Absolutly new and need some advice about a broken part

[Card930]

Hi, all. I'm new to all this, so I hope you can bear with me. I found this site about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and I just joined the forum yesterday.
I bought a 1981 750gs from my friend about 3 weeks ago.

It is in mostly good condition, with the exception being that he got into a small accident with it about a year ago. I don't know the details of it, except that it still ran, and just needed a little bit of work. He's helping me with it, but neither of us are terribly mechanical.

Now, this is my first bike, a great one to learn on. I don't know how to ride yet, and haven't taken it out because of the work required to do on it. I've replaced a broken turn signal, put a new battery on it, replaced the seat lock on it, and, in a fit of ambitiousness, decided to try to change the oil in it myself.

After some poking around, I got the oil drained out of it, and the filter replaced, and everything put back together. I started slowly adding oil to it and noticed some oil leak out onto the ground. I figured I had spilled some from the paper funnel I was using, but then we noticed that it was coming from the bottom of the engine. We looked down and found out that the roll bar had punctured a gouge in the outside casing of the engine at the bottom. You can see the crack in these pictures at the bottom where the bar is:

So now, I don't know how to proceed. We found a new casing for sale on ebay, but I don't know if it's as simple as taking the screws out of this one and slapping that one on it, or if I could get this one repaired for cheaper, or if that's even possible, or if there's something else I should do. So, any advice is really appreciated.

 

[tkent02]

First, park the bike on the sidestand to stop the leaking, and get rid of that bar.
Take the cover off and see what you have. Oil won't come out as long as it's on the sidestand.

It can be welded, or replaced, or perhaps even repaired with JB weld. It just depends on the damage. If you know someone who can weld aluminum for beers that would be a good choice.
Once the cover is off, send us more pics.

 

[TheCafeKid]

I cant tell either, but it LOOKS like its just the clutch side case COVER thats cracked. Toss the bar, its crappy looking anyway. If you are in need of a 80-82 clutch cover, I have one. If its the actual MOTOR case, you could be in some trouble unless you know some peeps like TKent says.

 

[Card930]

Yeah, it looks like it's just a crack in the cover. I'll go take a look at it and get some better pictures in the morning. Is taking that off just a matter of undoing the screws around the edges?

 

[J_C]

For the cover, yes. Be aware if you take it off without draining the oil you'll have quite a mess.

That case saver is weird. I'm going with "Wrong size for that bike." I have a VERY similar case saver, but it mounts a little further up... It's hard to see how that rear point is mounted at all (or is it?)

Heres a pic of mine for comparison on the mounting points.


Edited to add: I haven't tried removing it while on the sidestand. If tkent says it'll work without gushing oil everywhere, go with his advice.

 

[Guest]

mr card930
you are already taken good care off by other members here
i just wanted to congratulate your efforts to submit good quality pics from the very start
we LOVE those :-D

 

[Guest]

oh, beware of stripping those philips head screws on the engine cover (using an impact driver from the very start is your best bet)
folks usually replace those screws with allen head stainless steel - sets available on e-bay

the clutch cover has locating dovels in a few places so it has to come off perpendicular to the engine (go for an equal gap all around when pulling it, dont pull one side only)

 

[Steve]

I agree with the others. Put the bike on the side stand, you will lose no oil, unless it's overfilled. :shock:

That case saver is apparently the wrong one for your bike and you will need to take it off to repair/replace the cover anyway, so pitch it and its mate on the other side. But, be on the lookout for another set of proper items to put on there. If you can't find another cover, I have twice sucessfully repaired similar damage with JB Weld. You have to clean the area THOROUGHLY. I use carb cleaner to get all the oil out of the crack, then compressed air to dry it. Mix up some JB Weld, spread it on the inside of the cover, be sure to position the cover so that the puddle of epoxy does not run before it sets. After it has set for a couple of hours, mix another batch and fill in the gaps on the outside of the crack. If you use a hair dryer or a heat gun to warm the cover and the epoxy, it will thin out the mixture and flow into the crack better. It also makes the epoxy set a bit quicker if you don't get it too hot.

This repair can be as temporary or as permanent as you wish. The first one I did was 6 years ago on a friend's bike, it is still running on that patch. I did the same thing to my bike two years ago and have not bothered to replace the cover.

.

 

[chiphead]

Be extremely careful when you remove and reinstall the lower mounting bolts for those case savers! They thread into a arrow headed shape nut that sits in a cavity in the main crankcases. If it's not the OEM bolt and is too long, you'll put a hole in your main engine cases. Lay on your back and get your head under the bike and you'll see what I mean.

 

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. Card930,

I just wanted to add to all this good advice by giving you your very own mega-welcome! \\/

Dear fellow GS rider,

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)![FONT=Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT]

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr. And if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

These are some edited quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html
Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html
You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com
Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
***********************************
Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
***************************************
OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.
http://denniskirk.com - Put in your bike model and see what they have.
http://oldbikebarn.com - seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.
http://www.babbittsonline.com/ - Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.
http://bikebandit.com - Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.
http://flatoutmotorcycles.com - Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.
http://alpha-sports.com - Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc:

http://mcmaster.com - Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.
http://motorcycleseatcovers.com - Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.
http://newenough.com - You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************
Additional parts/info links:

GSR Forum member Mr. duaneage has great used upgraded Honda regulator/rectifiers for our bikes. Send him a PM.
New electrical parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/RMSTATOR or http://www.rmstator.com/
http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php
http://www.electrosport.com/
For valve cover and breather cover gaskets, I recommend Real Gaskets (reusable silicon):
http://www.realgaskets.com
The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com
Carolina Cycle
http://www.carolinacycle.com
Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com
MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com
Moto Grid
http://www.motogrid.com
If all else fails, try this:
http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/
Used bike buying checklists:
http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/checklist.asp
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
Lots of good info/pictures here:
http://www.suzukicycles.org
http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Motorcycle_Wiki

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

 

[Card930]

Thanks for the response so far.

I have my laptop set up outside so I can do quick posts and pictures.

I managed to get the bar off and get a good look at the crack:

So now I guess I'm just at the point of trying to take the cover off and see what happens:

 

[J_C]

Wow, ain't that something...... Weird. I'd just get a new cover, depending on the price. But definitely take it off and look at the back. Maybe it can be saved somehow

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

Not worth repairing, clutch covers show up on Ebay all the time

 

[Card930]

And of course, I can't get two of the screws out. One of them's about to strip out, and the other is by the foot peg, and I can't get leverage to unstick it...

 

[J_C]

Are you using an impact driver and a hammer?

 

[Card930]

No, I don't have an impact driver.

 

[J_C]

Can you spray it with some PB blaster or liquid wrench or something? That should let it soak in and hopefully loosen it up a tad. Use the biggest phillips that will fit into the grooves. Make sure the screwdriver is perfectly perpendicular to the screw head. If you strip it you may need to use a dremmel or similar rotary took to cut a new groove to convert the philips screw into a flathead screw

 

[TheCafeKid]

Buy one immediately. Harbor freight or Lowes or where-ever. You will NEED it if you are going to work on your bike. They arent expensive. I think i paid maybe 20 bucks or so for mine. Works just fine.

 

[doctorgonzo]

No, I don't have an impact driver.

12 bucks at the auto parts store, buy one. You can't work on these bikes without one until and unless you replace every single screw with a stainless steel hex screw. Most of us do that replacement, but you'll still need the impact driver to get them out for the swap.

 

[doctorgonzo]

I'd also second buying a new cover off ebay, gonna cost probably less than 30 bucks shipping and all.