1981 gs 450e (startout $50)

[surviverguy]

It took me about a month to get mine sparking again. My wiring was a mess and I had a bad igniter. The electrical system on these old bikes can be the hardest part.

[lorello]

thanks spent alota time looking at the wiring on my bike debating weather to take it all off n start from scratch but most of it seems to be there and in good condiation so i figured id leave it and try and work with what i can figure out my main concerin is just getting the starte and stuff wired up so i can try n strt it when i get the carbs and airbox.

[pete]

You wanna get your hands on a factory manual which includes the routing of the harness and the clutch and throttle cables.

Jump on eBay and find a seller called "eClassic Bike" out of New Zealand. He sells reproductions of the manuals for about $US30 or so plus shipping and it's a decent quality reprint as well all bound up with a plastic cover. Very glad I got mine and it includes the later model supplements as well.

[lorello]

yea i got a digital copy of one off ebay for $7 was just seeing if there was sumthing out there easier to use but im working on decifering the schemadic in the manual... also im pretty sure im missing my cdi box heres a picture of the electrical panel lemme kno what you think..oo and my fuse is missing so dnt worry about that

[surviverguy]

You're gonna need a working igniter to get sparks.


It should look like this:
It has a six wire plug and also a seperate short black wire with a ring connector on the end.

[surviverguy]

The igniter bolts to that cover on the right side. The part number is 32900-47020. It's used on 1980-1982 GS450. Best prices I've seen used on ebay is $50. A new igniter costs North of $400. I tried a used igniter for a GS750 but it didn't work right. To get one for less than $70 you have got to be patient and/or lucky.
Be on the lookout for one.
Meanwhile run compression tests.
Compresion is not something you want to check later after "investing" lots of money.
To check compression all you need is a good battery and a working starter (a working starter relay is helpful) and a compression gauge. I have a lot of experience testing compression and sometimes just use my thumb covering the spark plug hole. I can guess the pressure pretty well within 15%, but you'll want to use a gauge since you haven't tested hundreds of engines. The starter relays are sold New aftermarket on ebay for $17.00.


You'll feel terrible if you've spent a couple hundred dollars on parts and wasted lots of time- to find out later that the engine is locked up or has a bent valve or shot rings.

[lorello]

Yea I looked on ebay and couldn't find any for a gs450... ima have to call a few salvage yards... I'm asuming it would pretty much have to be model and year specific but any other modeles or anything would be compatible

[surviverguy]

It needs to have those part numbers. I think it was used also on some 250's. They come up about weekly or bi-weekly on ebay. When I needed one and saw one at the right price...BIN (buy it now). Later I secured a second one (for a spare) after realizing how hard they are to get (at the right price). Sometimes new ones come up for sale also- but bidding can go North of $200 on new ones (ebay).

[lorello]

alaright thanks so to do a compression test i wouldnt need the carbs or airbox on the bike. taking it without those if i can the compression wouldnt be right but as long as theres sumthin i should be good... and would u need the key in the igniton cuz i dnt have keys but i can always just take it apart n use a screwdriver

[surviverguy]

No carbs needed. No key needed. Best method for electrical would be to connect a battery to the battery cables. Use a jumper wire to send positive volts to the small green striped wire of the starter relay located on the left side of that electrial panel. When "energized" the two studs of the relay become connected. One stud of the relay is battery (positive +). The other stud has a cable going to the starter which is located under the cover below where the carbs mount. The electrical panel must be grounded to the frame in order for the relay to energize. The battery should be connected on it's negative side to a ground strap/cable attached to the engine. Be sure the transmission is in neutral.
When buying a compression gauge the screw in type is better than the push against the hole type. Sears sells a good compression gauge. Maybe you could borrow one from a friend. They cost about forty bucks for a good one. Have both spark plugs out of the engine before testing.
You want to see about 125-150 psi. You want to see similar pressures on both cylinders (within 10%).
On an engine which hasn't spun for a while I usualy pour some oil (a few drops or up to one tablespoon?) in the holes and spin the engine with no plugs to lubricated the cylinders and rings. Oil will or might shoot back out of the holes when spinning the first few revolutions depending how much you pour in there. Don't be surprized. Compression will likely increase after you get it runing again and the rings seat themselves again. The compression test just tests the most basic parts of the engine. Less than about 90-100 psi and the cylinder is dead and won't fire. 100- 120psi is weak. 120-155 is normal. Above about 170 and comprssion is considered to be high, requiring higher octane fuel and sometimes a stronger starter. I haven't tested many motorcycles. These numbers are just for basic gasoline engines in general.

[pete]

There's one on here at the moment:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=195379

[lorello]

thanks that helps alot... i looked at the linke u just put up is ther any diffrence betwwen the ex ez and et models cuz im not sure exactly what mine is the guy i bought it form just said it was a 450e... would there be sumwhere i could run the vin and theyed be able to tell me like a car... also where exactly is the vin im guessing its the number on the engine like under where the air box goes it says gs 450 and then has a buncha numbers after it... and would a compersison meter be the same for a bike and a car cuz i could go and see if autozone rents them

[surviverguy]

The VIN is on the frame not the engine. Look at the front of the frame (above the forks and below the handle bars). All GS450's 1980-1982 use the same igniter. There's a chart on basscliff's sight for determining the letter designations.
Autozone might lend/rent a compression gauge. There are only two different threadings for sparkplug holes since the 1970's. The screw in type of gauge generaly has both threading on the fitting. The fitting generaly uses an o ring for sealing when screwed in. Compession readings and testing is the same for cars as bikes (not diesels). Diesel engines use much higher compression and because there's no sparkplug used on diesels the tool is different. Yes, get a compression gauge for a car.

[surviverguy]

look for this $17.00 on ebay right now!

[lorello]

ima go buy a battery in the next few days and test my compression. had a few question the bennys down the street from my house has a motorcycle battery for $32 are all motorcycle batterys genarly the same or will i need a specific one for my bike like with cars... also im asuming im gonna need the fuse hooked up to would i be able to just get a 15amp fuse from autozone or are motorcycle fuses diffrent.