Brake Fluid + Oil leakage

[nortins]

I just bought a 1983 GS850 GL and I love the thing!! I have a couple questions one is my brake are squeaky but only when I'm stopping at slow speeds. I feel like it is just a problem with brake fluid but I have no idea where to put it in!!!! This is my first bike so I really am in the dark here as to how to check pads etc. So, any help that you guys can give would be awesome!!

Also, There is a slight amount of oily residue that shows up on the left side of my motor. I talked to a guy about and he said that it was absolutely nothing to worry about just wondering what it could possibly be. He said something that it could be but I don't remember what he said.

Thanks

[Mark whiz]

the odds of brake fluid causing your "squeak" are not likely. You might just need to clean off your pads with a little steel wool or a wire brush - or it can just be built up brake dust in between the caliper pistons and the pads. A little clean up of the brake calipers/pads (once you feel comfortable in doing it) should solve that issue. BTW - for adding brake fluid, the master cylinder for the front brakes should be right there on top of your right handlebar (thottle side). If you have a hydralic rear brake, its master cylinder will be under the right side body cover near the right side foot peg.

The oily residue on the left side of your motor could be many things. The first and easiest thing is chain lube. A lubed chain will throw some lube as it runs and it will build up under the left side cover behind the cylinders. There are also 3 or 4 seals that could be starting to leak. Your best bet is to clean the area very well and watch it after each ride to see if you can see the source. Also, notate the oil level in your crankcase and check it after each ride after it cools - this should tell you if you are bleeding oil off from the crankcase.

[cranemonkey]

GL=Shaftie--no chain

[Big T]

As Mark says, try cleaning the brake pads - a can of BrakeCleen, some sandpaper and some disc brake quiet (or similar brand)

Pull the calipers, remove the pads, sand the friction material with sandpaper, clean off the pads and calipers with Brakecleen and apply some disc brake quiet to the back of the pads before reinstalling. Clean your discs also.

The whole process might take 30 minutes including some time to let the DBQ set up.

As for your leak, it can't be a chain, so your valve cover is the next best suspect. Clean off the residue and check it every time you ride to see if you can tell where it's coming from. Keep an eye on your engine oil level to make sure you're not running out.

Get yourself some kind of repair manual so you can keep up with the maintenance and safety checks.

Have you taken some rider training?

Lucky for you, Bass Cliff should be dropping his mega welcome on you, full of good info, especially a service manual.

[nortins]

more questions!

What can I do that is cheap and easy to make my bike run a lot smoother? I've been thinking some basic maintenance, plugs, oil, etc. but is there anything else I should be trying to do? I am currently working paycheck to paycheck trying to get her inspection ready by the 30th so I don't have a lot of spare cash to throw around but anything I could do to make her run a little better for cheap would be great! Oh and I'm not so sure it is oil leaking out of the left side of the engine as I have been checking my oil on a regular basis and each time it is at the same level!! What else could this be? I plan on having this bike for a long time and my goal is to completely restore her piece by piece. Like I said I don't have a lot of money but I love this bike and I think it will be worth the time and the effort.

Thanks!

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. nortins,

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)!

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 (and most other models) 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
http://www.bikepics.com
Basic motorcycle maintenance/repair:

http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

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)

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. nortins,

Now that your mega-welcome is out of the way, your oil leak could be coming from one of the half-moon seals under the valve cover end caps. It's also quite common for the tach cable seal to leak where it joins the top of the head on the front of the motor. Can you post a picture of the leak? Sometimes the breather hose can come off of the top of the motor and spray a fine oil mist everywhere.

Check my website for all kinds of regular maintenance guides and even a manual. Read up on all this stuff. It will help you get your bike running better and keep it running good.

If you'd like to try the lazy man's way of getting your bike to run better, try a can of Sea Foam in a tank of gas and go for a nice, long ride of at least 100 miles. Check your valve clearances and charging system. But don't be surprised if you have to take your carbs apart, clean them properly, and replace the intake boots and O-rings like I mentioned above.

Keep in mind that there are three places where you put oil in these bikes, the crankcase (regular motor oil), the secondary gearbox (bevel gear case, use gear oil), and the final drive unit (also use gear oil).

BTW, you put brake fluid in the master cylinders. There should be one on the right handlebar for the front brakes and one under the right side cover for the rear. Check my website for lots of pictorial guides and a manual. I've got lots of 850G lovin'.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff