Fuel tank rub

[Guest]

I took my first long trip on my 850g and when I got home I found my coils had worn a hole in my fuel tank. The hole is right behind the foward mounts for the tank. I have all new rubber holding the tank. I have the coils as low as they will go in the frame. I thought maybe I had the wrong tank (the original was rusted badly with pin hole leaks) and since I have gone around and around with this tank for other reasons I would find another tank (not the easiest thing to do). Well with the purchase of this new bike i have my other tank the problem is it has the paint worn off in the exact same spot, right behind the foward mounts.

Does anyone know how to prevent this from happening again? I plan on putting many more miles on this (maybe these, if I rebuild the new 850g) and I need to correct this problem before I can. At this point my only thought is jack the back of the tank up with washers. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify both bikes are 1982 gs850g.

[Brendan W]

Could it be that the coil mount spacers are missing or the coils are the wrong way up. Are they original ?

[76_Mike_82]

They are original at least the best I can tell. Both bikes are exactly the same so I have to believe they are original. As for spacers If the coils sit any lower they will hit the frame mounts. As for directions the plug wires go forward which is the only way they seem to fit with the rest of the harness.

[cowboyup3371]

Can you take a picture of the area around the coils?

[76_Mike_82]

Here is the offending coil. It is hitting the top corner right where the plug wire comes out of the coil.

[76_Mike_82]

Here is the under side of the tank where both the coils are rubbing

[cowboyup3371]

They look to be mounted correctly when I compare them to mine; are you sure they, or the tank are the correct ones for your bike?

[76_Mike_82]

Wasn't absolutely sure about the tank, but I just bought another bike with intentions to use the tank on mine and its tank shows the start of the same wear (two polished spots in the same place) . And for what its worth the coils are mounted the same way on both bikes so I figured they had to be right too.
I just can't figure out any other way to do it so I don't repeat the damage.

[tatu]

maybe the rubbers are old and shrunk/gone hard and allow the tank to sit lower, in that place you could take a ball pien hammer and shape it in a gnats if you had no other answers.

[76_Mike_82]

Every rubber mount on the tank is brand new. And I thought about using a hammer to "adjust" the tank but with the hole already there I am afraid it will just rip the hole bigger or damage the patch I put in.

[Brendan W]

Here is the offending coil. It is hitting the top corner right where the plug wire comes out of the coil.

Mine are the other way around. Ht leads going backwards although there is no top exit. Both HT leads exit on the top and bottom of the outboard side of the coil.
Is it possible to switch them and get the top exit lead on the bottom ?

This http://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs850-g-...9.html#results seems to show them going backwards.

[76_Mike_82]

Wow do I feel stupid..... it took a little rerouting of the wire harness but it does fit reversed.

[chuck hahn]

You got the coils, swapped it looks like to me. The one with the hump sticking out to the side should have the hump sticking to the inside of the frame...smooth side of the coil should be to the outer edge of the frame..follow???

Switch the coils to the opposite sides so the hump isnt sticking out and it wont hit the tank again.

[mcycle-nut]

Don't feel bad. The coils were mounted this way by the PO on my wife's 850 too. It was also missing the rubber pad for the frame! Gotta' watch out for those evil POs!