need encouragement about rebuild

[ron bayless]

i have the gs oil leak round the front of the motor because of a leaky head gasket,as does all of us at some point in time.I will first try retorqueing the head bolts but know i will have to more than likely wind up having to dismantle my whole motor before i get done.My pint is this.i am pretty good at mechanicing actually,but nothing ever goes right when i do it, so i hate it.i will be the one that the cams slips on and i get 180 off, or i drop a tiny bolt down into the motor after i am nearly done reassembling the motor,or the bolt somewhere will break off,etc.other than take your time,take a breath,etc any words of wisdom?There aint none no where in my part of the world that will work on an old bike like mine, so its up to me.i have decided i will never sell my bike, even if i own a few others.Ron b

[Redman]

Keep at it Ron.

[ratgs81750l]

keep at it...much support here

same thing happens to me. the only thing is theres plenty of people to work on my bike roun these parts im just to stubborn to pay someone for something i can figure out i.e. break a few times....when i first got my bike within a weak there were problems with the exhaust on the exhaust side on the engine so i decided to remove it to see what was going on. upon trying to loosen 26 yr old never removed bolts , even with pb blaster all of them broke off inside the head besides two. needless to say i had to drill and retap 6 out of 8 exhaust bolts . my point is i think were in the same boat. everytime i notice something going on the bike it no doubt will prove to be another long test of patience...but i keep at it. thats all i do. that and make sure theres a cold drink beside me at all times\\/

[zblip2]

Discipline. Discipline will save you. Take time to organise your work space, and get the right tools. I tend not to do that and I get in trouble all the time.\\/

[49er]

Ron, do some research on the likely pitfalls during your rebuild, then allow plenty of time and money to do the job right, the first time. This includes having the right tools available during the rebuild. If your engine has high mileage on it, be prepared for some surprises, ie replacing cams, re-bushing or replacing con rods etc, etc. Don't pre-order gasket sets until you are certain of the extent of your rebuild.
Keep seeking advice off this site during your rebuild.

[jpaul]

It takes me twice as long to do most jobs, because I know I'm just good enough a mechanic to 1. realize how much money I can save, and 2. get in a little over my head. I take my time, double check EVERYTHING I do, and if something is giving me trouble, I take a break. I'd rather add an extra day to finish a job than let frustration push me into doing something stupid. Follow these guidelines and don't be afraid to ask questions on here, no matter how dumb you may think they are, and you can do it.

[mark]

I'm down to the wrist pins on mine. Your post shared my feelings EXACTY. I just decided to go for it and see what happens.

State of mind is far more important to me on this project than anything else. Its not worth it if it turns into a stress fest.

[chef1366]

You can do it Waterboy!!!

[rgierer]

when I put a new head on my 1100 I dropped the chan down into the crankcase pulling off the cams. I used a magnet on a stick to pull it out...talk about feeling lucky.

Then I got it 180 degrees off and had to do it a lot over again but in the end it did work and the leaks stopped and life was good.

If I can do it anybody can do it.

Just burn some incense and sacrifice a chicken. It always works

[RacingJake]

Before you drive it off a cliff replace the O-rings on the two head nuts first if it's a 1100 head. Cause if they are missing or cut you will leak oil and it looks like a head gasket leak. If it still does after you replace them then go ahead and do that cliff thingy

[tconroy]

Go at it when you want to do it, not when you think you have to do it!Being in the right frame of mind will make things go smoother and build confidence.Time and patience my friend,that's what gets the job done right.It wouldnt hurt if you took some pics along the way too!

[ron bayless]

Thanks guys.Some very good and some very humorous advice.I appreciate it.I am glad to hear i aint the only victim of Murphy's law here.yeah,i can do it.One time i had to replace a timing chain on a 79 ltd with all the power and air stuff on it.Thought I would nver get it aprt and then back together.I drove it 2 mre years after that.I will get this done.Once again,thanks for all the input both serious and humorous.I am glad its flat here and there aren't any cliffs.

[tconroy]

This reminds me of an old chinese proverb....The gem cannot be polished without friction,nor man perfected without trials.

[omaharj]

My mantra is "Do one thing,do it well,go on to the next thing." My anxieties get to me when I look at the total project. Keeping it one thing at a time,focusing on each step,helps. BTW congratulate yourself on each step \\/ RJ

[bwringer]

I'd send you a picture of the GS850 engine I'm rebuilding, but then I'd have to pull all the pieces out of the various boxes and bags...

It's going very well, actually. My garage is unheated, so it's just taking me longer than I would have liked to get the cases cleaned and painted. I absolutely hate cleaning stuff -- assembly will be relatively quick and easy.

One step at a time -- make it your goal to accomplish something positive for the project, no matter how small, each and every day. Order some parts, scrape a bit of gasket, research something, etc.