Jacob Garza, former Army medic located in Colorado and a new GS owner. I’m currently trying to teach myself more, as I’m mechanically inclined but I have no idea what I’m doing. I picked up this GS a couple days ago, and I’m excited to get her fixed up and running again. It’s been a solid year since I’ve been on two wheels and I’m dying inside every second I don’t ride. That being said I am hoping I can find some help here!
Back story to the bike:
I purchased this GS from a man named K, who had purchased it off a gentlemen name J.M. Garza out of Houston, Texas. It only seemed fitting the next owner should be another JGarza from Texas! K was selling this bike with only 14k miles on it. He didn’t give me much info other than he had some compression issues and took the top end apart. After the better half of a decade of sitting disassembled, he decided to sell it to me. The top end was in pieces, but everything was separated and labeled. After taking a cursory look at it, my buddy said he’s surprised it was taken apart to begin with and that maybe K misdiagnosed it and took it apart prematurely. I reached back out to K and asked what were the symptoms that caused him to take it apart in the first place, but he couldn’t remember and said I should get new cams, heads, and break it apart to clean it out. I’m currently going through and inspecting the spec values against the manual I got off bikecliffs website (thanks a ton), but there are a couple question I have that aren’t answered with the manual. I’m on a tight budget, as I live off that good ole VA disability, so I’m trying to get her road worthy without sacrificing my left one to the devil.
The questions:
How do these cams look(pic)?
None of the metal contact points have gouges or scarring. The teeth on the gear are all intact. A sliver of the lobe on the 1&4 have chipped off (pic) but it still meets the height spec. There are other parts of the cam that have scarring, but don’t contact anything(pic). I may take them to a shop to make sure they aren’t warped, but they seem true.
The head is level. I’m taking out the valves today to spec all those and springs. Check to make sure seats are sealing. Bought a gasket kit, so I’ll change out seals while I’m at it. Before I do all that, should I? There is one area where the cam sits that has a slight groove exactly where the arrow touches in the picture(pic). It’s along the edge, like a lip that catches my finger. Is this cause for immediate replacement?
Are these cracks cause for replacement(pic)? On the head cover, there are a bunch of spider webs through out. All of them raised, which makes me feel like they aren’t cracks, but imperfections from its creation. I also have no idea what I’m talking about so…
I plan on giving in a flush with mineral spirits, but I don’t necessarily want to break the whole thing open. I’m moving in 3 weeks, and I feel opening up the case is asking for trouble, considering I’ve never done it. A flush, making sure the oil filter, pan, and passages are clean. Anything else y’all suggest?
Link to highdef photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dd4kRhHxzYxq3WW39
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