Oil consumption

[bbjumper]

Hope I'm that lucky, I know the cam chain tensioner is leaking and it does use or lose oil at an unpredictable rate. I think it is speed sensitive so we will see when I get all the parts. I'm doing the intake pipes, o-rings and air box boots at the same time.

[bbjumper]

Intake pipes, starter o-ring

Just like on BikeCliff's site my intakes looked the same, all four had o-rings that were cracked, separated and as hard as my ex-mother in law's heart. The boot on one was separated from the base. The o-ring on the starter wasn't in much better shape and was defiantly leaking, installed new o-ring. Took the air box apart and cleaned, resealed and installed new intake hoses. Tomorrow I take care of the chain tensioner and the oil pressure sending unit. I'm hoping that this will dry up the leaks, oil and air.

[bbjumper]

The Latest

Just an update, after completing all of the items on my previous post my "G" still had a couple of places on the base gasket where she was seeping in addition to areas around the head gasket. She was still using oil at the rate of about 1 qt per 1000. I decided I was going to get everything taken care of before spring, I've got a couple of long trips I want to take and I wanted my ride up to the task, so I tore into it.

Got her broke down last weekend and was glad I did, Oil was coming from two places, the valve seals were hard as a rock and very difficult to get off and the oil control rings were stuck to the pistons and would not expand or move due to carbon build up.

The pistons, other than having allot of carbon build up, looked great, no scoring. I still need to do all the measurements on everything but right now it looks like all of the valve guides will be fine, all it looks like I'm going to need is, have a machine shop re-cut the valves seats and lap them in. Hone the cylinders, install new rings and put her back together with all new gaskets and seals. I am going to install new studs at the exhaust flanges too.

I'll post photos later, having this site available with all of the combined knowledge and experience has made the difference. I don't think I would have tried this without it.

I'm looking forward to the "Seventh Annual Western States Rally" this year.

More to follow.

[Nessism]

If the valve seats are cut, have the machine shop face the valve stems and take off a few thousands, otherwise the shim sizes will move way down the range and you may run out of sizes.

For the hone, 320 grit is about right for the GS rings. 240 will work in a pinch too but I wouldn't use anything coarser.

[bbjumper]

Thanks ED.

Any recommendations on what to use to get the old base gasket to go away?

[bbjumper]

Sticky Pistons

Check out the attached photo of # 3, Oil control ring stuck and not free, ring gaps lined up, three of the four were like this. This with the hard as rock valve guide seals, no wonder oil consumption was going up. The head should be finished by tomorrow, get the cyls cleaned up and inspected, honed, order parts by tomorrow pm I hope.

[bbjumper]

I got parts!

Everything arrived this afternoon from Boulevard Suzuki, the head will go back together this evening and I should start the rest of the reassembly by tomorrow pm.

This is the fun part

Cheers

[bbjumper]

It's alive

My GS lives again.

After getting all the parts and starting assembly a couple of weeks ago I broke a ring putting the cylinder back on. Took about a week to get replacements and finally got her back together this afternoon.

Did a final check just to be sure everything was attached, adjusted, set, secure and I didn't have any spare parts left over, turned the key on and hit the starter and she fired right up. Everything is right with the world again.

Put about 60 miles on it runnin through the gears and varying speed and going through a few heat cycles. It idles smooth and starts with just a touch of the button.

Thanks to all here for your help.....

Cheers