Rejetting 82 GS1100GKZ- Jet sizing

[doctorgonzo]

Time for more dumb questions. To avoid my own confusion. I might still have to adjust the valves if my compression is good on every cyl? (approx 122psi- 4 psi total variance)

Yes, per the manual (gosh trying to remember) every 4000 miles.. 6000 miles.. something in that ball park for valve adjustment. What happens is the valve is pounding into the valve seat, Over time it sinks deeper and deeper into that seat (we're talking hundredths of mm here). At the other end of the valve is the stem. Sitting on top of the stem is a shim. As the cam shaft lobe rotates it pushes against the shim on top of the stem and thus pushes the valve away from the seat at the other end. This is what opens the valve. Ok, now what is going to happen as the valve head wears deeper into the seat is that the clearance between the shim and the cam lobe gets smaller and smaller. A point will come where that clearance is zero. Then (whew, long winded I know, but trying to explain fully) the valve can't close all the way. The result is hard starting and poor performance. The even larger problem is that the valve dissapates it's heat by contacting the head. Once the valve no longer contacts the head when fully closed it can't dissapate that heat resulting in a "burnt" valve (and a head rebuild).

[Larry D]

Yes, per the manual (gosh trying to remember) every 4000 miles.. 6000 miles.. something in that ball park for valve adjustment. What happens is the valve is pounding into the valve seat, Over time it sinks deeper and deeper into that seat (we're talking hundredths of mm here). At the other end of the valve is the stem. Sitting on top of the stem is a shim. As the cam shaft lobe rotates it pushes against the shim on top of the stem and thus pushes the valve away from the seat at the other end. This is what opens the valve. Ok, now what is going to happen as the valve head wears deeper into the seat is that the clearance between the shim and the cam lobe gets smaller and smaller. A point will come where that clearance is zero. Then (whew, long winded I know, but trying to explain fully) the valve can't close all the way. The result is hard starting and poor performance. The even larger problem is that the valve dissapates it's heat by contacting the head. Once the valve no longer contacts the head when fully closed it can't dissapate that heat resulting in a "burnt" valve (and a head rebuild).

Trust him.......he's a doctor. I love those Dr. Pepper commercials.

Regardless of what mods are done, the valves are a regular maintenence item and must be checked/adjusted every 4000 miles or so.

[doctorgonzo]

Not even REALLY a doctor (heh), only have a Masters degree. I sang in a punk band for years and years here in Tennessee called "Doctor Gonzo" (I'm a Hunter S Thompson fan), and it's also my stage name as the announcer for the Nashville women's roller derby team, and as an MC for burlesque shows.

[POE_333]

Well alright then! Heck that's more then I'd expected to get.. Again Thanks! Working on cars for a few years I do already know the basics, but hey, I'll take all information I can GET! lol.. Only thing that you didn't clarify for my ignorance is that, on bikes, even with great compression (only 28k miles on the bike- it had better be! lol) the valves might be out of tolerance (stuck open due to lack of clearance) to cause such a problem as I am experiencing? I know that when the clearance is nil and the valve stem touches the cam, it can leave the valve open which causes a loss in compression (just like bad rings, ect) Please understand that I'm in NO way challenging ya'lls expertise on this matter, I'm only trying to compare what I know with what I don't and to convey this to those of you "in the know" so that I can perhaps narrow down the gremlins to look for.

[POE_333]

Alrighty then, I'll just shut up with the questions until I've done what I'm told.. (yes Dad).. LMAO.. Also, I'll assume that I'm going to need a gasket for the valve cover for this huh? I think I'm gonna buy the whole gasket kit as it'll be cheaper then buying the 5 gaskets I know I need already individually. DAYUM this is gettin expensive! lol

[doctorgonzo]

Yeah, if you need multiple gaskets, getting the whole kit for like $70 is the cheapest way to go. You'll use them all eventually.

The deal on the valve adjustment is, if this a "new to you" bike for all you know the PO (Previous Owner) may have NEVER adjusted them. So over the course of 28K miles (7 times the factory recommended adjustment interval), you bet your boots they may have gone so far out of adjustment that you have reached the open valve stage. He may have been a good PO, and they might be fine, but for a a few hours time and the cost of a gasket you eliminate the risk of burning your valves.

