I can't junk this bike

[themess]

Before I go through all the work of doing the pan what I was wondering is getting the valves done and make sure everything looks good and runs good before I start worrying about the plug. So, once again I was thinking if I pull the filter, will most of the oil drain out? Just so I can get some clean stuff in there while i'm doing the valves.

First, calm yourself down.

Changing the oil should be done first. Running with diluted oil is one of the few things that can rapidly damage your engine. Removing the oil pan, fixing the drain plug properly, and replacing the gasket, are all straight-forward jobs that must be done. So start with them. (Use the search function for dozens of threads on replacing stripped oil drain plugss, and on oil pan gaskets and changing oil.)

If by "valve job", you mean measuring clearances and exchanging shims to get clearances within spec, you need to do that soon. It is one of the first items in a complete tune-up. This is routine maintenance.

If, however, you mean to pull the head and regrind valves and seats and such, don't consider it at this time. Do that complete tune-up, and check compression. This is major work, and is only needed rarely.

[predator]

OK,
Themess; adjusting the valve is what i'm looking at doing. supposedly the gs850 doesn't need shims, they're adjustable.
I pulled the filter and only a little oil came out. I won't run it til I get it completely changed.
Man is that concrete cold. I laid out there with everything I had and that plug just sits there and spins, won't loosen/won't tighten......you think the freakin thing would at least leak! I am baffled.
Snowbeard, I heard the same things about the hard starting & valves. My plan was to change the oil and filter and run it a while and see if I can feel the improvement before I did the valves. I was in no hurry to do any one particular thing on this bike, just keep it running for now. I was looking for an around town bike.
I haven't even looked into pulling the pan. The exhaust doesn't seem to be a real problem getting off, but I sure hate to start breaking studs and creating more problems and then something else and so on.
I have my Gold Wing waiting to come into this spot so I can do the steering stem bearings. A couple more days of tinkering and the GS is out the door and under a tarp til I get time to screw with it, I was close though.

[waterman]

OK,
Themess; adjusting the valve is what i'm looking at doing. supposedly the gs850 doesn't need shims, they're adjustable.
A couple more days of tinkering and the GS is out the door and under a tarp til I get time to screw with it, I was close though.

Sorry, but all of the 850s utilize shims for valves.

[renobruce]

OK,
Themess; adjusting the valve is what i'm looking at doing. supposedly the gs850 doesn't need shims, they're adjustable.

No, the 850 DOES have shims.

Do you have a manual? You can download one for free from Basscliff's site. He also had a nice tutorial on his site for adjusting the valves. It's easy, and will only take you a few hours at most. Have a new cam cover gasket ready. Check with your local Suzuki dealership to see if they still do the shim swap. Both the dealerships in my area will trade you straight across for free.

If the oil drain bolt spins, you can easily take the pan off. It's a little tight own there, but you shouldn't need to remove the exhaust. Have a new gasket ready. You can get an oversize drain plug from NAPA for a few bucks. Tell them you need a 14mm x 1.25 thread pitch oversize drain bolt. Bring your old one with you if you want.

[predator]

well the GS850 manual I downloaded shows shims.
I got this off of Bikecliffs 16 valve adjustment procedure. http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...adjustment.pdf

it shows an adjustment tool you make and a feeler gauge to adjust it to a spec that I don't have on hand. Turn the adjustor and lock it down. So who's right and where did I go wrong. Bikecliffs engine sure as hell looks like mine. GS850 dual overhead cam

Geez, I don't even know what bike I own i'm so confused.

[Big T]

The 850 is an 8 valve head, not a 16 valve.

So, go back to Bass Cliffs site and get the correct info, especially download the service manual for your bike and spend some time reading it.

Most of us get a valve bucket tool .some use the zip tie method to change the shims

Find Steve and email him for a valve adjustment shim chart

Adjust the valves, fix the oil pan and then start on the carbs, which you can do while the GS rests outside for a bit.

April is coming soon!

[predator]

Thanks Big T, I see it all in the manual now....Come April, i'll be gone and the GS will be in the crusher. with the drain plug messed up and all the work, it's just not worth it, I can be working on my Wing. I thought if I could get it running decent with a little work cause I really liked the bike i'd keep it. The carbs have already been rebuilt and sync'd, I got a battery and re-wired the whole bike with a modern fuse block, about 200 bucks. That's about all the money i'm gonna dump into it. Too bad, it is a nice bike. I was gonna use it as a trade for a DL1000 V-Strom and the Honda shop didn't even want it. Thanks for all the tips though, it was interesting while it lasted.

[renobruce]

Thanks Big T, I see it all in the manual now....Come April, i'll be gone and the GS will be in the crusher. with the drain plug messed up and all the work, it's just not worth it, I can be working on my Wing. I thought if I could get it running decent with a little work cause I really liked the bike i'd keep it. The carbs have already been rebuilt and sync'd, I got a battery and re-wired the whole bike with a modern fuse block, about 200 bucks. That's about all the money i'm gonna dump into it. Too bad, it is a nice bike. I was gonna use it as a trade for a DL1000 V-Strom and the Honda shop didn't even want it. Thanks for all the tips though, it was interesting while it lasted.

