I'm looking at getting a couple of camshafts from Buddha to replace my prematurely worn ones, does anyone know whether they're a straight replacement? I'm concerned about whether they're 'matched' with heads at the factory, or are they all the same nominal dimension at the journals.
Also, I think some earlier cams had a different lift, does anyone know more about that?
Thanks!

I got 05 cams I will send you, I dont think any of them were different, but 04 and later dont have tach worm. You probably should swap 89-00 for 89-00 only for that reason and 04+ for 04+ only, and not sure about 01-02. But ... lift - not sure if anything changed in that between 89-09. But any one else who has actually done stuff on these please post.
Cool.
Srinath.

I checked my Haynes manual, apparently UK models ER to EY and K1 onwards have a little less lift (0.7mm intake, 0.3mm exhaust) compared with all other models, so I guess in the US and here they're all the same.

I'll take those '05 cams Buddha! Will pm you later.

01 and later have slight profile change that boosts mid-range. No real effect on top end. Like Buddha says, most recent models (04+??) don't have the worm gear to drive the mechanical tachometer of the earlier bikes.

Otherwise, they are a mechanical match between all years (your engine will run with any year camshaft).

I agree the 01 and later cams provide a stronger mid-range but have always felt there was a little loss at the top end.  I rode my new to me 02 GS with 4k miles on it and my restored totalled 97 GS with about 80k miles on it at the same time switching back and forth between them 6 years ago and the 02 GS was noticeably stronger thru the mid-range and more fun to ride but the old worn 97 GS still felt stronger on the top end.  Both were stock.

Camshafts should be interchangeable for all years but if you put a approx 06 and later camshaft with the anti-knock fix in the older bikes you'll need the spring washer set to take up the space on the right side where the cam shoulder was cut back to make room for them.

The exhaust cams with the tack drive gear should fit in the 04 and newer bikes that don't use them but if you have the mechanical tach drive you'll need a camshaft with the gear of course.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=46460.msg521774#msg521774

I thought the head had a relieif where the worm on the cams went ... maybe not, of course the 89-00 heads have the drive worm in the head so it cant be compared.

Mole - Also the anti side drift fix - yes the washers etc etc, I dont have that I dont think with my camshaft, have to check the head.

GSJack - Then performance difference - how much you think the carbs contributed to that ?

Cool.
Buddha.

I believe the that when Suzuki modified the heads to stop the camshaft noise, they took a bit off the shoulder on the camshaft and a bit out of the head, so if you put an early cam in a later head, the standard spring washer won't fit???

Buddha, I sent you an email to the address you sent me a couple of days ago, did you get that yet? I definately would like a set of late model cams.
Cheers, David.

On a similar note. Does anyone know if there is a company out there making race cams for the GS? or if anyone on in the group has had a set of cams regound and to what profile?
Cheers
Andy

Megacycle for aftermarket cams. Never used one.  I think Dgyver and a few others on this board have used them, however.

http://www.megacyclecams.com/catalog/pages/page%2051.pdf

Thanks guys.
Has any of the race guys experimented with std cams with reground profiles? There is a company in the UK called Joy engineering that do race cams, mostly on welded cores, but they also do a 0.7mm regrind off the base circle, which will give more lift and duration.
I just wondered if anyone has tried anything like this in their bike.
Cheers
Andy

Andyroach: Dude you take off .7mm off the back side ... you'd need a 320 shim if you originally had a 250. If you had a 265, forget it, no shim fatter than 320. Of course you would also prolly get a under bucket set up made ...

Mole: Anyway your cams in a box, have to do customs forms and send tonight. You're getting a random number of washers and wave and bla bla bla ... I would say those are all I yanked out of the head, but there is unfortunatly too many for that and they seem random ... You have to use your washers and these to get a happy conslusion.

Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on October 05, 2009, 02:09:41 PM
Dude you take off .7mm off the back side ... you'd need a 320 shim if you originally had a 250. If you had a 265, forget it, no shim fatter than 320. Of course you would also prolly get a under bucket set up made ...
Anyway your cams in a box, have to do customs forms and send tonight. You're getting a random number of washers and wave and bla bla bla ... I would say those are all I yanked out of the head, but there is unfortunatly too many for that and they seem random ... You have to use your washers and these to get a happy conslusion.
Cool.
Buddha.

OK, If this is the case I will, as you say, have to think about under bucket shimming, I know that the GS750 and 1000 used under bucket shims for high lift race cams. Has anyone tried cross referencing these parts to see if they can be adapted to fit?
And on a completely unrelated subject. How do I post a picture from my computer? I have tried in the test area and failed (i am a Luddite when it comes to computing).
Cheers
Andy

Hey Buddha, guess my thread got a little hijacked (that's OK guys!), so are you talking to me about sending the cams out tonight? I'm David, not Andy who's after hot cams!! Anyway, just tried to pm you, but not sure if it went. Could you let me know when my cams are sent...thanks.

Quote from: andyroach on October 09, 2009, 02:05:32 AM

OK, If this is the case I will, as you say, have to think about under bucket shimming, I know that the GS750 and 1000 used under bucket shims for high lift race cams. Has anyone tried cross referencing these parts to see if they can be adapted to fit?
And on a completely unrelated subject. How do I post a picture from my computer? I have tried in the test area and failed (i am a Luddite when it comes to computing).
Cheers
Andy

Kibblewhite makes a shim under bucket conversion for the GS500.  It comes as a kit and requires some machining.

http://www.blackdiamondvalves.com/products.htm

Quote from: the mole on October 09, 2009, 03:39:38 AM
Hey Buddha, guess my thread got a little hijacked (that's OK guys!), so are you talking to me about sending the cams out tonight? I'm David, not Andy who's after hot cams!! Anyway, just tried to pm you, but not sure if it went. Could you let me know when my cams are sent...thanks.

David, I am really sorry about hijacking your thread. Jeez, I'm only in the forum 5 minutes and I'm already causing trouble. I shall go out side now give myself a sound thrashing as punishment, That should teach me.
Again sorry about that.
Andy