Sookie's dead!

[the_63]

So what is the story behind removing the tach component?

I removed my mechanical tach as well.  I didn't remove the cams though.  I can't remember exactly, there may have been a pin that I drove out and the tach thing came straight out.  There is a little cover on the outside of the engine that comes off with a single boot.  Try pulling on the tang end of the thing with pliers.

I'm thinking about it more and I'm becoming more sure that there wasn't a pin.  Just a single bolt, wiggle off that cap, and pull the thing out with pliers.

I do remember it coming out it very easy once I figured out what was holding it in.

This is the plug I used to close up the hole.  link

I originally bought a plug that had an external hex head but there wasn't enough room for the bolt head.  link  the idea behind this first one was to leave the tach thing in place and the hollow middle of this plug would not interfere...

Parts diagram:
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/1992/GS500ET/CYLINDER+HEAD/parts.html

"Cap" is number 17
"Thing" is number 16

Yeah I've looked through those. Basic history is when I bought the bike the tach wasn't working, so I bought a new cable which didn't resolve the issue. When I looked inside the tach drive housing outside the engine, the bit where the cable attaches to the engine, it was full of RTV, so I started picking it out, then I unscrewed the little fixing bolt on the side and took off the external housing and 2 washers that had been fused together.

This is what I took off:


I went online and bought a new tach drive assembly, but couldn't get a grip on the little bit sticking out:
(The front of the engine is pointing towards the top of the picture. The "12" nut on the gear in the engine is about an inch-inch 1/2 above what is left.

The new tach drive housing still in the packet on the right Vs the old tach drive housing. Half the old tach drive housing is missing, it's in the engine.


And the new tach drive gear. As far as I can gather the old tach gear has snapped about half way down the shaft, around where that silver ring in the middle is.


Theres only mm of the old tach gear poking out and whenever I try to grip it with pliers to pull out they just come straight off. So I thought I'd try and push it out, only to be faced with a camshaft laying over the top when I pulled the camcover off 

I noticed yesterday though that the part of the camshaft that contacts the tach gear is broken, so if I managed to get the old gear out, it still wouldn't work. That's where the plan for the plug came in and eventually I will look to install an electric version. But I have to figure out how to get the old gear out. The front of the engine is coated in oil too thanks to the months of riding without it being sealed.

Hope that explanation was clear 

[TQM]

Ya'know, it might have been easier (and cheaper) just to replace the entire head, camshafts an' all, in the long term. 

[the_63]

Ya'know, it might have been easier (and cheaper) just to replace the entire head, camshafts an' all, in the long term. 

It is a total ballache. Once it's out, progress will be very fast. I am also limited by my toolset, I don't have a drill or any way to apply heat...safely.

[lucas]

Too bad.  It seems to me like you're going to have to pull the cam shaft to get that gear out.

You say it snapped in half?? Crazy!  Can I get a look down the hole at what remains of the gear?

If the gear teeth are breaking I don't think you should leave it in place as it may contribute extra floating bits of metal into your engine oil.

[the_63]

Too bad.  It seems to me like you're going to have to pull the cam shaft to get that gear out.

You say it snapped in half?? Crazy!  Can I get a look down the hole at what remains of the gear?

If the gear teeth are breaking I don't think you should leave it in place as it may contribute extra floating bits of metal into your engine oil.

from the front of the engine. This is where the tach cable plugs into.


The bar along the left edge of the picture is the exhaust camshaft. You can see the threads that drive the tach gear are damaged. Loose chunks on metal floating around have crossed my mind since noticing this to be honest. The current engine oil is new though, definitely less than 150 miles, Id be surprised if it was close to 100 miles even!

[the_63]

I made some progress today. I cleaned the gasket remnants off of the replacement clutch cover I bought, I cleaned the gasket remnants off of the the engine, I installed

-the replacement signal generator,
-the timing rotor,
-replacement clutch cover and new gasket,
-airbox is back in

Tomorrow I am aiming to have the valve cover back on, breather cover reinstalled, gas tank on and then hopefully...
vvvroom vvvroom!

[lucas]

Yeah buddy!!

Now you know that motorcycle rehab is easier than you thought and also just as difficult as you thought. 

[the_63]

Got it all back together this morning and a new issue has presented itself. Fuel leaking from the surge line. Just going to have a search, see what I can find on potential cause/resolution.

[the_63]

The fuel leaking isn't too bad, it seems to be a build up of fuel pressure then it pops out. But it wouldn't start, it would turn over up to 3 times then sort of run out of juice. So I went to take my phone to get a video of it and ask for some advice when on the third, sad, pathetic crank, BOOM it started!

It didn't sound quite right but after a minute or two was running about normal. I gave the throttle a twist and it sounded happy. I noticed the choke was completely off so put it in the on position and it had zero effect.

I put the choke off again and twisted the throttle once more and it cut out. hit the button, sprang back to life, twisted throttle, engine died.

Hit the button again and it's just turning over but not starting again.

Could this be  timing issue?

[lucas]

Do you think you may have left the choke cable disconnected?

What is the fuel surge line?

Maybe your float bowls might not be filling with fuel.  Try running it on prime.  You can check the fluid level in the bowls with a length of clear tubing.

The pathetic cranking might be a weak battery.  Can you check the voltage and charge it up?

[the_63]

the fuel surge line runs from the back of the rear petcock up to the carbs. It has a little clear "filter" thing in the middle. There's a couple of things I think it might be and want to check now I've had a thought. Maybe it's the gasket between the breather and valve covers preventing a vacuum seal so the fuel isn't circulating. Or a pinched/stretched line under the tank. I agree the battery might be run down. I don't understand why twisting the throttle kills the engine though...

[lucas]

That surge line is the fuel line that feeds the carbs.  If there is a leak or obstruction in that line it will affect the flow of fuel into the carbs.  You said something about it "popping out" if you mean that this line got disconnected then that would be a definite fuel delivery problem.

I had one of the two fuel lines that come out of the gas tank end up getting pinched and that caused me some headaches.  I had to leave it in Reserve to run the engine.  (That lead to me running out of gas twice...)

The gaskets on the valve covers don't affect performance or the fuel flow, they only keep the oil contained within the engine.

[the_63]

It was as though the plastic filter bit was getting too full then leaking out of the sides where the rubber tubes connect to it. I will pull the tank off when I get home and have a check around under there. I've probably done something wrong 

[lucas]

How serious is this leak?  Maybe you just need to put on / tighten the hose clamps?

[the_63]

I'm back with my bike. Was up at 8, took tank off, took airbox out and while i was there I tightened the clamps on the fuel surge line. Leak has now been resolved. Also noticed that the choke cable had caught so it was left open. Put back together and gave it a crank and the bike was very reluctant. I noticed that the water levels of the battery were very low so that's been topped up and the battery charged. Took 5 presses of the button but eventually Sookie fired up!  I let it run for a minute to warm up, then hit the button a few times since then and she starts everytime on the button now.

So I popped on the lid and took her out around the block. The front brake lever feel disgusting, theres so much play (up and down) so I've popped the lever out, to go OEM or aftermarket? I also need to straighten out the front wheel and everything will be epic again. SO CLOSE! 

[ShowBizWolf]

WOOT!!!!   

[the_63]

WOOT!!!!   

cheers man. I'm so psyched!