'79 GS850 what did I get myself into?

[canuckxxx]

While you are at it, why not get THREE new studs?

Splurge, get the OEM nuts, too.

Minimal expense, and knowing that the fit will be perfect is priceless.

.

Good idea. Very easy now with engine out on bench.

[canuckxxx]

I had another '79 GS850 about 10 years ago. When I finally got it running I had a problem with the clutch really stickingfd when shifting into 1st gear. I remember learning then that the '79s had a problem with too much oil flowing to the clutch and the solution was to restrict this flow. I made a mod to reduce oil to clutch and then it worked as normal.

Trouble is, I don't remember how I did this...does anyone know what I'm talking about here? Some kind of restriction put into the oil supply to the cluch. I'm pretty sure it was GSResources where I found out about it.

Thanks in advance

[Nessism]

I've never heard about an oil flow mod on the '79 850, nor do I understand how oil flow to the clutch could affect sticking. If you find a reference to that mod please share.

Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet Basscliff's website has the OEM manual for your bike.

[canuckxxx]

I've never heard about an oil flow mod on the '79 850, nor do I understand how oil flow to the clutch could affect sticking. If you find a reference to that mod please share.

Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet Basscliff's website has the OEM manual for your bike.

If I find the clutch mod reference I will definitely share it.

I found an owners manual on Basscliff's site but not a service manual. But there is a service manual for GS650G so I'm using that for now. That is a very useful site for sure.

Brian

[canuckxxx]

Some things I have discovered about my new-to-me GS850:

-The cylinder head is in very nice shape. All valve tappet shims are in the higher thicknesses 2.70 to 2.80 region. The valves seat have not been lapped too many times, if ever, because they are fairly narrow. The valve seals need to be replaced. Question: is there a special tool for pulling the old valve seal off?

-One of the friction plates in the clutch is worn down to bare metal on one side so need to get one of those. Other plates appear as normal. Also I am missing the STOPPER RING (item #7).

-Pistons are in good shape, and fit in cylinders good, so I will reuse, but 3 out of 4 the wrist pins are pitted from rust. So will need replacements. Need new rings too.

-The PO had sold the carburetor rack so I will have to find some VM carbs in usable condition.

-Both side covers have cracks in them. I think they are made of ABS...is there a way of fixing them?

-The rear tire is a Dunlop Elite and looks to be in almost new condition but manufacture year is 2009 so is a bit old. The front is old and cracked.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the condition of this bike. I shows 50K kilometers which is pretty low.

If anyone has any of the above mentioned parts please email me.

Brian

[Burque73]

If I find the clutch mod reference I will definitely share it.

I found an owners manual on Basscliff's site but not a service manual. But there is a service manual for GS650G so I'm using that for now. That is a very useful site for sure.

Brian

I have a Haynes manual for the 850 printed in 1980. Since mine's an 83 and I also have the Suzuki shop manual, I never use this Haynes. It's yours if you want it, just please cover the postage. Not sure what shipping would cost or how long you'd be willing to wait toget it, but I could drop it in the mail this week.

[Steve]

Copying and answering from your post:

Question: is there a special tool for pulling the old valve seal off?
There probably is, but I made my own. I took an older pair of needle-nose vise grips and ground some recesses in the jaws that would allow the tips to close around the seals. Using vise-grips is good because once you have the distance set on the lock, it prevents putting too much squeeze on the seal. I can post a picture later, if necessary.

One of the friction plates in the clutch is worn down to bare metal on one side so need to get one of those. Other plates appear as normal. Also I am missing the STOPPER RING (item #7).
If one of the plates is worn, the others probably aren't too far from that, so replace them all. Also get a new set of OEM springs. You will essentially have a brand-new clutch that will last a LONG time. Not sure that the stopper ring is really necessary, but it was probably installed for a reason.

Pistons are in good shape, and fit in cylinders good, so I will reuse, but 3 out of 4 the wrist pins are pitted from rust. So will need replacements. Need new rings too.
Amazingly enough, wrist pins are still available, they are about $8 from Parts Outlaw. Be sure to also get new circlips to retain them. Several of us have used rings from Cruzinimage on eBay.


Both side covers have cracks in them. I think they are made of ABS...is there a way of fixing them?
Many of us have made a "slurry" to repair ABS. It is basically a bunch of ABS plastic that is dissolved in acetone until it is about the consistency of pudding or hot caramel. Brush some acetone on the inside of the cover to prime it, then apply some slurry. The acetone in the slurry will etch into the plastic. When the acetone evaporates, it will be a very sturdy, permanent repair. There is also a product at the auto parts store (Princess Auto?) called "Plastic Weld" that works quite well, if you don't want to go through the hassle of making slurry.

The rear tire is a Dunlop Elite and looks to be in almost new condition but manufacture year is 2009 so is a bit old. The front is old and cracked.
Yep, time for new rubber. If you are looking for decent tires that are not expensive, consider the Shinko 230 Tour Master or the Shinko 712. Not sure about the currency conversion right now, but a new set delivered to me would be about $135.

.

[canuckxxx]

Thanks for the great info Steve. I like the idea of ABS slurry to fix the side panels. I have Shinko 230's on my GL1100 and they are great for the price.

Don't think I need to change all friction plates...it's just that one plate. PO had been messing with clutch because when I bent the lock washer away from the centre bolt it unscrewed by hand.

i put new valve seals on my GL1100 and used 1984 Honda Prelude seals at about $8 for a set vs $9 per valve for GW. When I got them they were exactly the same. GS850 valve stems are the same diameter so I want to get a seal off without destroying it so I can compare with Prelude seal.

Brian

[canuckxxx]

I have a Haynes manual for the 850 printed in 1980. Since mine's an 83 and I also have the Suzuki shop manual, I never use this Haynes. It's yours if you want it, just please cover the postage. Not sure what shipping would cost or how long you'd be willing to wait toget it, but I could drop it in the mail this week.

Very generous Roger. I will PM you with my address so you can figure shipping.

Brian

[canuckxxx]

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I saw the price of new rings at the Cruzinimage site. That is until I saw that they don't ship to Canada. What the heck!

[Jrgunn5150]

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I saw the price of new rings at the Cruzinimage site. That is until I saw that they don't ship to Canada. What the heck!

Maybe give them a call? Or use one of those services that ships for you from the border?

[canuckxxx]

OK so I found the thread where I (gssuzukixxx in those days) asks about sticky clutch. I ended up making round steel slug with a 1/8" hole bored through it that I dropped into oil passage in the clutch cover. That completely cured my clutch problems.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?152383-GS850-clutch-drags&highlight=gs850+clutch

[canuckxxx]

Was like my clutch was given a pill

[Kiwi Canuck]

Not sure if you found this yet, this should work.

http://zeus.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS850_Manual_HiRes.pdf

David

[Nessism]

OK so I found the thread where I (gssuzukixxx in those days) asks about sticky clutch. I ended up making round steel slug with a 1/8" hole bored through it that I dropped into oil passage in the clutch cover. That completely cured my clutch problems.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...t=gs850+clutch

Okay, then. Learned something! The parts fishe shows the clutch cover changed for 1980 and that oil jet was added. Interesting