Hi, I'm back. Need help replacing cam chain.

[Guy]

Hi,
This is my first posting on this site in over a year. My GS 850's been asleep all this time while I've been riding a '80 BMW R100RS and '79 Yamaha XS1100, both fine bikes in their own right but not a patch on the old GS. I didn't shed a tear when I sold them and I'm glad to be back into the GS scene. The 850 will go back on the road soon, but I've just bought myself a 1982 GS1000G and I'm hoping someone out there can help some technical advice. OK, it's got 47,000 miles on the clock and runs ok, good compression (150psi cold on all cylinders). The clutch basket seems to rattle a bit at idle, but goes away once the revs rise so I'm not too concerned about that. I took off the valve cover and found a couple of the exhaust valves were tight so I'll need to do a bit of reshimming, and I've decided to play it safe and replace the cam chain while I'm in there. I bought a chain with a soft link which I plan to hook onto the old one and wind it through. This is my first time replacing a camchain, are there any special precautions I need to take, and are the timing marks the same as on the 850 (I have a manual for that) and do I need any special tools to close the link with? One other thing, the bike seems to be running a bit lean and has an aftermarket(motad) exhaust. It's running 115 main jets, which I feel are a size or two too small. What is the standard main jet size for this model. Hope you can help.
Thanks, Guy.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Line the crank up on TDC #1 and make a note as to the timing marks.
The carb kits I have for 81/1000G have 115 jets stock???

[ddz]

cam chain

i need to replace my cam chain also. where did you find one with a master link ?all i can find are endless camchains .
thanks
vinny

[Guy]

Thanks for that. The timing marks appear identical to the 850's. I've taken out the cams and the middle and front tensioner to give me some room, cut the old chain and hooked it on to the new one keeping the old one tensioned by attaching it to a pulley and weight and slowly turning the crank to wind the new one in. The chain is now in and the soft link is ready to go in, but it won't press together too easily. Has anyone had this problem? I have to wait a few days for a valve cover gasket and shims anyway, so hopefully I'll figure it out in the meantime. I also have two sheared valve cover bolts to deal with, they were seized solid. Vinny, if you buy a continuous camchain, you should be able to cut it yourself and add a soft link. They sell them like that in Ireland anyway. Mine cost ?50. The old chain had stretched by 8mm, so I expect the valve timing will be a bit more accurate now. Can someone tell me which way round the middle tensioner goes back in? Arrow facing forward or back? I put it down without noting it's orientation, and I've no manual as yet. Silly me...

[Guy]

Something else that puzzles me is that it the stock jets should be 115's. The stock jets on my 850 are 115's and it has smaller carbs; 32mm as opposed to the 34mm carbs on the GS1000.

[bwringer]

In general, arrows on a part always face the front (or top) of the vehicle UNLESS there is a matching arrow on the mating part.

If you have a rivet master link (is that what you mean by a "soft" master link?), you need the proper press tool to form the correct mushroom shape in the rivet link without creating a tight spot in the chain. The tool is not all that expensive, but it's the only correct way.

I have seen someone claim to just whack the rivet with a medium hammer while backing it up with a big hammer, but that's not something I'd ever trust inside a running engine.

[Guy]

Yeah, what we call a soft link is the same thing, I think. I figured I would need a special tool alright, I was given the same advice about whacking it together with two hammers, but the idea doesn't inspire confidence.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, what we call a soft link is the same thing, I think. I figured I would need a special tool alright, I was given the same advice about whacking it together with two hammers, but the idea doesn't inspire confidence.

I was given the wrong chain by a supplier and had to shorten it by 2 links.
I peened the end of the stock pins over using 2 hammers. It did not create a tight link. It was much easier than I expected. I have total confidence in the integrity of the chain.