that.
I will have evidence...
Cheers
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