1983 Suzuki GS1100ED --- "Big Boy"

[TooManyToys]

Proper alignment of the cams is with the notches pointing towards each other, with 3 and 2 poining to 12 o'clock, and 1 at 3 o'clock or flush with the gasket surface and 20 pins between the 3 and 2 including the pins that the arrows point at.

Rotate the crank again clockwise till you are back at "T" till the notches on the cams are pointing IN toward each other, then you can see the arrow alignment is correct and or how far off you are... should look like this:



If you are getting any resistance (valves hitting pistons) when you turn it, Stop. You'll have to remove the cams and realign them to prevent any damage.


Nic

Did you follow this advice?

[psyguy]

That looks all right now FC. You work fast!

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Did you follow this advice?

Yes I did .

That looks all right now FC. You work fast!

Thank you! Like I said, I have nothing else to do and I'm pretty motivated to get this bike running. Valve adjustment tomorrow!

[psyguy]

it's a bit disappointing that the bike didn't start... unless all the valves are really tight, it should have started given all the other work you've done

[Flaming Chainsaws]

it's a bit disappointing that the bike didn't start... unless all the valves are really tight, it should have started given all the other work you've done

Yeah... But the valves are extremely tight now that the camshafts are in the correct locations. Could not fit my smallest feeler gauge (.003 inch/.07 mm) under any of them. That must mean something lol. Yes, I did measure when the camshaft notches were both pointed in and out.

However, I'm pretty beat right now so I'll adjust the valves tomorrow. Will tomorrow be the day that she runs?

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Question! I noticed that both of your camshaft sprockets say 470 on it.

My intake camshaft says 451 and my exhaust camshaft says 470. Does this mean anything?

[niclpnut]

It has to do with the year of the engine. 83 1100e's came with hotter cams and used different sprocket set up.

82 (some of the parts sites list it as 81) engines had the 451 intake sprocket from the factory.

I remember seeing this on flying banana about gs1000 cam timing with a 451 sprocket but shouldn't apply to the 1100:

Here's a diagram — straight from the Suzuki workshop manual — explaining the specifics of GS1000ST valve timing, as distinct from the SN. Make sure you get it right! To be sure, check the identifying numbers on your camshaft sprockets.

**However, you should also note that here in Australia we seem to have got a fairly mixed-up situation as far as those sprocket numbers go. For example, my ST has got a '490' intake sprocket, and a '49S' exhaust sprocket. And, an ST I heard about in Melbourne has got a '451' intake sprocket and a '490' exhaust sprocket. What's going on, Mr. Suzuki??? Well, we can't be sure. Maybe they were just grabbing whatever sprockets were available in the parts bin when they were assembling our beloved Aussie GS1000ST's...

**But whatever sprockets you have, or indeed whatever model of GS you have, the main thing is that when you have cylinder #1 on TDC (top dead-centre) on the compression stroke, that the notches on the ends of the camshafts (coloured green in the diagram above) are directly facing each other, as they are in the diagram. If either of the notches are pointing away from the opposite camshaft, you know that the timing is out, and you will need to reset the camshaft(s) so that the notches will directly face each other.





Nic

[John Kat]

It has to do with the year of the engine. 83 1100e's came with hotter cams and used different sprocket set up.

82 (some of the parts sites list it as 81) engines had the 451 intake sprocket from the factory.

I remember seeing this on flying banana about gs1000 cam timing with a 451 sprocket but shouldn't apply to the 1100:

Here's a diagram — straight from the Suzuki workshop manual — explaining the specifics of GS1000ST valve timing, as distinct from the SN. Make sure you get it right! To be sure, check the identifying numbers on your camshaft sprockets.

**However, you should also note that here in Australia we seem to have got a fairly mixed-up situation as far as those sprocket numbers go. For example, my ST has got a '490' intake sprocket, and a '49S' exhaust sprocket. And, an ST I heard about in Melbourne has got a '451' intake sprocket and a '490' exhaust sprocket. What's going on, Mr. Suzuki??? Well, we can't be sure. Maybe they were just grabbing whatever sprockets were available in the parts bin when they were assembling our beloved Aussie GS1000ST's...

**But whatever sprockets you have, or indeed whatever model of GS you have, the main thing is that when you have cylinder #1 on TDC (top dead-centre) on the compression stroke, that the notches on the ends of the camshafts (coloured green in the diagram above) are directly facing each other, as they are in the diagram. If either of the notches are pointing away from the opposite camshaft, you know that the timing is out, and you will need to reset the camshaft(s) so that the notches will directly face each other.





Nic

This situation is apparently the same for french GS 1000 ST's as mine comes with a 451 intake and a 490 exhaust camshaft .
For the timing I used the recommendation above and the engine works beautifully

[Flaming Chainsaws]

I hope that means that I'm OK lol.

[Flaming Chainsaws]

I was going to adjust my valves today but someone was obviously in the garage and moved some stuff. Where the hell are my feeler gauges???

I looked at the cam timing again. Aligned to the T mark then look up at the camshafts and they are NOT pointing at each other . Just by 1 tooth. So I tried to fix it and again, they are not pointing at each other. WHY???

Pics later... I'm kinda ****ed.

[Flaming Chainsaws]

I did manage to fix it... sorta. It's still off by one tooth or so.

Align the T mark.


Intake camshaft.


Exhaust camshaft.




Those notches on the end of each camshaft should face DIRECTLY at each other. I've tried to fix it again but this is the closest I can get it


WHY??? Maybe my cam chain is old? No, it has less than 30K miles. Maybe the camshaft sprockets are bad? I don't think so.

This is how I got the engine. The only way this could have happened is that some idiot put it back together wrong. That would also explain why he used goopy crap as a valve cover gasket. Luckily he wasn't dumb enough to put too much goop...

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Hold on. Wait a minute........... Looked at the diagram below again.



I have a 451 intake camshaft and a 470 exhaust camshaft. If you take a look at the pictures in my previous post, you will see that it's off by one tooth. I can count 20 pins between the #3 arrow and #2 arrow. That's what my manual says.

But if I line it up to the 19th pin. it may line up...... I will be back.

[psyguy]

That doesn't look to be off by a whole tooth but a fraction only and I would think it's fine.
Though, some sprokets have the bolts holes sloted (like your ignition timing plate) to degree the cams a few degrees from standard (for performance) and this may be the case on your cam(s). In that case you can't get the cams alignment as in the manual.
You would need to take the cams out and sprokets off to check if the holes are round or widened.

[Flaming Chainsaws]

That doesn't look to be off by a whole tooth but a fraction only and I would think it's fine.
Though, some sprokets have the bolts holes sloted (like your ignition timing plate) to degree the cams a few degrees from standard (for performance) and this may be the case on your cam(s). In that case you can't get the cams alignment as in the manual.
You would need to take the cams out and sprokets off to check if the holes are round or widened.

You may be right. I will have to check the cam sprockets tomorrow.

I tried the 19 pin idea...


Close but both notches are pointing downwards. But just barely.

Arrow #1 is parallel with the gasket surface.


What do you guys think?

[psyguy]

you may want to ask this in the performance section... looking at all the pics above to me the cams seem equally "off" from the notches being parallel with the gasket surface on either 19 or 20 pins... if you could take pics of each cam end separately with the camera facing squarely at the cam end, in both 19 and 20 pins positions, that should help judge which one is more accurate. it's hard to tell the alignment from the pic in your last post...