First time servicing, looks for tips

[Widget]

Hey guys,

Looking to do my first service on my 08' GS500 & was wondering what you guys recommend in the way of Oil type, filters (fuel, oil, air), carby cleaner & anything else that may need a service. I've never worked on a bike before, only my car, & still have yet to get a Haynes manual for it too :\ (issue ?)

Any additional tips on what to look out for or to be cautious of ?

[EDIT] I saw a post on motor oil in gstwins recommending 10w-40 ... would 15x-40 work just as well & could you use car oil ? I have some 15w-40 castrol left over from a recent oil change.

Regards,

[adidasguy]

Car oil: probably not. Oil with "friction modifiers" will make your clutch work like crap.

GET THE MANUAL! It tells you what to do.

DO NOT over tighten the oil cover bolts. They need to be snuggy tight - not bas ass tight. Too many people snap them off. There is a o-ring there so they don't need to be super tight.

OEM oil filters are great. OEM air filters also great. Use motorcycle oil. Any good oil is fine. There are hundreds of postings on what oil to use. Let's not get into that discussion again.

Oil change, filter change,
air filter,
valve adjustment,
chain, clean and lube and check tension,
check all bolts for loose or missing ones,
tires check pressure and look for wear

Really, get the manual. It tells you all the regular maintenance to do and how to do it.

[dinkydonuts]

If you haven't yet bought a set of feeler gauges, remember to get one with a lowest setting of .03 MM. Many I've seen only go down to .035 MM. It wouldn't hurt to get the kind that have a 30 degree bend because that'll make it easier for you to check clearances, but honestly .03 to .08 mm feelers are flexible enough anyway.

For oil, I've been liking the Shell Rotella T 15W-40 I just put in. I've noticed that the shifter feels a lot smoother now. Before, with Valvoline 4T 10W-40, it was more crisp(?). No idea which is better, but plenty of motorcycle guys like Rotella.

If you have not regularly cracked open the valve cover, go ahead and buy a new gasket and the 4 o-rings for the top bolts. For an 08 bike, chances are that gasket will fall apart if it has remained stationary for 6 years. When putting it back on, some assembly lube or high temp grease will help keep it in place. You DO need to remove the breather in order to take the valve cover out from under the upper bike's frame.

You shouldn't need anything special to clean and service the carbs. Gasket kits are $18 from JetsRUs and include new float needles. You could replace the float bowl screws with stainless hex cap screws for easier future maintenance.

[Badot]

Hmm... my 'practical' thoughts:

Having a .035mm minimum gauge would be fine. A lot of people run their exhaust valves at .08-.13mm to make the seats last longer and don't have problems, so .085 shouldn't hurt.

Oil? If you want to be safe get motorcycle oil, it doesn't cost much more in the grand scheme of things. On the other hand, many people run standard motor/diesel oil without problem. Look for the round "API" logo on the back and make sure it doesn't say "ENERGY CONSERVING", "RESOURCE CONSERVING", or anything like that.

As far as replacing seals/gaskets, I'd only order new reusable stuff ahead of time if you rely solely on your bike to get you places. Most should be fine, especially on a bike from '08.


I'd highly suggest a torque wrench. Stripping/breaking something quickly adds a lot of cost and time to the job.

While you're in there it may be good to 'upgrade' a few things. Hex cap screws as mentioned are good to put in if you like to tinker. Tygon fuel lines are loads better than stock for longevity.

[gsJack]

My 02 GS has gone 100k miles on Rotella T 15W-40.

[Naemion]

I just changed mine with I believe 15w-40 diesel oil. Working pretty good so far, clutch seems pretty crisp.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

[sledge]

Hey guys,

Any additional tips on what to look out for or to be cautious of ?

Yeah.....check the torque on the head studs, its often overlooked and leads to a weeping base gasket.

[Widget]

Heeey Guys,

Sorry for the late reply, I really appreciate all the feedback

Hope everyone had a swell holiday ?

GET THE MANUAL! It tells you what to do.

roger, definitely looking into it

Also on the eye out for a Torque wrench, reading about 3/8" being the one to get for smaller stuff (engine bolts etc..)

If you haven't yet bought a set of feeler gauges, remember to get one with a lowest setting of .03 MM..

Thanks for the tip , are most gauges the same though ? i.e. if I buy ebay/cheap, are they much worse than if I spend twice as much on a name brand ?

For oil, I've been liking the Shell Rotella T 15W-40 I just put in.

I've been looking into that and it seems this Shell Rotella T is quite popular.. unfortunately, being from down under (Australia), we don't seem to stock it :\. closest is "Shell Rimula R3 X" but haven't really read into its effectiveness on bikes, so may continue looking into it untill i get all my tools together.

re: Oil Filter, say I do end up getting Diesel, would I need a different type of filter ? or will OEM still be fine ?

If you have not regularly cracked open the valve cover, go ahead and buy a new gasket and the 4 o-rings for the top bolts. For an 08 bike, chances are that gasket will fall apart if it has remained stationary for 6 years.

never opened it ( I haven't anyway, not sure about previous owner, don't think they would have), but it certainly hasn't been sitting for 6yrs, always ridden. Might consider gaskets anyway, just in-case. Any Brand/material recommendations ?


Thanks again guys, greatly appreciate it

Regards,

[mustangGT90210]

They're reusable gaskets, if they ain't leaking, why fix it?

[radodrill]

They're reusable gaskets, if they ain't leaking, why fix it?

If they're pinched or brittle then replace even if not leaking; otherwise most gaskets and o-rings are reusable.

[mustangGT90210]

Well if they're pinched and/or brittle, that's cause to replace. The head cover gasket is a whopping $28 from the dealership. Had to do one on my old GS after the valve adjustment, but that thing hadn't been opened in so long I had to drop 4 shim sizes on each exhaust valve just get it into the bottom end of spec