81 GS550T Full Rebuild...In Ohio

[pete]

Good stuff Scott, coming together now!

Ceramic coating is good stuff... the only thing I'm finding is that due to the weather I haven't washed my bike for far too long and because I therefore haven't polished the pipe, it's starting to get a slightly yellow tinge to it in places.

When I wash and polish it next I know it will be back to it's nice silver self though

[cowboyup3371]

No work done today as it was moving day in my friend's household. He's moving into a nicer house with a HUMONGOUS garage for the bikes and so all of them had to be loaded up on the trailer. So my frame, two engines (both Hondas), his Suzuki Boulevard cruiser, and his SV1000 race bike were loaded onto my truck and Steve's trailer (yes, I strapped my frame down after this picture was taken).



Once over at the new house, we offloaded the bikes (I got to walk his SV down off the trailer and put it in its spot as the battery died) and then unloaded the engines and the tool boxes. I will say those Hondas are MUCH MUCH heavier than my 550 engine (did them by myself) to pick up and drop on the ground but I got it.

This was taken after we offloaded mine but before the others.



He's been banned from working in the garage until the house is finished but I'm tempted to put a lift table in there and a few other odds and ends; especially since I'm allowed to keep working on my bike there even after I have it running.

[SVSooke]

Thanks dude,now I'm really jealous.Even if it's not yours.

[cowboyup3371]

Went by the new garage today and continued trying to strip paint off the tank and carbs. The tank went well but that's a given and now just need to take the wire wheel to finish it off before priming it. Speaking of primer, I picked up some sprayable primer and hardener from a local auto paint store. I'm hoping to put some on by next weekend if everything goes well.

As far as the carbs go, I'm still no closer to getting the old paint off. I posted these in my other thread but will add this one here too:




Also took the bike off the lift finally and placed it on the center stand/jack stands.

[Sci85]

I use a dremel and the small wire wheels you can get for them. They get into most every crevice. Carb cleaner spray has also been known to work to get paint out of the crevices. I spray a small, thin rag with cleaner then wrap it around the end of a screwdriver and slowly work the area. I use the dremel method the most except for the few areas it won't reach.

[pete]

Cool Scott... Sci's idea sounds like it could work? I didn't have to strip my carbs, just dipped and assembled...

[Nessism]

Soda blast those carbs. They will look like brand new afterwards. Harbor Freight sells the media, and you can make your own gun for cheap.

[tkent02]

HF sells a soda blaster for cheap that actually works.

[Dogma]

HF sells a soda blaster for cheap that actually works.

I had better luck with a homemade one. Maybe you tried a nicer one than I did.

[tkent02]

My home made one didn't work at all. The HF one did OK.

[cowboyup3371]

Does someone have some good directions on making your own since the stuff I saw on YouTube looked suspicious last night?

[cowboyup3371]

Received my replacement end of the tach drive from TKent02 today...thank you



I'll try to clean it up this week and put that together.

[tkent02]

That's fresh out of the ultrasonic cleaner, it's just a bit discolored. Paint it.

[Steve]

That's fresh out of the ultrasonic cleaner, it's just a bit discolored. Paint it.

Or bring it over and polish it.

.

[tkent02]

Or bring it over and polish it.

.

Way more better.