I AM a bike mechanic!! I REALLY REALLY AM!!!!

[vtlion]

ok... maybe not,  BUT...

I finally got up to my armpits in my GS this morning.  Removed the tail section and fuel tank, checked the air-filter and air-box, fuel-lines, etc.  This may not sound like much, but to a guy who runs about 50:50 odds of successfully plugging in a toaster.... it feels pretty damned good  

Anywho..  the highlight of the day for sure was trying to get the %&*#ing fuel-lines off the tank.  first of all, is the shutoff valve on the tank supposed to be pointing towards the INSIDE of the bike?  I had to reach all the way under the tank from the right side to turn it... what a pain in the neck... I was giving Suzuki a few choice words at that point  :x I have a '97, and the fuel lines are hard as a rock.  in fact, one of them actually broke off when I tried to remove it    and I had to cut the remaining hose off of the barb on the tank.  I guess its time to change those, eh?  i also noticed a little bit of corrosion on the left side of the battery well... the battery vent is on the right side, so I'm not totally sure what was going on there.

Next up.... Carb-synch and valve-check tomorrow.  I can't wait... working on the bike is almost half as much fun as riding it :mrgreen:

p.s.  I'm headin' out shortly to pick up some fuel-hose... but if anybody's out there and can ping me back quickly with the fuel hose ID/OD I would appreciate it.

peace

[werase643]

take a chunk of old hose with you.

[vtlion]

I mean to do that, but naturally... it's OLD.  I assume that its pretty well defiormed/stretched, no?

also, what type of hose am i after?   will plain old vinyl tubing from Lowes do the job?

[bbanjo]

Look for fuel line in Power Equipment aisles around the mower repair junk. Aisle 29? Maybe? Left hand side of the store when you walk in  

[JLKasper]

I feel your pain!  The first time I took the tank off, one of the brass tubes on the shutoff valve came out, still firmly attached to the fuel line.  Fortunately, a few careful but firm taps with a ball pein hammer seated it back in.  I always have choice words for Suzuki for allowing production of the inferior design of the fuel shutoff valve (a screwdriver slot instead of a lever, and that    vapor return line that sits directly in front of it).  this was obviously a concession to the bean counters.   :nana:  :x

The next time I remove the tank, I intend to perform all maintenance that requires tank removal for the year, whether it needs it or not.  That will include an experiment with adding a large inline fuel filter to the vacuum line.  My thinking is thvolume of the filter will serve as a vacuum reservior and help prevent fuel starvation issues with the vacuum petcock.

[Kerry]

vtlion - Congratulations on your "Intro to Wrenching 101" experience.  You remind me of me about 3 years ago.  Good times coming!

Some hints on the fuel lines:

* It's easier to PUSH them off than to PULL them off.  I lever the upper ends of the hoses off with a flat-head screwdriver, using the frame as a fulcrum.  (I use the same screwdriver to move the hose clamps out of the way while I expand them with pliers.)

* I bought a set of 24 Craftsman screwdrivers, and it included a LONG THIN flat-head which is perfect for turning off the tank-mounted petcock from the right side.  It might be worth a few bucks to buy just the one screwdriver.

* I think the stock fuel line has a 1/4" ID, but some folks have been able to use 5/16".  I would think the 1/4" stuff would be easier to work with, considering the already close proximity of the two hoses under the fuel tank.

I'm eager to hear how everything goes!

[JLKasper]

Kerry,

I've always been of the opinion that simple roadside repairs should be feasible with the tools in the supplied kit. I suppose a long skinny screwdriver could be duct-taped to the inside of a side cover.  As long as I'm strapping tools to the frame, I'd also include a prop rod for the gas tank.  A full tank of gas is heavier than I thought, especially when trying to prop it up with bare hands.  Ouch.  :x

[TR]

A full tank of gas is heavier than I thought, especially when trying to prop it up with bare hands.  Ouch.  :x

Yeah, it's better to drain out the fuel or take a long ride before removing the tank, not only to keep your hands safe but to avoid scratches on the frame or the botom of the tank.

[vtlion]

hey guys,

well, I checked the valves.  All of them were well in spec, except for Cylinder 1 intake, which was a little close (>0.038mm).  Unfortunately, the feeler guage set I was using didn't go below 0.038mm, so I'm not positive about its exact clearance.  I didn't have any washers or the shimming tool, so I didn't alter it at all.

