Finally tearing into the bike. Need to have it running by Dec. 15th

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

After my 2nd test today (tests from 2-4) I'll be ripping into the GS to get her running again. I don't have forks or bars yet, but I'm gonna put her up on the centerstand and get the old forks/bars off, so that when I get the stuff, I can throw it on and be done.

I'll also be pulling the carbs and cleaning them. I've done some searching.. the most important thing I've found about cleaning them is to not lose the tiny o-rings. Anything else anyone wants to point out? Srinath, you do this all the time.. pointers? (In english, please, not Srinath-speak! )

Re: the forks, I've read on here that the newer model ('01+) forks REQUIRE the Suzuki tool for taking them apart to get at the fork seals. Now, my forks are trash.. but the fork seals are fine.. and I'd rather re-use them on my new (to me) forks than buy a new set, cuz I'm broke as hell right now. The forks I'm getting are off an '89, but in good shape, and CHEAP. I'll have '89 forks to go with my '89 clipons! woohoo!

Anything unforeseen I should look out for with the swapping of the forks/bars?

Any advice anyone has will be greatly appreciated.

Oh yes, the reason I need to have it running by Dec. 15th is that that's when finals end. If I don't get it running, I can't go back to Florida to see my family for break... I also won't be able to go back and work during the break, and believe me, I NEED the $$..

Ok.... back to studying... tests in 3 hours!

[hidesertmlb]

Regarding the carbs:  I did a carb clean/o-ring replacements as my first job (new GS owner) a few months back. Very straight-forward. Use an aerosol can of gumout (or similar), a toothbrush, and a small baking dish or tray to contain the parts while cleaning. Lay out a sheet as your work floormat if you don't have a bench- it will keep the parts from rolling out to the dirt, street, or... If I can recollect, there's 2 small o-rings, needle valve, float bowl o-ring, wire clip on float, and float itself per carburetor.
Bowl screws can stick really tight- they are likely to strip. Use needle-nose vice grips to turn the heads if they get stripped away. Your best bet is to take off a screw, go down to your local bike shop, and replace them w/ 8 new ones (x2 carbs, 4 screws ea.). Cost: $3. I think the screws are 4mm diameter, but unsure of the length and thread pitch (1.0)?

The support bar that keeps the carbs together: may not hurt to put a touch of blue loctite on the screws (x4) to keep them from working loose.

Pay attention to the fuel line routing to the lines going from carbs, tank to the frame-mounted petcock. Clymer manual has an uncanny way of showing these lines as if reversed.  Kerry has an excellent photo in this forum if you get lost on routing the lines (thanks Kerry).

When I did my carbs, and placed everything back together, I sighted the throttle places up against the light to ensure they were fairly in-sync. You crack the plates above throttle, put up against the light and check reference between both sides- may be helpful to use a feeler (e.g.: straight wire) as reference in checking the gap. I guess you can call this the line-of sight method. Srinath has covered this in a past thread (thanks Srinath). No need to tinker w/ float adjustment if you weren't having overflow out the carb bowls prior to removing carbs. 

I know you're probably in a time crunch, but I would suggest getting o-rings in a kit. I found the cheapest commonly on eBay for ~$35 for a kit that services both carbs. partsnmore.com  may have them cheaper, but when I tried to order, they were out of stock.

Take your time, set aside a few hours for this job, and don't get over-zealous in cleaning and wind up damaging or breaking parts like the float.  Adjust the carbs afterwards (idle & mix if needed), and you'll be OK.

Well, that's my war-n-peace. HTH-

[The Buddha]

Oh  yea ... you need to remove the thingmajig and clean the doohickey, then install a new whatchamacallit, add 2 sizes up the dealybob, clean the doohickey again and put in some gluckenschlaab and schlepp it on there. After that all the alterated bit can be adjusted outside of the time space continuum.
Cool.
Srinath.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Desert, thanks.. Srinath... I hate you! 

I'll be tackling this tonight.. can't wait...

[Chuck]

The screws are 4mm diameter by 0.7mm pitch on my '01.

[tussey]

If I don't get it running, I can't go back to Florida to see my family for break

Where in FL?

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Naples..

[3imo]

Oh  yea ... you need to remove the thingmajig and clean the doohickey, then install a new whatchamacallit, add 2 sizes up the dealybob, clean the doohickey again and put in some gluckenschlaab and schlepp it on there. After that all the alterated bit can be adjusted outside of the time space continuum.
Cool.
Srinath.

WFT ...  dumbass.  Look, if you remove the thingamajig to clean the doohickey, then the new whatchamacallit will never fit right, especially after modding your dealybob by TWO sizes!!!!
Who ups their dealybobs by two sizes, anyway??!  What are you running? A Suzuki GS50,000?

Forget what Sranith said. Sizing up your Dealybob is not for amatuers and will definitely require a rejet on the left carb. He is right about the gluckenschlaab, though. Be sure to schlepp it on your dilithium crystals (just under the airbox).

BTW- it's SPACE time continuum, not time space continuum, sheesh 

[scratch]

Re: the forks, I've read on here that the newer model ('01+) forks REQUIRE the Suzuki tool for taking them apart to get at the fork seals. Now, my forks are trash.. but the fork seals are fine.. and I'd rather re-use them on my new (to me) forks than buy a new set, cuz I'm broke as hell right now.

As long as you can get the old ones off without stretching them over a bend, or pulling them past any scratches, or the broken end of a tube.