1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Suzuki_Don]

Pete,

I had the nut which holds the knerled knob on the cam chain tensionor come off and the chain jumped time. Make sure there is a lock washer or something to insure that dosen't happen. The tensionor is real easy to rebuild, by the way.

PETE I'll back up Charlie, I lost the lock nut and the knurled nut/handle of my tensioner as well. Take my tip use Red Loctite on the lock nut.

[Suzuki_Don]

BTW a wire wheel at high speed is a good way of removing the carbon from exhaust valves. If that doesn't work then use the back side of a hacksaw blade to scrape the carbon off or at least break it up so the wire wheel can do the rest. At times when this stuff has been really tough I have used the teeth side of the blade and gently pulled it across the valve to remove/break up the carbon. Remember those exhaust valves are one tough mutha. They're made from tough stuff, will not mark easily.

Hope this helps.

[pete]

Cheers for the tips Charlie and Don.

You know I didn't even end up touching the knurled knob or lock nut? Got so carried away with how clean I was getting it I didn't even think about it.

I'd completely forgotten about Bwringer's excellent camchain tensioner rebuild info, so I'm going to have to review that now and try to get some seals possibly, but I'll know for sure when i get the rest of it dismantled.

Don, thanks for the wire wheel tip, I have a wire wheel to go on the bench grinder I can give that a whirl with.

However, it's looking more and more like I'm pretty much done until next year. No way I'm going to get any time this weekend between "life" and work... have to work 1am Sunday morning for a couple of hours... yay.

I didn't hear back from Albion Motorcycles today about the valve facing and I didn't get a chance to call during breaks on the course either, so maybe tomorrow, we'll see.

Also didn't get down in the garage tonight, so the exhaust valves are still soaking.

So, looks like the only time I'm going to get is still at night, which means no noise, but of course I need to make noise with the wire wheel and I need to make noise to try to get the alternator rotor off, and I also need to make noise to get the case covers polished up, so all in all not much chance of getting any of that done at all I'm afraid.

Oh well, just one more delay... I should be used to them by now...

I would imagine I can at least get the valves out of the kero and clean them up as best I can though.

[landshark]

Hi Pete,
Have you tried to call classic bike tune down here on the coast?
If it helps, and if they do the facing, i will be in Brisi tomorrow and could probably grab the valves for you and drop them off.

[pete]

Hi Pete,
Have you tried to call classic bike tune down here on the coast?
If it helps, and if they do the facing, i will be in Brisi tomorrow and could probably grab the valves for you and drop them off.

Mate that's another awesome offer of assistance! I shot them an email this morning but they really recommend I drop in and talk to a mechanic about it.

As it turns out, I got onto Northside Cylinder Head Specialists at Geebung and they're open this Saturday and should be able to do them while I wait for somewhere around $20, so I'm gonna do that.

Albion Motorcycles could do them tomorrow for me, but I've got no way of getting there, then he closes up from Friday until mid January.

So, as long as I get to Geebung Saturday morning I should be all set with valves ready to go which would be awesome.

Thanks again for the offer, that's why I love this forum, so many helpful people on here who are willing to go out of their way. I hope I can return that to someone at some point...

[landshark]

No worries, i just hope you make it Saturday morning!
Look forward to seeing the beast one day, i should be fully on the road by 10th Jan(thank you Xmas holidays).

[Leigh]

I'm a fan of While-U-Wait things.

[pete]

No worries, i just hope you make it Saturday morning!
Look forward to seeing the beast one day, i should be fully on the road by 10th Jan(thank you Xmas holidays).

Me too! The only thing at this stage that could stop me is that I'm on call for work this week... if they call me right when I'm supposed to be at Geebung I won't be happy... and probably neither will the poor person who calls me

10th Jan hey? Lucky sod! If I've got the motor back in the frame by 10th Jan I'll be stoked!

I'm hoping a few of us around here and the coast can meet up at some point, would be cool to put some faces to screen names.

I'm a fan of While-U-Wait things.

Oh indeed... I'm all for instant gratification

[Joe]

Great thread! I'm about to start stripping down my 650 motor and you're giving me some much needed motivation!

[pete]

Thanks Joe, I'm really itching to get the motor done so I can fire her up and get on with finishing the rebuild.

This is my first ever attempt at something like this, so I'll be extremely happy when it's done and working.

Good luck with your 650!

[landshark]

10th Jan hey? Lucky sod! If I've got the motor back in the frame by 10th Jan I'll be stoked!

I am quietly confident that something will go wrong, so dont get too jealous.

[pete]

Haha now I know that feeling well!!! I have no expectation that I can simply get the valves faced and lapped in and all will be good...

[Suzuki_Don]

Great thread! I'm about to start stripping down my 650 motor and you're giving me some much needed motivation!

Joe is it an "E" or a "G" model. The motors are different.

[pete]

Did a very small amount tonight, and did a bit of a tidy up on the work bench because I had tools everywhere and they were cramping my style. I really need to finish organising all the tools so they've got a proper home instead of just an area... maybe after the GS is done...

So, valves bagged up ready for travel tomorrow:



Then, moved on to start cleaning up the right hand case cover, tis a tad filthy and greasy and definitely needs some polishing action. Note the gasket stayed about 95% complete when I removed it too, but I have a replacement anyway:



Out came the signal generator, needs a bit of a clean too:



Reference picture for the oil pressure switch connection (haven't removed the switch):



After that, I gave the really greasy bits a good run over with the kero and paint brush and I'm still amazed at how quickly that makes a huge difference. I did pick up a couple of PO issues, a nice gouge and a scratch that I should be able to polish out:



So that's all for tonight, off to get a relatively early one and hope the phone doesn't ring too much so I can get out early in the morning.

I need to duck into the SES and pick up some sand bags for the rumpus door as we got some water coming in during the storm again yesterday, and then I need to go and get the valves faced.

Depending on time, I'm hoping to stop in somewhere and pick up some lapping compound and a hone as well.

[pete]

Well... nearly 2am and I'm sitting here at work twiddling my thumbs waiting for this upgrade to start... an hour behind so far.

So, thought it time to pop in a little update naturally

I have no pic's right now, but I do have good news... yay!

Headed out yesterday morning and picked up some sand bags for the rumpus door and then up to Northside Cylinder Head Specialists... which was closed!

However, I decided to be patient for once in my life and it paid off, the dude rocked up about 15 minutes later and he was just running a little late.

So, he bead blasted and faced my valves for the princely sum of $20 And yeah, he also did the top of the valves too so hopefully they shouldn't be much different spec to what they were.

He also took me into the workshop to show me his blasting cabinet and the facing process which was great. I told him this was all new to me which is why I think he did it. He also offered to do my honing which would be great, except he's closed when I think I will get to it.

He also showed me why you should never run a Ford Falcon on LPG from the factory without getting the head work done to put new valve seats in. A taxi head was there with around 300,000km's on it, and the valves have sunk into the alloy head from the gas and it's non repairable without replacing the seats entirely, and a new engine goes for about $400 now. Just a little side note there...

On the way back home, dropped into my local little auto place and picked up some find lapping compound and a pair of lapping tools.

Then, later on, I ducked out and managed to get a small engine hone. It's the stone type, but hopefully as long as I'm quick and careful, all should be good with it.

So, once I get some time again, I should be right to start getting the valves in the head, then I should be able to get the cylinders honed and pop it together and in the frame