The oil plug replacement and valve adjustment will take you less than a day. Why would you give up now? Sounds like you are real close. You can't spare a day and the cost of two gaskets and a drain plug?

[themess]

And if you're going to give up, don't scrap it, sell it, even if for parts.

[Steve]

Find Steve and email him for a valve adjustment shim chart

Here, I'll make it easy to find me.
Click on my name for the e-mail address.

....Come April, i'll be gone and the GS will be in the crusher. with the drain plug messed up and all the work, it's just not worth it, I can be working on my Wing. ...

Where do you live? I would be happy to take it to the crusher for you, as long as you don't mind me taking a detour along the way. Say, for a few years at my house? You aren't that far from having it running well. Be thankful you only have about $200 in it, some of us have put in a LOT more than that.

By the way, I need to change steering bearings in my Wing, too, but I have two sets of carbs, one 1100 engine re-assemble, some minor tweaking on my wife's bike, valve adjustment on my son's Yamaha Venture, re-install the rebuilt carbs on his bike, ... then I might get a chance to do my bearings. Of course, I will probably wait on the bearings until after I change the timing belts and tensioners, air filters and spark plugs.

.

[predator]

Well Since I used a lot of peoples valuable time up I felt guilty just crushing it.
I screed with the oil plug to no avail for at least an hour. I took off the exhaust and oil pan and got the filter out. I need some help getting the plug out. A puller or someone to push on the backside to apply some pressure and maybe get down to the threads I can see until they bite. Last resort is to drill it an get it close enough to chisel it out. Everything was pretty clean inside but I don't think the oil I drain was that dirty.
BUT, and this is what I was afraid of, everything I touch, leads to something else. There was an 'H' shaped collector under the oil pan that the exhaust was hooked to, well it's rotted on one spot where the pipe goes into it and has about an inch hole in it, from everything I read the exhaust is critical and I sure as hell ain't buying any collector box for it. It looks to be just a money pit. From what I see the old gasket is still on the pan, it's getting a thin coat of blue silicone gasket maker. I don't have a month to leave this bike torn down in my garage waiting for a gasket. I'll stick the old oil filter back in if the don't have one in stock.
But back to the mufller system. How critical is this hole in affescting the way it runs and tuning it up?
And as far as parting it out. I don't have any boxes and I ain't shipping stuff all over, I realize people may need the part but if they want to come and get them..... I had a guy once that wanted a part and asked me to ship it to him, I told him no and he got all ****ed off and said we should try to conserve parts and help each other. I told him to get in his car and come and get it for free if he wanted it so bad, well he was too busy for that....so that sums up my feelings about parting things out. If I decide to scrap it, somebody can have it, but it ain't on me to get it to them. (The other bike was an old silverwing 750). The scrap yard will give me 30 bucks, he'll come get it and its out of my hair.
What about the hole in the exhaust? Any thoughts on perfomance leaving it this way?
Only people that really appreciate bikes like bikes like these, I just can't afford to keep a fleet of bikes, they all require maintenance. Sell it? Around here everybody just got their motorcycle license, went out and bought the biggest Harley they could get to get them 4 blocks to the bar and home. They ought to make them wear all white with a red collar, cause they look like bowling pins falling over when their together. Then they stand around and critisize every other bike made. Good lord, thank god they're all loosing them with this economy crashing, So much for the Harley never loosing their value, there are so many in the paper they can't even sell them......Repo time!!!!!!!
Well I'll wait and see some exhaust thought before I move on. Thanks again for all the help up to here.

[Steve]

The inch hole isn't helping anything, but it might not be hurting much, either.
But, whatever you do ... DON'T USE ANY SILICONE (no matter what color) AS AN OIL PAN GASKET.
I can't believe that it takes a month to get a gasket. At the worst, go to the auto parts stor and get some gasket paper and cut your own.

I still say you're not that far from getting it done, but my offer still stands. Let me know where and when to pick it up.
If it's not on the other side of the country, I'll be there.

.

[Big T]

If Steve is too far away, just post it up in the For Sale section as a project.

Costs you nothing

Looks at the interest Paco's getting

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=137394

[predator]

I got the plug out, What a chore, it took three of us. I'll get a self tapping plug tomorrow. I'll get some gasket paper and make up a pan gasket, any particular thickness? I'm gonna be needing to make up a valve cover gasket too. Let me put it back together before I get frustrated again. Hey Steve I live in Youngstown, OH. I got a 97 Wing, I leave in April and don't come back til fall. I fish all summer long. I'm waiting to do the steering head bearings on my Wing but can't do squat with this GS in here. I'll be back tomorrow with an update. Keep your fingers crossed Steve......i'm at the breaking point.... I'll give it away before I sell it.

[Steve]

Youngstown is within spitting distance if the wind is just right.

And I'm off next week.

.