Its Alive!!

[bucketsofgs1000]

I just finished re-replacing the head gasket on my GS1000. Started it up and it runs great. No smoke this time. I built the motor a couple years ago and at the time never installed the little gaskets at the oil passages so clearly the head gasket was leaking quite a bit of oil. I replaced it a few months ago only to spiral a ring just enough to cause major blow-by. Luckily no damage to the cylinder was done and I honed that cylinder and replaced all the rings. Now, I just finished installing the third head gasket and the bike runs great. Tomorrow I'll re-torque the head after it cools for the day and then I can ride it again. Just in time for the winter.... oh well. The bike will be for sale again this spring, this time in excellent running condition instead of "needs a head gasket". But, if the bike doesn't sell, I'm going to keep it. I'll probably have to add an oil cooler to run it through the whole summer since traffic sucks here when its 100 deg out. Another little project for the lathe which has been ignored since I started this two gasket replacement job.

[49er]

It's a bit of a pain having to do rework, but you do learn a lot about the internals of your engine. I've had similar set backs in the early years. Thanks for sharing. It's a shame that you're thinking of selling it though!!

[Eli69]

i did the top end on my 1000 two years ago and it still runs great. next time though i hope to do it without an oil leak. oh well....

[chef1366]

Third time's a charm!

[bucketsofgs1000]

I'm just trying to make room in my shop for a cnc mill. The 1000 will be for sale for some ridiculous price that I will never get, so I suspect I will own it for a long time to come. I certainly know the GS1000 motor well now. I can tear it down in about 30 min and rebuild the top end in about 45....

[chef1366]

45 minutes? With the engine in the frame? I'd like to see that.

[bucketsofgs1000]

Just the top end. Remember that I have done this particular motor quite a few times recently. I also used to work as a motorcycle mechanic and I work as a mechanical engineer now modifying submarines, so I'm pretty good with my hands, except for that whole spiraling piston rings thing.

[pntrdave]

The 1000 will be for sale for some ridiculous price that I will never get, so I suspect I will own it for a long time to come.

Oh one of those guys just making the wife happy huh.... " Honest honey I'm trying to sell it, see the ad. I can't just give it away.... No really I have to ride it or all the work I did on it will go bad. Have to have it good and broken in Right??"

[bucketsofgs1000]

No I genuinely would be happy to sell it, but I have about $4k into it and I know no one around here pays more that $2500 for a mint all original with 12 miles on it, so unless I sell on fleabay or something, I don't think I'll be happy with the selling price. And, the wife doesn't mind me having all sorts of crap around. I just sold one bike, I just want the space in the garage to pour another couple thousand pounds of concrete and buy myself a cnc mill to fill out the shop. Then I'll want the bike back once I'm able to make all sorts of neat parts for it. The top end was taking up my workbench the past few months, and it was so spread out I could hardly get to the lathe in the back of the garage, so I'm just getting tired of tripping over the thing.

But now that the bike is back together and running beautifully I don't feel the same animosity toward it that I have the past few months. I can walk through my shop and turn on my lathe and I can even ride the bike about. Maybe this summer I'll finally get around to building an oil cooler adapter for it.