81 GS750E garage rebuild thread...

[Hoosier Daddy]

I am a relative "Noob" here but have already read numerous posts to use OEM (Suzuki) Head and base gskts for their reliability.

[81GS750]

OEM Suzuki gaskets all around. I'll use aftermarket on the valve cover though.

[DanTheMan]

Use RealGasket on the valve cover. BassCliff's welcome has the link for it. It's silicone and can be used over and over again without leakage.

[Larry D]

Use RealGasket on the valve cover. BassCliff's welcome has the link for it. It's silicone and can be used over and over again without leakage.

NO !!!!!!!!

DO NOT use a RealGasket on an engine that has the tach gear in the valve cover !!!! A 16V 750 is such an engine !!!!

The added thickness of the RealGasket prevents the gears of the tach from meshing properly and will eat it up in no time.

[PsychoRallye]

Should I just make my own gasket using a thin bead of RTV or use the Athena one then? Interesting that it negatively affects the mesh of the tach gear -which makes sense... but I would not have thought of it. Sounds like personal experience

Oh, and what's your thoughts on gasket sealer or some other lubricant or adhesive or sealant on the various engine gaskets... I've heard differing schools of thought on automotive (read: car) applications depending upon the gasket... experience/thoughts?

Thanks guys...

[Flyboy]

Nice build, following it with interest.
The nut that holds the steering head in is normally not hard to remove, it is never really that tight because it preloads the steering head bearings, so it is not one of those that is 'tighten as far as you can' type applications, normally a simple adjustable pliers is enough to loosen it, if not then what you guys would call a pipe wrench will do it easy, I have been known to loosen them with gentle tapping on a drift in one of the slots with a hammer (a bit redneck, I know) but does no damage.
Putting it all together though is another story, because you need good feel and control over how much you tighten it, as I said, that is what determines the preload on your steering head bearings. The actual spanner you are looking for is called a C-spanner, because it looks like a C with two little tags that engage in the slots.

There are many schools of thought on the gasket issue, ask six different members, you will get six different answers, none are necessarily wrong, just different.
Personally I don't like to put a gasket on totally dry, unless it is some silly little gasket for the points cover or something, but engine gaskets, I give a light smear of clean engine oil, nothing else, just makes them a pleasure to remove down the line.
You should not really have to use sealants with gaskets unless you are trying to make up for some fault, like gouged or warped cases, in which case you should just have them faced first, do the job properly.
But maybe for whatever reason, you can't have the cases repaired, and there is some damage, there are a ton of sealants out there that will work to help seal, but please, please, whatever you do NEVER BRING SILICONE SEALER near a motor, that stuff blocks oil ways and creates all manner of problems, it is evil.
I like the red Indian Head, very good stuff, and I have some stuff we used to use on the Alfa Romeo engines, that is the best you can get, it is what Alfa Romeo use in assembly.
Like the bikes, the Alfa engine is all aluminum, but a lot of the surfaces are face fit, no gasket at all, just a thin film of this stuff and bolt together. I will see if I can dig a tube out of the boxes in the garage somewhere and get the name.

As I said, that is just my opinion, if the job is cleaned and done correctly, and good quality gaskets are being used, no need for sealer, that is what the gasket is there for, just a light smear of oil will do.

[PsychoRallye]

Hi guys-
Flyboy thanks for the tips... will do on the oil. That one I've heard before so twice is good enough for a quorum

As for the status of the build, no photos tonight (I'm tired!) but the head is finally off so the frame is truly naked... and the rear swingarm is now disassembled - except for two (four) items - the bearings for the swingarm itself (they are press fit?) and the bushings that the bottom of the rear shocks mount to. If I'm getting the rear swingarm powdercoated, do I need to remove these items or can they mask that somehow? I actually have replacement swingarm bearings coming (the old ones are rusty a bit) so I guess I have to find a press somewhere or something... but do the rear shock bushings need to come out?

In addition, do any of you guys know, can they remove chrome off steel (and/or not need to) - since Id like to get a few of the currently chromed pieces powdercoated as well... the chrome is looking pretty sad...

Cheers all...

[Hoosier Daddy]

Some one who does powder coating will need to verify but they do mask off items, it is a special high temp masking tape. The main concerns are
Can the item withstand the oven temps? (rubber / plastic)
Is the grease / oil than will liquify and run when heated? (bearings)
If the bearings or the like are removed later will the powder coating be chipped at the seams?
Chrome can be powder coated, they will sandblast it to give it a rough surface for the powder to grip to.
Hope that helps.

