F to E conversion (upper triple clamp?)

[gaspy]

Hi All,
I am a newb to motorcycles, pretty mechanically-uninclined. I appreciate your patience and help. I own a black/red 2005 gs500f and I'm currently stuck in an amateur's DIY nightmare. First, the bike is in my mom's garage 80 miles from my apartment. Second, I lowsided the bike last fall and removed all the plastics, so I then decided to do the whole conversion to naked bike idea. I thought it'd be easy after reading AlphafireX5/Alphamazing's instructions to convert the GS500F to an E model (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=21212.0), but this weekend I learned that it isn't. The problem is that I can't loosen the bolts/nuts holding the lower handlebar clamp to the upper triple clamp! This prevents me from getting the brackets onto the forks in order to install the headlight assembly and turn signals.

Are these bolts/nuts normally this hard to loosen? Do I need an impact wrench to do it? I can't get enough torque with my 3/8" ratcheting socket wrench in one hand and a 7mm allen wrench in the other. This is to hold the bolt in place while I try to loosen the nut on the underside. Third, I think something in the front end is broke because the handlebars come close to hitting the tank on the left side when fully locked, but not on the right; steering stem? fork braces? bent handlebars? I don't know.  Fourth, I want to properly install .80 racetech springs. Last, I can't get the bike to start after 6 months of it sitting in my garage. I hope this last problem is resolved with fresh fuel and new spark plugs; i winterized the bike by closing the valve under the tank, draining the floatbowls, and putting a bit of oil in the cylinder heads. Now i think the spark plugs are oil-fouled.

Does anyone have any advice for a frustrated, underequipped mechanical novice? I'm not sure that I want to buy any more tools (i.e. impact and torque wrenches) at this point. I really just want to get on the road and might be willing to get robbed by the mechanic. I have a week to decide. is there anyone in the NYC area willing to help/teach me? I'm willing to throw in some money for a good wrenching lesson.

-g

[bucks1605]

I know on my '96 there were cotter pins through the bolts holding the top clamp to the triple tree. After I removed those it was pretty easy, maybe you should try putting a tube on one of your tools to gain more leverage. That's what I do when I can't break a bolt loose.

As far as your bars hitting, they could be slightly tweaked if you dropped it on that side. Maybe one of your steering stops is busted off (unlikely).

Spring installation is pretty easy, have you seen the how-to in the F.A.Q.?

[mach1]

easiest way to remove the top clamp is to get an allen head socket now a wrench that way you have more leverage, second dont use a socket on the bottom use an open end wrench but just to hold the nur from spinning and break it loose from the top. WHY DO IT THIS WAY YOU ASK cause when you have a wrench on the bottom and you move the to ratchet the wrench will move and hit either the frame or fork tube and then you be able to let go and have it rest where it hits and you can put more pressure on the top bolt. I have taken my top off more times that I can remember and this is the best way or get a 3/8 impact gun with an allen socket.

[The Buddha]

The F and E have the same upper triple, why are you removing it.
OK headlight ears OK fine ... however you have to remove both the 2 top plates and move it up, or move the legs down by hanging the bike up and pulling down the forks.
Cool.
buddha.

[gaspy]

Thanks for the replies!

I know on my '96 there were cotter pins through the bolts holding the top clamp to the triple tree. After I removed those it was pretty easy, maybe you should try putting a tube on one of your tools to gain more leverage. That's what I do when I can't break a bolt loose.

Clymer Manual mentioned and diagrammed cotter pins for the bolts, but I didn't find any in the bolts on my F model upper triple. Either I didn't look in the right place or the model doesn't have them?

As far as your bars hitting, they could be slightly tweaked if you dropped it on that side. Maybe one of your steering stops is busted off (unlikely).

I took a look at the steering stops, and they seem fine. I'm wondering if it is in fact the bars. If it is, I might use that as an excuse to install SM-2's!

Spring installation is pretty easy, have you seen the how-to in the F.A.Q.?

