Finally getting around to the 550/699 project....

[tkent02]

Got up to 55 today and took her out as a matter of fact. So much fun running her up to 10k rpm. And it has such a sweet sound out of the pipe. I wonder how long she'll last with me giving it hell all the time haha!

Not sure, but my first 550 lasted through 120,000 miles of that type of riding. When we took the engine apart due to oil leaks, every single metal part was still within specs, rings, cam chain, all of it. Put it back together with new gaskets and rode it many thousands more.

The two valve 550 is Hella overbuilt stout engine, probably the most bulletproof of the entire GS line. I bet yours does OK.

[gmansyz]

When the 550 makes only 35 horsepower, it will last.
A note: And Air/Oil cooled GSXR 750 will fit the old 550. And with a re-sleeve, can go up to 955cc's.
Just a thought.

[Sci85]

Suzuki_Don had a couple of threads related to his build. The main one, one on setting up the squish band, and one on the mechanical advance swap (you need to use the 650 one).

Here's one.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=164443

boontonmike also had a build thread..

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=183707&highlight=650

Here's on one degreeing the cam

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=155072&highlight=650

Use the advance search and you can find all his old threads. And mine has some info as well.

[tkent02]

When the 550 makes only 35 horsepower, it will last.

They came from the factory making 49.

I'm sure it won't last as long when it's a 675cc engine, but it will do OK for quite a while I bet.

[cowboyup3371]

Looking great Tom, wish I still lived out there as I'd bring some other stuff to you to do.

[tkent02]

Mail it. If you get it spotlessly clean it only takes me a few minutes. Hooking up the big oven tonight, so bigger parts are no problem now.

[loud et]

This graphite powder coat is looking amazing.
How is the engine assembly coming? I saw you had automobile problems slowing down your bike time....just seeing if you had any time to get the bottom end on a bench and start assembly?



Unfortunately I don't have a full sized oven yet, so painting these…



The 675 Engine is going together the next few days.[/QUOTE]

[tkent02]

No, haven't even looked at it. My Jeep broke it's timing chain, pulling the engine, what sucks is I have exactly zero interest in cars anymore so it's slow going.
put the dual brakes and forks from the 650 on the bike, the shocks get here tomorrow, ordered some Sonic springs so some things are happening. Just not the engine.

[loud et]

I hear that....I'm just 40 now and don't even want to do brake jobs on my cars anymore let alone anything like pulling an engine....
At least you have bikes to ride in the meantime as you said

[tkent02]

I hear that....I'm just 40 now and don't even want to do brake jobs on my cars anymore let alone anything like pulling an engine....
At least you have bikes to ride in the meantime as you said

Yep, it's supposed to be hot today so I'm taking the 550 up into the mountains, just as soon as I get this damned Jeep engine out….

[salty_monk]

The twinpot brakes fit the 650 forks fine..

[tkent02]

I know, I have the whole works ready to go, Honda discs and everything, sorry I bought all the stuff used from another GSR member. I think I'll go ahead and throw it on there.

I have the dual 650 brakes on it now, but the braking still sucks, nothing like the one finger stoppies (almost) that my 650G did. The left disc isn't getting as hot as the right after a long hard stop, the braking is really not much better than the single 550 brake was. I could go through everything, clean the system out, new sticky pads, probably get it working well but the Kawasaki setup is SOooo much better, why bother?

Gotta do the damned Jeep engine first.

[Chuck78]

GSXR/Katana Carb options, compression ratios when mixing and matching

Also I figured that it is easier to use the first two years of Katana 600 carbs than the following 7 or so years, if looking for an alternative to what BoontonMike did. I was going to copy his, but then I realized the BST33 slingshot carbs like what he mated up with makeshift intake boot mixing and matching and turning the stockers into two aluminum spacers and buying two different sets of GSXR boots just to get 4 boots out of 12...well, those arent really going to be necessary (and they'll directly fit a GS850G CV head that I have for a 750/850 build!), and downsizing to the BST31 will fit far better and still work better than the stock BS32's. The GS550 all the way up to the GS1000 came with BS32's, which helped me decide that 1mm smaller venturi is not giong to hurt this street motor one bit. If it were a 12000rpm race engine, BST34's... But for this application, It will produce better response than the stock BS32 by far, and fit better than the BST33's. The BST34 on this for the street doesn't seem like a good idea for streetable low end torque.

I think these Mikuni flatslide BST31's (non-slingshot style inlets, aluminum slides) that I also have will work quite well, have a pretty darn close jetting to what we need already at around 140 mains (from 89-90 or 88-89 Katana GSX600F?) compared to around 110 or 112 on the BST33/34's, and they will slide into the stock boots with persuasion and the spacing is ALMOST correct. I figured I could elongate the boot fastener holes side to side where needed to adjust them around a bit and slide them on the bolts affixing them to the head. Looking at the stock placement on some GS heads leaves me scratching my head anyways, looks like a terrible port to boot matchup that needs port matching done! Well, slide the boots out a little to fit the Katana BST31's and port match them this way! not so good port matching was nothing compared to a severely shrouded intake valve I saw when I got a GS850 head with a bunch of parts from Tom Witt aka WittTom (great guy and GSR salvage-hobby resource). It's whole life, the bike's owners probably wondered why their big four didn't perform how they expected. giant casting flash blocking 20% of the valve path or more on #1 intake!!!! These are all critical parts of blueprinting an engine, as well as checking all gearbox and crankcase tolerances...

Lastly, be careful mixing and matching pistons and heads. I think Bvreagle or whoever it was that build the modified 750 piston GS550 said his ran far too hot, and that might have even been with an oil cooler. I think he figured he had quite a high compression ratio. I am not sure if that was with the 650 head or the 550. The 650 seems to have pretty deep bowls, so probably the 550 head. Increasing the bore and not increasing the combustion chamber bowls or decreasing the piston dome really starts to shoot up your compression ratio drastically. Maybe some seriously calculated machinework to take a bit out of the chambers and a little itty bit off the pistons may be necessary. For a price, Ray can have Wiseco or someone else custom make you pistons to your spec if you want the highly efficient 650 dome in a larger bore and less of a dome to keep the compression below 11:1.

[Sci85]

Well, I lost track for a while and your post over in another thread reminded me I haven't checked out the project for awhile. So, where do things stand? Did you finish up the engine and get it back in the bike? Do tell, do tell.

[tkent02]

How time flies when you have too many projects going on at once.
Haven't updated this thread in a while.

Getting closer now, would have had the engine together except I forgot to order two cylinder studs, which were twisted quite a bit. Got the K&Ns sitting here ready to go, front brake is worthy of the added power, I tried out Saltymonk'e twin pot upgrade for the single brake bikes, it works very well.



Much better than the dual 650 brakes were.

Forks are powdercoated and going back together as soon as the emulators get here.

Getting closer...