Need a hand guys (and gals  :mrgreen: ).  I have 2 problems I am in the middle of.  First off my mechanical knowledge is limited and I'm stuck on these 2...

#1 issue of the night:

I replaced the front fender on the GS with a pretty new blue one.  The Clymer mentioned taking the front caliper off before the front tire.  In looking at it I didn't think this was a necassary step and didn't.  Besides when I attempted to remove the caliper retaining bolts (they are the Allen Head type) they wouldn't budge--at all!  After getting the fender on I fought getting the wheel, spedo, and spacer in.  Got it in the the front brakes aren't functioning.  I tried bleeding them with good fluid flow.  I'm assuming the pistons came out of socket, yeah???  So the question is what did I break, and more importantly, how do I fix it.  I'm real curious if there are any tricks to the retaining bolts from hell.

#2 issue of the night:

I'm putting the Pingel petcock on I mentioned in other posts.  In looking at the fuel lines at the carbs there is an upper and lower line.  Which do I run the fuel line to if I am running straight from the Pingel?  Also what in the world is the line running from the tank directly in to the small canister like object on the middle of the frame, behind the battery box??  There was a fuel line from the old tank into ot and another from the "thingy" into the carbs...I'm lost.

I'm new to the wrenching game outside of working on older hot rods...and then I was the braun following my busdies directions...

Thanks!!!!!

Quote from: mwdbrunoNeed a hand guys (and gals  :mrgreen: ).  I have 2 problems I am in the middle of.  First off my mechanical knowledge is limited and I'm stuck on these 2...

#1 ...Got it in the the front brakes aren't functioning.

#2 issue of the night:... Also what in the world is the line running from the tank directly in to the small canister like object on the middle of the frame, behind the battery box??

1) curious what you mean 'they dont work'. Are they not going over the rotor when you tried getting wheel on? Do they rub rotor to the point of stopping the wheel turning at all? Just trying to get a better understanding of what's going on.Why did you bleed them?

2) that canister is the CA EPA carbon (not CF) canister and has to do with emissions. You can yank that and all the hoses to/from it.

Quote from: mwdbrunoAfter getting the fender on I fought getting the wheel, spedo, and spacer in.  Got it in the the front brakes aren't functioning.  I tried bleeding them with good fluid flow.  I'm assuming the pistons came out of socket, yeah???

I don't think you could have fit the rotor between the pads if the pistons had come out of their "sockets".  As long as you didn't squeeze the brake lever while the rotor was out, you should be OK.  [<-- That's not actually a guarantee, you understand....   ]

Quote from: mwdbrunoSo the question is what did I break, and more importantly, how do I fix it.

I can't tell if you "broke" anything yet or not. Like Pablo, I need more details.  Can you give us a sequential play-by-play?  Especially of the wheel removal and reinstallation?  And did the brakes stop working before you bled them or after?

Quote from: mwdbrunoI'm real curious if there are any tricks to the retaining bolts[...]

The old thread Tough bolts should give you some ideas.  The first time I removed the caliper from my '96 I had the exact same problem.  I think I eventually bought an Allen socket of the appropriate size and cranked on it with my (long-handled) torque wrench.  The torque I had to apply was at least twice what the manual calls for.  That must be some robot (sumo wrestler, perhaps?) that they've got doing assembly in the factory!

Quote from: mwdbruno#2 issue of the night:
[...]
at the carbs there is an upper and lower line.  Which do I run the fuel line to if I am running straight from the Pingel?

The fuel supply to the carbs is through the lower line (which connects to a 'T' fitting between the carbs).  In non-CA bikes the upper line is draped over the airbox and left open to the air.

With the Pingel you can run a single line to the carbs.  You can get rid of the annoying fuel valve as well as long as you plug up the vacuum port on the left carburetor.  


Adam

Quote from: pantablo

Quote from: mwdbrunoNeed a hand guys (and gals  :mrgreen: ).  I have 2 problems I am in the middle of.  First off my mechanical knowledge is limited and I'm stuck on these 2...

#1 ...Got it in the the front brakes aren't functioning.

1) curious what you mean 'they dont work'. Are they not going over the rotor when you tried getting wheel on? Do they rub rotor to the point of stopping the wheel turning at all? Just trying to get a better understanding of what's going on.Why did you bleed them?

Thanks a ton for the quick responses...as always.
Let me clarify the front brake issue.  As I was putting the front wheel back on I moved the caliper assembly inboard a little bit (not like forced it, it moved on the floating pins holding the caliper body to the caliper mounting bracket).  When I did that the brake pad on the caliper body kept falling out as it was more flush with the retaining clips.
The wheel moves with some resistance.  The resistance is enough to be heard louder than normal.  There is no pressure on the brake handle.  I can pull it back to the bars and there is no reaction from the caliper/pads.  When I bled them fluid came out, but no moving parts moved.  This all happened after I had the front tire on, before I bled the brakes.

Hope this clarifies the brake issue.

Thanks for the clarification on the fuel line confusion.

I remember tearin those bolts off for the disc brakes and they were a pain. I used a torch and heated the outside up reall good before torquin on them cuz I figured they were probably red loc-tited in. Im prett sure it didn't damage the paint on the wheels but I wasn't payin too close attention to that cuz Im paintin the wheels anyway.

Was this your first brake bleed? The first time I did mine I let the resivour empty and it lost all presure. I kept filling it up and pumping the brakes but the presure didn't come back until I did several refils.

I've done brake bleeds on cars for years.  The reservior never got empty when I did the bike.
I think I may have a solution though.  A local shop owner is a fan of the GS and even has an old one with no top end of the motor at home.  I talked to him today and he is giving me the tires off the old one he has for nothing.  In exchange I'm going to take my GS in for brakes and an all around look over and pay him generously.  

Thanks again guys!  I'll post pics of the new body work when I get it all back together.

Quote from: Adam RWith the Pingel you can run a single line to the carbs.  You can get rid of the annoying fuel valve as well as long as you plug up the vacuum port on the left carburetor.  


Adam

Just to make sure I get it right (and without having looked at the bike all day) you are reffering to the left carb as I sit on the bike right?

Quote from: mwdbruno

Quote from: Adam RYou can get rid of the annoying fuel valve as well as long as you plug up the vacuum port on the left carburetor.

[...]you are reffering to the left carb as I sit on the bike right?

Yep, that's the one.  Where the vacuum line from the petcock attaches.

Thanks Kerry, again  

Of course when I went back to garage and looked at it was pretty obvious...even to me.

All in all this project went well, but I seem to have 1 issue left.  I'm leaking fuel from the point where the Pingel petcock mounting block is at the tank.  There was no gasket of any sort with the petcock so I manufactured my own out of some rubber sheeting.  I didn't figure metal to metal would be enough of a seal to keep the fuel going where it should.  Any suggestions?  I was thinking of picking up some RTV blue or similiar type of stuff to seal it all in...

Quote from: mwdbrunoI've done brake bleeds on cars for years.  The reservior never got empty when I did the bike.
I think I may have a solution though.  A local shop owner is a fan of the GS and even has an old one with no top end of the motor at home.  I talked to him today and he is giving me the tires off the old one he has for nothing.  In exchange I'm going to take my GS in for brakes and an all around look over and pay him generously.  

It takes forever to bleed the front brake with the usual method (that is, without special toolz). And yeah, it takes a lot of brake fluid (I had to refill the reservior a lot).

I don't know about rear brake as I have done only the front one - for now.

  D.