It's been a while, but I'll take another look. I followed Clymer's instructions, and had no luck. I bought seafoam just in case I need to clear the carb/throttle bodies (don't know my stuff, but I did read about it on the forum.

[gaspy]

easiest way to remove the top clamp is to get an allen head socket now a wrench that way you have more leverage, second dont use a socket on the bottom use an open end wrench but just to hold the nur from spinning and break it loose from the top. WHY DO IT THIS WAY YOU ASK cause when you have a wrench on the bottom and you move the to ratchet the wrench will move and hit either the frame or fork tube and then you be able to let go and have it rest where it hits and you can put more pressure on the top bolt. I have taken my top off more times that I can remember and this is the best way or get a 3/8 impact gun with an allen socket.

hm. good advice. I'll try that when I'm back out there next week.

[gaspy]

The F and E have the same upper triple, why are you removing it.
OK headlight ears OK fine ... however you have to remove both the 2 top plates and move it up, or move the legs down by hanging the bike up and pulling down the forks.
Cool.
buddha.

If I'm moving up the top two plates, does that mean I don't have to remove the bolts? Can I just loosen and remove the steering stem bolt and adjuster nut, and pull the two of them up, bolted together?

If I go the other route, and pull down the forks, which bolts do I have to loosen to get them down? the ones on the fork legs/triples? Here's a picture (sorry for the size, having trouble adjusitng):

Is it the bolt tightening the upper triple to the fork leg, on the left?

-Gaspy

[mach1]

if your just trying to get the brackets on the forks its easier to remove the forks tube. to do this you will need to remove the front wheel and all thats stuff. once the wheel and fender are off you have to use a 14mm socket and lossen the bolts on the lower triple then get a allen socket and losen the bolts on the top triple and remove the fork tube. if you dont feel like taking the wheel off ou will need to remove the top clamp the the steering stem and remove the top triple

[The Buddha]

You can pull the legs down if you string up the bike 6 inches off the ground from a tree or the rafters in your house, its pretty easy ... I think you loosen the speedo cable and the brake caliper ... the rest stays intact if I remember.
Pulling off the top clamp IMHO is easier. Loosen the handlebar bolts and spin the bars forward to give you extra slack, then undo the speedo cable here too and then undo the bolt in the middle of the top triple and undo the pinch bolts and they can be tapped out with a rubber mallet. In reality you only get it up ~1 inch or so ... then it can be put back down on top of tank etc and put where it all fits and doesn't pull the wires/cables. We did this exact same thing to swap my friends ignition for mine ~3 weeks ago.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Yev]

You can pull the legs down if you string up the bike 6 inches off the ground from a tree or the rafters in your house, its pretty easy ... I think you loosen the speedo cable and the brake caliper ... the rest stays intact if I remember.
Pulling off the top clamp IMHO is easier. Loosen the handlebar bolts and spin the bars forward to give you extra slack, then undo the speedo cable here too and then undo the bolt in the middle of the top triple and undo the pinch bolts and they can be tapped out with a rubber mallet. In reality you only get it up ~1 inch or so ... then it can be put back down on top of tank etc and put where it all fits and doesn't pull the wires/cables. We did this exact same thing to swap my friends ignition for mine ~3 weeks ago.
Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha, can you elaborate on this part? I am going to try this soon.

[gsJack]

If you have the body work off you can hang the front end by lifting it up and putting blocks under the pipes with the bike on the centerstand.

Seems to me it would be easier to remove the brake caliper and the little hose clamp from the fork  (3 bolts) and let it hang and then remove the front wheel (1 nut).  Then you can loosen the tubes from the triple clamps and slide the whole fork tube assembly down far enough to put the headlight brackets on the tubes.  The speedo drive can just hang there on the speedo cable when you pull the axle and wheel.

Don't have to mess with the handle bars, control cables, and wires on top and you won't mess up the steering head bearing preload.