1978 GS 750 Indiana Barn Bike rescue

[allojohn]

Always good to see another '78 750, welcome to the asylum! Prepare for GS obsession. Good luck with the project and post plenty of pics.

[Ledyard]

Wow, thanks for all the counsel. I checked G&S Suzuki's prices, and indeed, everything is listed for less than BikeBandit. The Bandit cart is now emptied, and I'm ordering a complete petcock and other necessities from G&S. Gracias!

Before attempting to start the thing, I'm planning to drain and clean the gas tank, since whatever gas is there has been sitting for 20 years, change the vintage 1991 oil (maybe twice), change the battery and plugs. I guess I'm a bit fearful of even trying to start the engine before doing some basics...

A question on PB Blaster... assuming this loosens things up in the cylinders, I'll still have to do the full carb clean-out and re-build (ala Paul Musser's VM Carburetor tutorial), right?

[gbw]

A question on PB Blaster... assuming this loosens things up in the cylinders, I'll still have to do the full carb clean-out and re-build (ala Paul Musser's VM Carburetor tutorial), right?

That is correct. Of course you need the engine to turn over, but you also need to completely and correctly rebuild the carbs and bring all the maintenance up to date for it to run correctly and be safe to ride.

[Flyboy]

I'll still have to do the full carb clean-out and re-build (ala Paul Musser's VM Carburetor tutorial), right?

I'll still have to do the full carb clean-out and re-build (ala Mr. Nessim's Carburetor tutorial), right?

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/...d_Tutorial.pdf

There, fixed it for you...

[koolaid_kid]

I'll still have to do the full carb clean-out and re-build (ala Mr. Nessim's Carburetor tutorial), right?

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/...d_Tutorial.pdf

There, fixed it for you...

Nope. Link don't not work, and he has VM carbs, not CV. Needs the VM carb rebuild, not CV.

[Ledyard]

This was the VM carb resource I was going to use as my bible:

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/docs/vm_carb_rebuild.pdf

But if someone has a better one, let me know!

[allojohn]

This was the VM carb resource I was going to use as my bible:

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/docs/vm_carb_rebuild.pdf

But if someone has a better one, let me know!

That's the one to use all right. It's based on a '78 750.
Take a look at your bleeder and main jet when you tear it down, the '77-79 750's were all over the shop with different jet sizes and float heights. Make a note it could be useful down the road.

[Flyboy]

Ledyard, all the tutorials you find here and in Basscliff's site are good and will lead you to happiness, so it really makes no difference which you use, the guys have used them hundreds of times and all the kinks have been ironed out a long time ago.

[Ledyard]

Am making a little progress.... I've pulled the seat, the tank, all the fiddly little things. I have yet to get into the heart of the matter, meaining the engine, the carbs, etc. Learning as I go.

Thought I'd post a few pics of the tank, seat, and my first look at the very dirty insides.





IMG]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o724/Ledyard61/suzuki099_zps719d206b.jpg[/IMG]

[Ledyard]

...and maybe a Big Preliminary Question here: I've never tried to get the engine to turn. Before I get any farther in the tear down, should I get some oil, gas, new battery and plugs in the bike and try to start it?

[Ledyard]

Wrestled the plugs out last night and sprayed PB Blaster thoroughly into the holes. Now waiting for it to work its magic. I'll hit them again with the PB Blaster tonight.

WD40 smells great; PB Blaster.... does not.

[Bevo]

Check your air box for critters and make sure your oil and filter are ok, a plugged filter or bad oil will do more harm than good.
Leave the plugs out for a bit while you crank, how is the carbs?

[koolaid_kid]

Personally, I would try to rotate the crank by hand first.

[recycled64]

Careful

Wrestled the plugs out last night and sprayed PB Blaster thoroughly into the holes. Now waiting for it to work its magic. I'll hit them again with the PB Blaster tonight.

WD40 smells great; PB Blaster.... does not.

Good way to bend a connecting rod if you try to actually start it with all that PB in there; crank it without sparkplugs in it to blow out most of the 'Blaster when you get a battery hooked up to it. Put a couple of rags over the plug holes when you do the blow-out, or do it outside.

[Big T]

...and maybe a Big Preliminary Question here: I've never tried to get the engine to turn. Before I get any farther in the tear down, should I get some oil, gas, new battery and plugs in the bike and try to start it?

Don't worry much about the oil. It doesn't deteriorate with time.

Get the engine turning over by hand, adjust the valves and such.

Once you get it to run and warm up, then change the oil.

New gas, however, is essential

Yes to a new battery and plugs