[PsychoRallye]

So, some minor progress- only one new photo...

http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/...rent=photo.jpg

I assume that this sender is pretty bad off. The gauge only reads from F to 1/2 F and then just stays there. Ask me how I know. Sigh. Should I try anything to fix it because frankly even though it looks pretty rusted the actual coil & brush look pretty a-ok... it appears to make contact through the entire range of motion... how "hard" should it make contact? Should I replace the thing? I would assume they're pricy..


As for other progress; front shocks are completely apart... I'm going to clean the pistons and send out the aluminum lowers for some kind of finishing, not sure what yet... and the frame is ready for powdercoat - I'm just waiting on the one motor mount (backordered @ babbitts, mid feb delivery est) that the previous owner stripped out.. and off it goes for PC... sigh!!

More pics soon, sorry ,it's been late night, frozen in the garage work lately...

[81GS750]

Generally, the fuel senders can be brought back to working order. There is a write up on BassCliff's site about it. Basically, take it apart, clean thoroughly, test/adjust with ohm meter, and put it back together. Mine was so gummed up with old gas it didn't work. Followed the cleaning procedure, and it works perfectly now.

[PsychoRallye]

Oh thanks Randy.. I must have breezed right over it... BassCliff's site is fantastic... lots of info, easy to miss something! I'll look again and educate myself!

[PsychoRallye]

http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/...X_Restoration/

Some more accomplished, most of it organization however...
Tank is bare, valve cover is bare (breather cover is broken , don't know if I did that or if it was that way)... anyone have an extra? A new one is around $16 so it's not expensive Basically I'm organizing things to go out to the plater/powdercoating house...

Check out the dent in the tank... I think it's completely fixable...


So I've started to organize things to go to the plating/pc place, etc...
So.. now I need some help. There's a bunch of questions here..

One, are the clutch plates burned? Should I be replacing the metal?


Two, the lower steering bearing race is STUCK... so this is a two part question, one do the kits from whomever (all balls or suzuki oem) come with the cup (i.e. do I also have to remove them from the frame?), and, how do I get this stuck guy off here? Any tricks? All my pullers won't reach and I tried a pry bar & hammer....



Three, same type of question, how do I get the rear swingarm bearings out before PC? I have replacements coming... since they're pretty rusted.



Last but not least... In my bag & tag of the various parts as I went along, somehow two got away from me. Can you tell me what either of these things are? There are two pics of each in the photo album - I'm posting one of the two of each item here...



And last but not least... on the rear of the rear swingarm this is some kind of bushing - can it be removed and/or replaced? Will it withstand powdercoating? What is it? I just don't remember... and can I order it separately


Thanks as always

[PsychoRallye]

Answered my own question on the bushings on the rear swingarm. I'll try to get them out later today, and order some new ones... sigh! But help is still appreciated on the other items...
Cheers

[Nessism]

The pin is from the starter idler gear - it falls out when the stator cover is removed.

That spacer with the shield is for one of the wheels, my guess that is a rear side spacer.

Press out those shock bushings using a socket and your bench vise or arbor press.

Athena base gaskets are evil. Replace that piece with OE if you go with the Athena kit.

Removing the bearings from the swingarm requires destroying the bearings. I have no good tips other than using a long drift or screwdriver and pounding them out from the opposite side of the swingarm.

Good luck and keep going...

[PsychoRallye]

Maybe I should cry but I just broke my vice getting out those rear shock bushings hahahaha... Guess I need a new one (better one!!) or a real press... I wonder if I can waltz into a local garage and pay them a few bucks... sigh!!
Maybe it's time for a new swingarm LOL

Thanks for the tips on the other items. I had a guess on the wheel spacer... but the idler pin was missing me

I was planning on using the Athena gaskets for the side covers and valve cover, and an OEM head gasket... and since I have a exhaust-cam-tach-gear I was told (earlier in this very thread thank you very much that the better than silicone gaskets are too thick and don't allow the tach gear to mesh very well...)

Cheers...

PS - I have a friend that has some extra cams hes willing to give me (if they'll fit!) - but they're for an '80 GS850 and a '79 GS750, but I thought the 79 was an 8-valve and that the 850 was a different engine ... am I smokin somethin good? Or should I just buy the one off rapidray...