1977 GS 750 engine swap into 1977 GS 550 frame

[Anonymous]

Hello to all you GS riders!

I would like to know if it is possible to place a 1977 GS 750 engine into a 1977 GS 550 frame?

I have absolutely no technical know-how, so I would have a professional shop do this for me if it is possible.

Any information, warnings, or tips would be appreciated.

Thanks
Philip

[Mastiff]

I don't think it would be worth it to get a professional shop to do this. A lot of shops don't even want to do minor repairs on our old bikes, much less an engine transplant.
Are you trying to get more performance from the 550 or is there a problem with the 550 engine?

[jimcor]

You could go buy a running 550 and a running 750 for what it would cost to have that job done...if someone would except it. Guarantee they'd want a lot of cash up front, too!

[Anonymous]

thanx

thank you denis,
the 550 is fine for now, its just that i have a spare 750 engine and rather than selling it i was planning on keeping it for the day when the 550 engine might die.

i don't much care for extra power, and i appreciate what you write about shops not wanting to take on a project like this (although if they were paid why wouldn't they??), anyhow, if you could please let me know if it is technically possible to swap, notwithstanding it being or not being worth it, i will keep the engine; if its not compatable then its really a no-brainer, i.e. i will likely sell the engine.
thanks again
p.

[Anonymous]

thanks jim

thank you jim for your opinion, didn't know it was that expensive.


so what do you guys suggest i do with the 750 engine? are any parts of it usable for me to keep as spares for the 550?

tx again
p.

[jimcor]

Philip, I don't think you'll find, for all practical purposes, any interchangeable parts to justify tearing down the 750 for. See if you can sell it intact, and watch the 'parts for sale' section on this site or e-bay for a 550 engine. There was a 550 engine with under 7.000 miles that would have slid right into your frame for under $150 recently, come to think of it (and I did, just broke ) it would have fit mine too.! Welcome to the site. Enjoy your time here.

[Anonymous]

tx again jim

thanks again jim for your sane advice.

can i pick your brain one more time? specifically, i have a 750 gs that is totally intact but for reasons that are irrelevant for the sake of this conversation i have to strip it down ok, if you have to know, i'm moving to europe and i want to ship the bike to a country there but the duty and registration fees there would not justify my doing so; as such, i was planning on taking the bike apart here and shipping everything there as piles of parts - hence no duty fees - i'm already paying for a container full of items to be shipped there, so it would not be an added shipping expense... anyhow, once there i was intending on having a buddy of mine who is mechanically inclined put it all back together and i would ride it around my large property as a renegade bike (i.e. without any papers, insurance, etc). by the way, that's where my gs 550 is and that is why i was planning on taking the 750 engine and all other parts there, to have as spares...

i know this sounds unorthodox, and it may not even make financial sense, but i don't want to waste this powerful awesome bike, nor would selling the engine for a couple of hundred dollars be worth my while...

in short, how big a job is it to put a stripped gs 750 back together? i imagine that stripping it is not exactly a walk in the park but nor is it astral physics either...?

feel free to tell me i'm an idiot. i just don't want to part with this particular bike or any of its parts (you should know that the price to transfer the bike and duty fees is about 2 thousand dollars, would assembling a bike cost more than that- even if someone does not have a buddy to do it for free?

once more, thanks for your time jim

p.

[jimcor]

Wow, I'm really guessing now, I'd think it might not be worth the hassle. (?) I've got no experience in shipping bikes, engines or 'spares' out of country.

But maybe you can find some advice here www.horizonsunlimited.com
This is a webite of 'world travelers' and adventure riders.

[RacingJake]

If your talking from the USA to Europe shipping it piece meal will be expensive and if a box or two does'nt make it I think once you declare it even tho it's a bunch a parts which do have a value you'll still may be taxed.

When I was PCA from Zweibrucken AB Germany back to the States. I bought a $700 porcline doplins table piece at the BX after my stuff was already packed and on it's way back to the states. I sent it through the mail and the USA wanted 70 bucks duty, show'ed them my orders and said it was part of my hold baggage and they drop the fee.

I guess it just depends on the Country your in.

[Mastiff]

Apparently, the conversion can be done. See the following link.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=4601&highlight=gs750+gs550+engine+swap

If you do this, make sure you bag and label EVERYTHING. Take digital photos of every piece you remove, and how it connects. It will be a great help to get the engine back together. If you decide you want to try doing it yourself, the guys on here can probably walk you thru it.

[jimcor]

Nope, sorry it can't be done*. Don't know where that thread was going but it was in the wrong direction when it comes to slipping a 750 engine in a 550 Frame.

*OK, anything you can think of can be done if you've got the bucks or the bug.

[SqDancerLynn1]

It's tough but sell it. It will not fit the 550 frame. you could buy another 750 engine cheaper than paying someone to reassemble it or better yet buy a complete 750 bike once you have moved

[Anonymous]

verdict

i think jim is right, namely anything can be done if you got the bug or the bucks...

sqdancer is also probably right about my having to just swallow the heartbreak of separation, in fact you've all been advising me that the logical thing would be for me to just buy another gs750 once i move; were i able to do all the work myself it would make sense for me to strip and re-assemble, but paying someone potentially more than it would cost to buy another complete bike would be rather stupid of me...

as such, i will strip away what i can for my 550 (this 750 has those real nice butterfly steering bars that i prefer over the 550's short ones where you have to hunch over the tank; on that note, are the gas tanks interchangeable? i think my 550 tank in europe has rusted... i will take with me the wheels, the gear cluster, headlight, the steel rack on the back fender, and the muffler pipes. can i trouble ya'll one last* time by asking you whether the aforementioned items fit the 550?

as for the engine, i may be posting it on this site's classifieds so if anyone is interested you can keep a look out and\or contact me.

you guys all rock!!

tx again
p.


*doubt it'll be the 'last' time i seek your assistance...

[SqDancerLynn1]

I don't know but I'm sure you could sell them if they won't fit. JUst make sure to wash the tank out VERY GOOD-- soap water, tide ? fog it with oil when it is clean

[mcycle-nut]

Actually, once you get to Europe, perhaps you could get a papered frame and put all your components on it? That would save a LOT of legal hassles.