Project Lazarus

[Elmojo]

A couple weeks ago, I bought a 1994 GS500E in, shall we say, interesting condition.

I was able to test ride it, so I knew there wasn't anything catastrophic wrong with it mechanically, but cosmetically, it was a mess.
There's evidence of at least 2 if not 3 wrecks, the forks are bent slightly, the tank is dented, the gauge cluster housing is smashed, both engine covers are scraped up, and there are multiple little dings and scrapes here and there.
To top it all off, it looks like someone painted it with a drywall spatula. Seriously, there were leaves and pine straw IN the paint.
But the engine sounded good (other than the typical nasty carbs), and the title was clean.

So I bring home my prize, and start testing it out.
In the past couple weeks, I've been able to confirm that everything mechanical is in pretty decent condition. There are a few small oil leaks here and there that I plan to deal with, but I'm working my way up from correcting things that keep it off the road to the things that are purely cosmetic.

This is certainly not the most dramatic makeover of a GS, but it is the biggest refurb project I've personally taken on.

This build thread is to give you non-GS-wizards some hope. I don't have any special skills, resources, or experience.
Half the members on this board could run circles around anything I do in this thread, and that's the point.
If I can make this thing live again, and look decent in the process, then anyone can. 

I'll be adding photos, descriptions, and questions as the work progresses, but it may be a bit slow, so please bear with me.
I'm working in this in my off hours, as time and money become available.

Enough with the exposition, on to the work!

The first 3 photos are just after I got it home. Ugly, no?
I pulled the carbs first, since I knew they needed attention.
Is that the world's tiniest fuel filter?
What happened to the carb overflow Tee and hoses?!
This is a recurring theme, lots of "nonessential" hoses and such are missing. I'll fix those at some point, but for now I'm focused on getting it back roadworthy.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Elmojo]

Next up was tearing down the carbs.
All in all, I'd say they look pretty good.
The pilot jets were clogged, but a quick shot of carb cleaner and a hit of compressed air cleared them right up.
I noticed that the main jet isn't stock, it's been replaced by a 132.5. I have no idea what the pilot jet is, I didn't take a photo of it, and didn't think to look at the main jet size until I was reviewing these photos.
Is 132.5 a common size for GSs? I don't see that one come up in the various jetting threads.
I also pulled the plugs, and was surprised to see they looked about right also.
Does anyone see any issues with the way this plug is burning?
Once I got it all back together, using the awesome tutorials found here and on the wiki, I rigged up a remote fuel tank with an old mower tank, some clear vinyl tubing from Ace hardware, and a section of carbon fiber tubing used as a coupler between the bike's fuel line and the feed line from the remote tank.
After switching to prime and letting the bowls fill, I hit it with a shot of starting fluid and bumped the starter.
It's a bit sluggish turning over, but I'm hoping that's just a weak battery.
Regardless, it's ALIVE. I adjusted and synced the carbs, again using the info on this site, and it's idling great now. Once I get the tank refurbed and reinstalled, I can go for a ride to test out the other systems and get a feel for what needs to be addressed next.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Elmojo]

Now that I know the bike isn't likely to explode if I try to start it, I can move on to the most pressing cosmetic needs.
Namely, that butt-ugly tank!
That's a nasty dent, but it's the only serious one. Otherwise, the tank is solid and not in bad condition.

Here's the results of about 6 cycles of gel stripper.
Notice how thick the old paint is?

As best as I can tell, the bike has 4 layers of paint.
1) OEM purple
2) Yellow
3) primer
4) dark gray....tractor paint?! Seriously, that top coat is a metallic charcoal color, and it looks like it was put on with a spatula. 

After MUCH stripping, spraying, scraping and brushing, I finally got it down to mostly bare metal.
The next step was cleaning out the paint from around the gas cap and the trim at the lower seam.
A small wire brush, some wooden dowels, paper towels, and LOTS of paint stripper/time is the key here.
Also, ALWAYS wear gloves. None of the chemicals used to strip and clean the tank are friendly to your hands.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Elmojo]

Once the tank was fairly well cleaned up, I brought it inside and started working on the repairs.
I had intended to use the Harbor Freight crossbar dent puller kit to try to get that side back into shape.
It actually looked like it was working, but the tank is so thick that it snapped the puller foot in half the second time I used it.
I made a new solid aluminum foot on my lathe, but decided it was just too much hassle and instead went with the redneck "fill it with Bondo" method.
It won't look perfect, but it'll be way better than a caved-in side once I get it all feathered in and repainted.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Elmojo]

Now that the tank is on the way to being usable again, I figured I'd take a stab at stripping the side frame covers as well.
They had the same multi-layer nastiness as the tank. The worst part is that being plastic, I can't use the gel stripper, so I broke out my palm sander and wet sanded with 100 grit.

