78 GS 750 Rebuild

Don't be too intimidated by the bottom end. Just follow the procedure in the manual. Everything comes apart and goes back together without too much fuss.
Good luck with the cleanup.

[cowboyup3371]

You can get allen headed screws at Ace Hardware or through Z1 for example

[Sam 78 GS750]

Been pretty busy, but I got to work on the engine a little bit today finally... got the head and cylinders off without too much trouble. The pistons have a lot of carbon on top, but under the rings looks decent. Some of the head studs are pretty rusted and when I pulled the head and jugs off a decent amount of rust powdered off and fell into the crank along with other gunk and garbage... I'm hoping I can clean it all out without having to split the cases. I've never even been this deep in my engine before (had the cams out, that's about it). I'm pretty confident with the top end so far though...easy enough. The bottom end with all it's tiny bits and pieces is kind of intimidating... anyway, I'll post some pics in a few.

[Sam 78 GS750]

Behind the pipes isn't too pretty either.



The clutch adjuster/sprocket cover came off next. This actually took me the longest to take off out of everything. Damn phillips head screws stripped out. I think an allen bolt kit is definitely in order... Anybody have recommendations for a supplier?



First time ever draining the oil on this bike where I didn't have to worry about it getting all over the pipes...



And we're almost there.



Almost forgot to disconnect this guy...


Next was disconnecting the random wires coming off the engine (including burnt ones going from the stator to the R/R...)



Jack up the engine a smidge to take the weight off the mounts a bit before disconnecting them.



After the mounting bolts are removed, jack the engine up over the frame, then pull it up and out the right side. Brought a 6 pack to bribe my brother in law to help me pick it up out if the frame. This is as far as I got so far, but not too bad for one afternoon.


I already have a decent amount of work into the bike from a few years ago, so it's not gonna be a completely from scratch rebuild... I already put in a Dyna ignition and Accel coils, Progressive shocks and fork springs, along with a bunch of other odds and ends that I can't think of right now... All the polishing I did on the aluminum went to hell, but that's what I get for my neglect...

For now I plan to rebuild the engine, paint the frame, and do all the basic maintenance. That should be enough to get her back on the road so I can get some riding in this season. Everything else that doesn't require a complete disassemble I can do section by section when I have the time/money to spare.

[Sam 78 GS750]

Lovely seat pan Some shrubbery in there too... paint peeling around the gas cap

Some chips in the tank


On top of being pretty filthy right now there's also the massive oil leak from the head gasket, along with some mechanical problems including what seems like a fried stator...so all I can do is tear her down before I build her up.

On to it...

Already took the carbs off to rebuild them and left them off. Air box too. Took off the tank and seat.



Next off was the exhaust. Surprisingly, the header bolts came out nice and easy.



These pipes have seen better days...

[Sam 78 GS750]

So I've been off the forums for a few years before coming back in October and giving some details about how my bike got to be in the sad, sad state it's in...

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?227159-Returning-Member-Long-time-gone

The short version is that a 9000 mile trip a few years ago left her limping and with a horrible oil leak. I got home, parked her, and haven't touched her since (other a spray down with a thick coat of WD-40. Yeah, I guess I'm "that guy"). I've finally decided to get to work, and bring this old girl back to life.

Here's some photos showing just how bad it is. Hopefully as this thread progresses, it'll turn into a nice before and after, and also serve as yet another tutorial on the forums as I show my progress and hopefully get some advice when I inevitably run into some tricky situations....

Here's what I'm starting with (minus the carbs, which I already rebuilt)


Doesn't look too bad, right? Let's get a little closer



Pretty dirty in there Rust all over the place... Oxidation where it used to be so shiny.
More rust... More grease, grit, and grime Peeled paint, and more rust.
Scraped peeling paint with iron oxide underneath Fe2O3 on what was a nice x-ring chain Left on reserve the last time I rode her