[POE_333]

Yeah.. so much for keeping my mouth shut! lol.. I've not seen a full gasket set for my GS1100GKZ 8v.. is the GS1100G 16v the same size to use or do I need to look harder? Maybe I need to twist some salesperson's arm until they tell me what I want to know?

[Larry D]

Yep, you'll need a valve cover gasket. Most would recommend this. It's a rubber re-usable gasket, which is nice when the cover needs to come off every 4000 miles. It only needs to be torqued to INCH pounds, so don't overtighten it. The other gaskets, with the exception of head and base, can be made with a sheet of gasket material from your local car shop as long as you have one to copy it from.

http://www.realgaskets.com/

EDIT :: No. 8 valve and 16 valve are different.

[doctorgonzo]

Yeah.. so much for keeping my mouth shut! lol.. I've not seen a full gasket set for my GS1100GKZ 8v.. is the GS1100G 16v the same size to use or do I need to look harder? Maybe I need to twist some salesperson's arm until they tell me what I want to know?

16 valve is different, and they also changed the bolt pattern on the 2v 1100 at least once, so be careful to get the right one.

[POE_333]

Man ya'll must really love your bikes! LMFAO! Ya'll are instilling less and less confidence in my ability to get this done HAHAHA! I'm gettin slightly overwhelmed here.. Anyone want to buy a rough running 82 GS1100KGZ? LMFAO! Do ya'll know where I can get a full gasket set for my bike then? I've only seen them for the 16v engine types.

[doctorgonzo]

Man ya'll must really love your bikes! LMFAO! Ya'll are instilling less and less confidence in my ability to get this done HAHAHA! I'm gettin slightly overwhelmed here.. Anyone want to buy a rough running 82 GS1100KGZ? LMFAO! Do ya'll know where I can get a full gasket set for my bike then? I've only seen them for the 16v engine types.

1. My kid
2. My girlfriend
3. My bikes

That's the order, though 2 and 3 are neck and neck (lol)

It can seem overwhelming, but each thing is fairly easy on it's own, just learn them one at a time. If you want to own a "vintage" bike (which is awesome, and comes with a lot of pride and satisfaction) you basically HAVE to learn to work on them. Most dealerships won't touch them with a 10 foot pole, and even if they will they'll stick it to you, and many times do a crappy job because they can't hook it to a computer to tell them what's wrong with it.

I'm in the process now of learning to work on a 16V bike (only worked on 8V), and am about to split the cases on one for the first time. I feel totally lost on the bottom end, never even seen one, so we are all in the same boat to some degree.

[POE_333]

Well let me ask you this then. I commute 130 miles round trip to and from work each day. I elected to buy this bike bc it was in the budget.. or so I thought.. I might be pizzin up a flagpole here aren't I? This isn't going to be the right bike for it I don't think? Or is it? I bought it for the gas milage. But perhaps I should start with something else huh? Perhaps a lil newer? Or am I just gettin scared here?

[POE_333]

Alright. I'm gonna pony up some brass marbles and make my own gaskets.. What is the best material for motorcycle aplications? Thickness? Where to buy if ya'll already know?

[doctorgonzo]

Well let me ask you this then. I commute 130 miles round trip to and from work each day. I elected to buy this bike bc it was in the budget.. or so I thought.. I might be pizzin up a flagpole here aren't I? This isn't going to be the right bike for it I don't think? Or is it? I bought it for the gas milage. But perhaps I should start with something else huh? Perhaps a lil newer? Or am I just gettin scared here?

To put that many miles on it will require some attention, but not really a lot of money. There will be an initial "fixing all the crap the previous owner let go" period, we can help you with that, we're glad to do it. There is a LOT of technical expertise here. I am only a low to mid level bike mechanic, there are certified geniuses on the board. After all the initial "Damn that SOB, why did he rig that instead of fixing it" period, it won't really that that much to keep it running well. You're just panicking. It will be fine.

[POE_333]

So what is the best material to make the gaskets out of? Composite? Cork? Reinforced fiber? Thinkness? Better to use a few diff types for different part os engine? (IE-cork for the oil pan, fiber for the gear oil cover, ect?)