1981 GS550T Second Gear Clunk - First Post

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here. I have just brought home a GS550T this week and it is quite a machine. However, it is not in tip-top shape.

I have a few minor things sorted but am left with these two problems.

1. I have low compression in one of the cylinders, it is at 90psi, where the other three are ~145psi. There is no blue or white smoke, but there is a oil leak around the head gasket (not the valve cover gasket). The idle sounds normal to me and there are no weird noises while accelerating. Any ideas on what this could be? Could the oil leak and the low pressure be related?

2. The other problem I am experiencing is that I'm having some issues with second gear. All of the gears are engaging normally with no clutch slippage and there are no problems while I am in any of the other gears. When I am in 2nd gear and giving the bike medium throttle, I get kind of a pop and a clunk. I am assuming that the 2nd gear dog might be worn down, but wanted to check with you all to see if there might be any other areas to check before taking the engine out and splitting the case.

I'm okay with just skipping second gear but I'm a bit worried I could lock up the transmission and cause more problems. I want to try to do all the repairs myself, as I am still in college and don't have much money to spend on my Suzuki.

If anyone has any knowledge on these topics, any input to help me diagnose the issues would be greatly appreciated.

[tom203]

".....it is not in tip-top shape"

Not to be a Debby downer, but second gear is the one that gets beat on by want-a-be rocket sled pilots.

"...don't have much money to spend on my Suzuki."

bad tranny and weak cylinder means money issues, even if you do all the labor. Might be cheaper to find another motor.

[Nessism]

Hope you are good working with your hands and enjoy wrenching, because that 33 year old motorcycle you bought needs maintenance.

The low compression is most likely due to neglected valve adjustment maintenance. Worst case the valves could be burned, but most of the time adjusting them will restore lost compression.

As for the second gear problem, that's more difficult to judge. GS bikes have really robust transmissions and problems are rare. The clutches are also sturdy, but sometimes there are issues with the basket. Not sure what's going on, but I'd check all the obvious stuff, including the shift linkage behind the clutch basket, before cracking open the cases.

Good luck.

[Sandro_916]

Hey Tom,

Thanks for the reply

"Not to be a Debby downer, but second gear is the one that gets beat on by want-a-be rocket sled pilots"

Not a Debby downer, It's most likely true


And Nessism,

I do enjoy wrenching and adjusting things, I'm an engineering student, haha.

Thanks for the suggestion of adjusting the valves, it's number 1 on my to do list.

Regarding the second gear issue, I want check everything I can before I take out the engine and split crankcases. So inspect the shift linkage behind the clutch basket, anything else to check? (Have worked on cars, but I'm new to working on motorcycles)