'79 GS850 Lazarus project

[Guest]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to start a build thread for reviving my 1979 GS850 that I picked up last summer. You can see my intro and my plans here.

I just rebuilt and dipped the carbs but I need new gaskets for the bowls and top covers so I gotta order those. Now I'm working on putting in new fork seals and oil as well as painting the front forks black. I ordered some newer brakes from an '80 850G from raygun's part bike so hopefully I'll have some better stopping power.

I still need to check the valves for clearance but I need to buy the special tool to be able to be able to check the shims but it might be awhile before I get that done. I also need to replace all the fluids and gaskets/ seals but that might have to wait for a different weekend when I can run to my storage unit on the weekend.

Just building a little at a time on the small stuff while I can since I'm in school. But come summer hopefully I won't have too much to do besides make it look pretty and sound good.



Here it is as it sits now with the motor out and just rattle can painted to ward off the surface rust on the tank. I kinda dig the color, I might have to consider it in the final paint scheme when I get to that point:


DSCN1178.jpg

[520eek]

I kind of like that color! You will need a zip tie for the valve adjustment ( look around here for that and you will find out what I mean ) It will be interesting to see how this goes for you! Have fun with it!

[Bearded Viking]

I kind of like that color! You will need a zip tie for the valve adjustment ( look around here for that and you will find out what I mean ) It will be interesting to see how this goes for you! Have fun with it!

I'm not sure how good I'd be with a zip tie and poking around in the exhaust and intake valves so I might stick to the regular tool. I just need to find one (probably from z1). Hopefully things go smoothly while working on my bike so I don't get too frustrated but I'm looking forward to turning this into a mean lean machine!

[Bearded Viking]

Hey all, So just an update on the bike

The Good:

I replaced the oil pan gasket and looked at the internals from the underside of the motor, It all looks pretty good and it still spins smoothly. Put the new gasket on, topped her off and so far so good.

New gaskets for the carb bowls and tops are being put on as soon as i finish this write up so the carbs will be good to be mounted in this weekend if I can get the motor back in the bike correctly.

Superbike handlebars have been delivered and put on the bike after I did some site research about what bars to get. Super bike seemed the most logical so that I don't have to deal with dickey little clip ons for a bike that wasn't meant for it.

Received a much better Honda style R/r to hopefully waylay future electrical issues and got my R1 throttle tube and housing so that I can have better throttle response.

The Bad:

I took my new to me (used) front master cylinder (its from a 1980 bike because I wanted to upgrade the braking) to the Suzuki dealership about 35 mins south of me to see what it would take to get it rebuilt and parts and whatnot.. He said that a rebuild for it probably is out of the question and that I'd be better off ordering a new one somewhere since the MC is seized inside the housing and the reservoir bolts are in the same situation...
So question for you all. Do i bite the bullet and buy a new one or some type of aftermarket since the suzuki one is like $200-$300? Any information you guys can provide will be much appreciated!

[loud et]

There is no way you're going to need or want spend two or $300 on a master cylinder. There are plenty of good aftermarket Universal Master cylinders for forty or fifty bucks.
You need to get on Bass cliffs site and read up. It covers valve adjustments, brake rebuilds and everything else you need to know. We are here to help.
Trust me, the valve adjustment zip tie method is simple. You don't need to shell out 20-30$ for the tool. What you do need is a good set of feeler gauges. Look for a set that has better increments at the smaller end as you hardly need anything in the thick end of the gauge set.
Rebuilding a front master cylinder that is frozen can become a real nightmare and they are very hard to get a part if you are not familiar with them. And if it's corroded and you try to rebuild it you will have bought a rebuild kit for nothing. Look into buying a $50 new one or finding a verified functional one from a member here on the parts of wanted section

[Bearded Viking]

There is no way you're going to need or want spend two or $300 on a master cylinder. There are plenty of good aftermarket Universal Master cylinders for forty or fifty bucks.
You need to get on Bass cliffs site and read up. It covers valve adjustments, brake rebuilds and everything else you need to know. We are here to help.
Trust me, the valve adjustment zip tie method is simple. You don't need to shell out 20-30$ for the tool. What you do need is a good set of feeler gauges. Look for a set that has better increments at the smaller end as you hardly need anything in the thick end of the gauge set.
Rebuilding a front master cylinder that is frozen can become a real nightmare and they are very hard to get a part if you are not familiar with them. And if it's corroded and you try to rebuild it you will have bought a rebuild kit for nothing. Look into buying a $50 new one or finding a verified functional one from a member here on the parts of wanted section

I've been reading Basscliffs site and only have 3 valves left to adjust to bring into spec, I got the tool for like 13 or 14 dollars so I'm not out too much for the actual tool. I'm getting quite good at taking out shims now haha. I didn't even think of posting in the wanted sections for some reason, school is making my brain go all mushy! Thanks for the idea! I figure a decent master cylinder for a 1980 should be floating around there somewhere. I assume the 81-83 are the same setup?
Now I just need to go and order the 3 shims I need for my valves. I need to double check my notes but i think I just need 1 more 2.55mm and 2 more 2.65mm. I'll go order those off of z1 since my dealer is fresh out of those sizes. The P/O or some previous mechanic put the shims in upside down so the numbers have worn off so I've been using a digital caliper thing to measure thickness so I hope I've done the maths correctly, I've been mostly right so far. As soon as I get the motor in I'll be putting the rebuilt carbs back in with brand new boots and rings and I'll put the stock 2-1 exhaust on even tho both are a little rusty inside until I can afford to buy a new V&H 4-1 setup, then I get to retune my carbs haha

[BanditRE]

Good luck with the build. I restored my 79 GS850 about a year ago. I still have a few minor issues but its running well and looks a lot better than it did when I got it home! I had surprisingly few problems considering how long this sat unused before I bought it. I had a blast getting it all back together and running right.

My master cylinders both front and rear were in a bad way. All the seals had perished and the brake fluid had leaked out. I cleaned them all up as best I could, made sure all the tiny holes were open and operating. There was some minor pitting inside the barrel but after the cleaning and polishing and a rebuild kit, they've been working fine ever since. I'd recommend if you're able to do that, you buy the Suzuki OEM piston/cup set and not a third party kit. I had a problem with the aftermarket rebuild parts and had to use OEM. Pricier but they worked alot better.

Have fun and good luck