GS450 Rebuild

[sam000lee]

Does anybody have any tips/tricks for getting the clip holding the jet needle out? I don't have a super skinny pair of pliers on hand. So far I've been at it with a pair of wing dividers but can't seem to get a good grip.

[greg78gs750]

no help on the jet needle, but wowsa that seat is beautiful!!! nice work!

[pete]

If you're talking about the circlip holding it in the slide, I used to use a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze it in with one hand and I had a small hook made from some thin wire I used in the other hand to get underneath and pull it up. The needle nose pliers I use have no grip to enable me to squeeze and lift, hence the two part process.

[sam000lee]

It's been a little slow moving on my GS450, but I think it's close to being back on the road. I'll post pictures soon. Does anybody know which way is up on the cylinder head gasket? One side has an 'H' on it and a little more metal on it
Side A:


Side B:


Also, what are these bolts for? I replaced them but have no idea what they do.
IMG_5709 by Samuel Lee, on Flickr

[pete]

I don't think it really matter which way up the gasket goes.

As for those bolts, I don't have them on my 450... and I can't see them on the fiche... hmmmm...

[John Park]

I don't think it really matter which way up the gasket goes.

As for those bolts, I don't have them on my 450... and I can't see them on the fiche... hmmmm...

I've assumed that the extra flange on the flame ring was to deal with the heat of the exhaust valve/port next to it. IOW H is for the side toward the head, thus UP. The bolts look to be plugging the passageway that goes from the head stud to the cam bearing; maybe somebody drilled the plug out to clean it and plugged it with a bolt.?? As long as it doesn't leak….

[sam000lee]

Thanks for the gasket orientation info. I got the head on, but when I went to put in spark plugs I discovered that one of them has been cross threaded at the top and wouldn't screw in easily:




So I bought one of these thread chasers from the auto store:


I'm worried that I'm messing/going to mess the threads up even more. I thought that it would straighten out the top few threads and then thread easily into the remaining good threads but I can feel resistance and don't want to mess up those threads. The guy at the store told me that was normal since it was cutting new threads but I was under the impression that it would just follow the existing ones once the first few were sorted out. Here's some pictures after turning the chaser a couple of times:




Some advice from someone whose done this before would be great.

[tkent02]

My advice would be to do it with the head removed. Chunks of aluminum will get in there. Second best advice, put globs of grease on the tap to catch some of the swarf.

[dantodd]

Assuming the head is removed try going in from the m inside where the threads seem better. That will align the chaser/tap with the existing, good threads.

[tkent02]

Yes if the tap is long enough, but with care it will go straight from the outside too. Just go easy and make sure it isn't crossed up again.

[sam000lee]

Should the chaser be able to thread into a non-crossed hole? It seems like it is ever so slightly bigger than the existing one in order to cut threads but doesn't thread into the good plug holes on my extra head unless I were to put the socket on it and apply force.

I'm obviously using the 14mm end of the chaser in the picture but it seems like its the tiniest bit too big.

[dantodd]

Should the chaser be able to thread into a non-crossed hole? It seems like it is ever so slightly bigger than the existing one in order to cut threads but doesn't thread into the good plug holes on my extra head unless I were to put the socket on it and apply force.

I'm obviously using the 14mm end of the chaser in the picture but it seems like its the tiniest bit too big.

I've never used a chaser, just taps. If it is properly lubed it should move like.... um well, it should not feel like it is having any resisrance.

[sam000lee]

Then is that 14mm chaser the wrong size? I have 3 cylinder heads with 5 good spark plug holes and it doesn't thread into any of them without me putting the socket on.

[pete]

Perhaps it's 14mm but the wrong thread pitch? Compare the threads with what's on the plug and see if they look finer or coarser...

[sam000lee]

When I held it against the plug threads they matched up well. Package says it's 1.25 pitch so should be the same. I might be second guessing myself, but I expected that I would be able to hand tighten it into a non-damaged hole when it seems to want some force.
Anybody whose ever used a chaser as opposed to a tap comment on how easy it should be going in?

After reading some other threads I'm also considering trying one of these chasers that goes inside the hole and then backs out: http://www.amazon.com/Powerbuilt-640...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1