Everything else looked good.  Air-filter was fine, the carbs appeared to be in good synch, sprockets on the cams were not worn.  To do the carb-synch I ended up using a vacuum guage designed for synching cars, but it registered enough to see that they were well-synched... carbs seem to be fine.. .no adjustments needed.

sadly, there is snow on the roads, so no chance of a test-ride to see if the old, "disassemble, reassemble, pray to God" approach worked toward fixing the buzzing.  I'm assuming that the problem was not corrected.

any more ideas on what could be the source?

[Turkina]

I'm going to have to try out this bike mechanic thing I just spent 3 hours in the garage making room to do anything.  Went from a pathway barely 2 feet wide, to a nice work area, about 6x8 with a 3+ foot wide path for the rest..  Stupid sister and her garage sale and craft projects, loaded the garage up with useless junk  After spring comes along, if it isn't sold, it's garbage!
Now I can work on the suspension and getting my carbs tuned right

[JLKasper]

I reexamined your original post that prompted your carb and valve work...

Is there any loss of power associated with the vibration?  If so, you might have a carb problem that a simple sync job at low speeds doesn't detect.
How is the ignition system?  Are the plugs, caps, and wires all in good shape?  Did you check the engine mounting bolts for proper torque?  You could have a transmission bearing problem which might rather roar than knock like an engine bearing.  Hopefully, it will be something simple.  :dunno:

[vtlion]

there's no loss of power whatsoever that I can detect.  one day, in the middle of a long ride I was passing through a neighborhood... stop sign, accelerated into the intersection, sounded fine... next stop sign, accelerated into the intersection, sounded exactly like it does today... it really came on that quickly.

I had access to a torque wrench this afternoon and I never thought to check the engine mounts.  dammit  :x   they 'feel' plenty tight to me.

now that I've removed and replaced the gas-tank a few times, I am curious to see if it may be the culprit... i've read alot lately about the tank resonating around 6-7krpm.  Unfortunately, weather's not looking good for a road test right now.

[scratch]

If you can slip in the .038mm, you'll be fine. It's if you can't, then I'd be worried.

[vtlion]

If you can slip in the .038mm, you'll be fine. It's if you can't, then I'd be worried.

well, I can't... I guess that means its time to shim?

[JLKasper]

Your #1 intake may still be in specs, albeit on the tight side.  The recommended clearance is .03-.05mm, and your .038 is a no-go.  You still have .008mm of leeway that the measurement could be within and you can't detect it with your gage.  I'd try to find a super-fine set of feelers before worrying about burnt valves or something drastic like that.

I'm still thinking about your vibration issues.  I think that the tank resonance would be a symptom and not the cause of the vibration.  Just for giggles, you might want to check and see if that rubber bumper is still attached to the frame where the side rails meet near the sttering head, though.  I'm still thinking about something in fuel/ignition that is just off enough to cause this and still not affect performance to a detectable degree.  Perhaps you could check the firing of each cylinder with a timing strobe to determine if one cylinder is firing too late or early.  You might also inspect your headers for cracks or looseness at the heads.  There should be enough brilliant minds on this forum to get to the bottom of this, by Gawd...

[Maniac]

Just curious vt, but have you checked your plugs yet? It doesn't really sound like plugs, but a cylinder that's not getting a complete burn might cause the buzzing vibration your describing. I'd pull the plugs and check them for wear, regapping and replacing as needed.

Anyway, if thats not it, at least you know you have good plugs, and it's not like it should take long to do at all!

[vtlion]

plugs were gapped fine and they were sparking well.

[Kerry]

I have some vibration, too.  It appeared during last year's BC trip, when I was still 2 or 3 days from home.  I thought it was something inside the engine because it varied with the revs, and I kept praying that the poor bike would hold together until I got home.

I figured out the problem about a week after I got back.  I kicked myself for not having done even a cursory inspection from the front of the bike.  Can you spot the culprit?  :mrgreen:



Five months later I still haven't taken care of it.  I finally went to the dealer last Saturday, but they want $2 each for a pair of bolts that have to be ordered!?!

Next stop: hardware store.

EDIT: Changed link from sisna.com to bbburma.net

[JohNLA]

OMG That bracket must make an awful ratteling noise, just being loose like that.
Did the bolts just snap ?

[Kerry]

OMG That bracket must make an awful ratteling noise, just being loose like that.
Did the bolts just snap ?

Actually, I haven't noticed it for a long time ... because I've only been doing :x CITY RIDING :x lately.

On the BC trip I was constantly flogging the bike so I wouldn't hold up my Dad.  He rode behind me on his Kawasaki Concours - in something like 3rd gear the whole time.