'82 GS850GL Rebuild Questions

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

Picking up a rebuid job where I left off back in, um, well let's say it's been a while. Anyway, a few questions I'm hoping you can help me with:

1. The rebuild kit I bought came with 4 sort of o-rings that are wrapped around metal washers (see pic).



The pic shows both sides. One side is coated with rubber, while the other is not. I can't figure out where these go, and can only hazard a guess that they are for the spark plugs. But that doesn't seem to make any sense. Any ideas?


2. Would anyone recommend for or against adding some silicone gasket maker stuff like Permatex Hi-Temp or Ultra-grey in addition to the new head, block, valve cover, and oil pan gaskets as some added insurance? I'd hate to get everything back together and in the bike to find a leak somewhere.


3. The 4 copper crush washers go on the head bolts using the 4 domed end nuts? Can't remember.


4. Any oil filter part numbers would be helpful - STP, Mobil, Fram. I get them cheap from AutoZone, but they never have the damn books to look it up, and they're no help when it comes to bikes.


5. And finally, oil. Not trying to start a huge oil debate (I've seen those before), but I use Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40 Full Synthetic (yes, it's for motorcycles) in my Vmax. Any problem using it in the GS850GL with about 15k? I only ask because I happen to have some.


So 15k and needs a rebuild you ask? Trust me. I found her cowering in the corner of a garage after years of abuse and neglect...poor thing.

Thanks for the help,
Adam

[bwringer]

Washers look familiar...

The washers pictured go at the four corners of the head gasket around the head studs at the corners -- there are holes in the head gasket for the outer diameter of the washers.

They are there to seal against the oil that flows around the studs. I don't think it matters much which side is up, but I put the rounded "o-ring" side up for superstitious reasons and it seemed to work.[/quote]

[bwringer]

Oil filters...

I don't have part numbers on me at the moment, but it's almost always the lowest part number on the rack.

Just open the package and see if the filter cartridge and o-ring look familiar. The o-ring has that distinct three-lobed shape, so you really can't go too wrong. You can also look on the box for a Suzuki interchange part number if you're paranoid.

Suzuki used these same filters on just about everything for many years, so look for the shape of the o-ring and you'll be fine.

[bwringer]

Sealer

The only place I ever use sealer is a bit of Hylomar on the valve cover gasket to keep it from sticking and to help it seal as it expands and contracts. No leaks in three rebuilds.

Unless the sealing surfaces are munged, you shouldn't need sealer. In that case, a thin layer of silicon is all you need. I've always found Vesrah gaskets to be pretty decent quality.

There's a Spanish (or was it Italian?) brand of gasket set you often find on eBay that's not the greatest. It came in a white package with a rainbow type graphic, and I had some trouble with the head gasket -- one of the bolt holes wasn't formed correctly, and I had to get out the dremel tool for some customizing. The rest of the gaskets were noticeably more fragile than the Vesrahs. I only mention it because the gaskets you have look like that off-brand. The Vesrah gaskets were red.