The last photo is the result of about 30-45 minutes of continual sanding, and it's not quite done.
I was originally planning to sand down to bare plastic, or at least to the OEM purple paint, but that yellow stuff is really on there, so I'm using that as my new target layer.
The exception to that is around the edges and tight spaces, were the prep work wasn't done right, and the various layers of paint are flaking and chipping.

I'm really not looking forward to doing the other one. 
I've heard there are products made to strip the paint off automotive plastic bumper covers.
PepBoys sells one called Klean-Strip Aircraft Paint Remover for Flexible Plastic.
I plan to pick up a can of that to see how it works, and will report my experiences.

Anyone have experience with stripping paint from plastics? I'd love to hear your secrets!

That's all for now, I'll post updates as work progresses, and would love to hear your advice on how to proceed.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[J_Walker]

as far as stripping paint off plastics.. cheap paint comes off with "sticker remover" turtle wax sticker remover. smells like oranges... takes off most cheapo spraypaints.. while not harming plastics or even OEM paints. some of the more pricey or well done spray paint jobs, you're gonna need to work at it. 

that or a good palm sander... lmao

[Elmojo]

Yeah, the top coat gray stuff is coming off pretty easy, but I suspect the yellow layer was done at least semi-professionally. It's adhered pretty tight, except the areas around the mounting tabs and such.
I'm gonna try to get a can of the Klean-Strip from Pep Boys and see if it's any good.

[Elmojo]

Quick update, more to come soon....
After several more cycles of bondo/sanding, I was fairly happy with the shape of the tank, so I started priming.
After 3 coats of primer, wet-sanded between coats with 320, then 400 grit.
Tonight I sanded the final primer coat with 800, then tacked and sprayed the first color coat.
I'm using the VHT engine paint in bright red, since it's the closest I can get to an OEM color for this year, and is supposed to be fuel-resistant.
I plan to use enamel clear coat also, again for added fuel-proofing.
The next step is wet sanding with 400/800, then another color coat, then another 800 sanding, then either a 3rd color coat or the 1st clear coat, depending on the finish I get.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Elmojo]

Also, I found the Klean-Strip Aircraft Remover for Flexible Plastics at O'Reilly Auto, since there are no PepBoys stores near me.
This stuff works good on plastics, but it is TOUGH on skin. I was wearing 7mil nitrile gloves, and it ate through them in about 2 minutes. I started feeling burning on the backs of my hands.
I took off the gloves, and there were no tears or punctures, but the glove material looked wrinkled like when your hands are in water too long, and the stripper had started to penetrate.
I switched to thicker black rubber gloves like for washing dishes, and had no more problems.
The product works, but I won't say it's THAT much easier than sanding, and it's expensive, like $13 for a can. 

[Big Rich]

Mojo, I wouldn't trust the VHT paint to be as fuel resistant as some people think.....a top quality clear coat will work wonders though. Check out Spraymax 2K Clear.

And whenever you use paint strippers: if you spread the stripper over the part and quickly lay a sheet of Saran wrap on top, the stripper works more effectively.

[Elmojo]

Hmmm, so even the engine enamel isn't great around fuels? Lovely. 
Oh well, it'll work for a while, at least until I can afford some better paint.

Good tip on the stripper, I hadn't thought of covering it.

[Big Rich]

After engine enamel is cured properly, you can spill gas on it and immediately rinse it with water and it will be fine. If your petcock develops a leak overnight and drips gas onto the paint and you don't see it for a day......the paint is ruined. I personally guarantee it.

Edit: Wanted to add....since the paint in question is on your gas tank, the area around the filler cap will start peeling first. That is why I recommend a good clear coat.

[Elmojo]

Good info, thanks.
I'm generally pretty careful filling, and this is a temporary paint job until I can afford the good stuff.
I have the compressor, spray rig, etc... to spray 'real' automotive paint, it just seems pointless to put $400 worth of paint on a $500 bike.