Just got a GS550E with some issues...

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Wait a minute! There are old guys at this site!? 8O
Eeeewwwww! When did this happen?

[80gs1000e]

Wait a minute! There are old guys at this site!? 8O
Eeeewwwww! When did this happen?

Yeah, 1 of them even hooked me up with an airbox for the 1K! 8)

[Nerobro]

Time to add to the saga.

My bike got crunched this year during the midwest gs ride. We finally got the bike in working order, and I think I put 60 miles on it since the wreck. Now it's really cold out, and it's time to get everythign back in order.

My guage cluster was a cluster*uck. I am disassembling what I have, and through crossing with other clusters I am building one, good cluster.

I figured out a good way of opening a GS guage and re-sealing it. Mount a dremmel type cutting disk in a drill press. Set the drill press to cut off the front 1/2 of the guage. Slowly rotate the guage against the disk, and eventually it will part the back off the front. This will leave you with a smooth, even cut. Allowing you to easily glue the guage back togother. :-) At least this is what I will be doing tonight ;-)

I had cleaned my carbs beaurifully before my wreck. Post wreck, they are a mess, externally at least. These are now off the bike, and will be cleaned. I discovered that my bike is running lean. Since I will need to rejet anyway, it's time to get pod air filters. I also have this funny hunch that my starting problems, and high idle issues, are due to my carbs being unsynced.

I have a friend pushing me to build a megasquirt. He will give me the injectors... And the megasquirt can be assembled for $120. Tempting.........

The bike is getting repainted this winter. I am in the process of stripping the bike. Getting the engine out feels like it's going to be a bit of a pain in the butt. Any reccomendations for easing the removal of an engine? Any suggestions for brands of paint stripper? The bike is going to be repainted black.

My wonderfull front fender is going to be replaced with a metal one. The proper one for my year bike.

[first timer]

aack chrome fenders anything but........

sorry i just personally dislike them lots even if they came from the factory that way.

best of luck with your rebuild let me know if i can help in anyway i have a full 550 factory manuel from 77 to 82 with all the specs needed to help, not that sissy cymer stuff.

the best way to pull the engine is lay the bike on it's side, remove all engine bolts and super loosen the chain, depending on how strong you are you may want to remove the wheels as well, since you and a friend (steve) will be lifting the frame off of the engine. i will be doing the reverse on my 1000 with domino's help one of these days.

good luch and have fun.

-ryan

[Nerobro]

Ah, definitely constructive advice. :-)

I hate chrome fenders too. The stock chrome fender won't stay that way. it will be sanded, primed, and painted black, just like the rest of the bike.

$147 for the megasquirt.... my friend who's pushing it has the stim board so I can debug it. *rips hair out* :-) Well I am poor. So the $40 or so for proper jets is still better at this point.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

You guys hate chrome fenders!? As always, it would depend on what kind of bike we're talking about. The chrome fender on my bike looks good and fits in even better with the polishing work that's been done. I've always been complimented, especially the front end.
Chrome fenders live! 8)

[TheNose]

You guys hate chrome fenders!? As always, it would depend on what kind of bike we're talking about. The chrome fender on my bike looks good and fits in even better with the polishing work that's been done. I've always been complimented, especially the front end.
Chrome fenders live! 8)

AMEN!

Terry

[Nerobro]

Progress. Day Three?

Well, tonight we stripped the bike. I have never been this deep into the bike before. Not that there is much deeper feasable. :-) The frame, is naked. Or at least as naked as I will get it untill it gets painted.

Tonight I discovered a good method for disassembling guages. I will post pictures of the fixed guages tomorow..... Probally in the tips/tricks forum.

The stuff we took off.


The engine, departing the scene.


The bare frame.


When we finaly get the go-ahead to paint it, I'll pull the Tripple Tree, center, and sidestand. And the swingarm. But this seems to be the best situation to strip the bike in.

[Nerobro]

Tonight we stripped the remaining parts off the bike. We took apart the tripple tree, took off the passenger pegs, took off the stands. The bike is scarily naked. This weekend it is supposed to be in the 50's. Perfect stripping weather :-) I should get the tanks ready to be stripped as well.

I will post pictures tonight.

on a side note. it's 4 outside as I post this......

We also noted that my steering stem is notchy. After loosening the nut a little the notchyness went away, so I think it may have just been overtightened. However, I am prepared buy new head bearings. The pair that are installed are roller, and not ball bearings. So they look like they have been replaced before. Any suggestions on where to get new steering head bearings?

As I dig deeper, it seems the first owner knew the bike well. And treated it well. New bearings everywehre it counts. Keeping up on things. The last owner before me seems to have abused the bike. Chopping it in really improper ways. And painting it poorly.

[skreemer]

we also took the carbs and carb boots off my bike, and the the head cover. The boots are in great shape, nice and rubbery somewhat still supple. The o-rings where it connected to the head on the other hand were a completel different story. I couldn't dig the old ones out witha pick so I switched to a utility knife the see if I could score it enough to break or give and some purchase with a set of pliers to pull it off, and I promptly broke the tip of the razor against the o-ring. I finally got em off and they crumbles and snapped apart... god it was horrible. looking at the back of the engine you could see where the air was sucking in around em. Luckily for me my list of things to fix is fairly short. I have a few gaskets to place and some fittings, then my front fork seal, and lastly because it was a casualty of getting the head cover off the tach drive gear housing. We pulled the screw out and I started tapping on it to loosen it. The dang thing broke clean off. Luckily it's fairly inexpensive to replace.

[skreemer]

well I gotta get after Nerobro to post the pics he took but the wonderful weekend we had with near 60 degree temps we "wasted" paint stripping and priming Nerobro's frame, swing arm assembly and head stock. we got started about 10:00 or 10:30 and started the agonizing process. Paint stripper, let it sit 10 - 15 minutes, scrape/wipe it off. Then do it all again about 3 or 4 times on all the parts. Break mid-day for lunch and a quick visit to my folks place the next town over and back again to repeat the process again. A quick wipe down of everything with lacquer thinner as a cleaner and a few coats of black primer. Now everything looks pretty nice.

[Nerobro]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?p=283197#283197

And the painting has begun.

[80gs1000e]

aack chrome fenders anything but........ sorry i just personally dislike them lots even if they came from the factory that way.

I bet you especially don't like the big shiney honkin' chrome fender on the rear of your 550 ehhhh.......? HahahahhahahaahAHHA

PS: I love my chrome bits, just because yours is pitted, dirty and dull ain't my fault. :-({|=

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I like the chrome front fender on my 1000. It compliments my polishing work.

[Nerobro]

So yeah, there's been progress on the bikes.

I finally finished painting the frame, and the associated bits. But here's what we started with. Well almost. This is after teh instalation of the headset and setting the bearings up properly. Greased, the head is smooth as silk again.


By the end of the night... this is what we had.


And... A about a week ago we got to this point....


Note... the front fender is PRIMER. :-) it's not painted yet for several reasons. Most importantly it got scratched installing it in THOSE forks... and I still have 650 forks, and top end coming my way in JUST A WEEK!

Oh yeah. To Add to my headaches. Pod Filters.


I don't have many pictures of it. But Skreemer and I rebuilt his forks...