Sk that's a good tip!

Quote from: SK Racing on September 11, 2020, 07:20:34 AM
I'd put some black heatshrink in the center section of the handlebar to hide the knurling.   

Good idea If I have the bars off again.
They're kinda wide at 31" inches. I figured good for a new rider, but they can easily be shortened an inch each side.

I also found my new off-road style handlebar too wide at 31". Then I cut an inch off each end it it feels perfect now.

So I want to get the front end all together. I had bought EBC pads for the original Tokico caliper only to find that the caliper was missing some of the little shim/ pad guide hardware. The parts are back ordered with no fill date.

So I order an AJP caliper from pinwheel cycle. It's cheap and it's in great shape, nice and clean. The pistons retracted like butter, I could have probably used my fingers.









It came with half worn Tokico HH pads.. funny. 

I've already have a pad collection going.. two new sets for the rear (one is EBC HH I don't want a new rider to have) and one new for the front I can't use... and don't feel like buying more pads until this bike running and riding.

So they get lapped on a lapping block, but with sandpaper. This goes quick. First photo is about 30 seconds each, second is another minute or so.  I give them a couple coats of high heat silver. This is so they look good at the safety inspection.















The hub cover finally came in, painted and on.





Installed the wheel and caliper only to find the shiny anchor bolt in the photo is rubbing on the caliper buttons.




I measure how centered the wheel is in the forks and the wheel is offset towards the caliper about 1/8"

About the amount the axle bolt is sticking out.



WTH... I go and look at the service manual and.... I've got the AXLE IN BACKWARDS 

That was enough for the night... tomorrow is another day.

So this was driving me nuts first thing this AM. I pull the axle and the spacer is on the wrong end.
This is just how it was assembled before I took the bike apart.
I could not move the spacer by hand, and had to clamp it in vise with brass jaws, then tap the axle  out with a soft faced hammer.

(Note: My two other bikes have the axle nut on the opposite side of the pinch bolts, not on the same side as the GS500 does)

I re-assembled it correctly and had just a little  clearance to the caliper anchor bolt.

If the fork leg is pushed against the axle nut, and then the pinch bolt is tightened, there is ample clearance.

I went and loosened, the re-torqued all the triple tree fork tube pinch bolts and the fender support/fork brace bolts..   






I have to wonder though... Did I install this bearing first (left side) per the service manual? If not, it could cause the wheel to be offset. I had the manual and thought it was done properly... but it's entirely possible to be disoriented on which side was left and right. 

I thought today was going to see most of this bike put together. Instead, I got my butt kicked by this bike on. A lot of my issues are a complete lack of experience with this make and model.

After installing the fender, wheel,  caliper, lines, tach and speedo cables and working to secure the wiring and cables, things just don't seem right. Then I realize that the headlight brackets are on backwards. They did seem kind of odd, kind of ugly, but the bucket etc... was mounted that way when we bought it.






What a naive fool, I've already had the forks off this bike once for a rebuild and never looked carefully at a parts diagram.

Now, it all comes apart again... brake, speedo, wheel, the  headlight bucket, the turn signals.

And the headlight bucket was nasty inside. Wire brushed it, hit it with rust converter, primed and clear coated the inside.






Then it's put it back together, try to reassemble everything properly... Suzuki does give nice drawings of all the cable and wire runs.

Test the turn signals and neither front works. Check the wiring to the schematic. Check the bulbs and the bulbs and sockets are brutally corroded. They are never going to work reliably.

I decided to try an LED conversion by directly soldering to the bulb. They are 1157 type so the extra wire was run for running lights.

It all fits snugly together... the only issue is if an LED fails, it's not a simple bulb swap.

I have way too much time into this project. I'd expected to be just about done on Saturday, but nope it's issue after issue.
Work to complete it is going to have to slow down, there are so many other things pilling up around here. So no new progress to report.

I did find time to make a nice garden fresh, eggplant parmigiana yesterday.

Look at all this progress,....errr,....   So much fun eh?!  This is typically my garage time: thinking I'm good on something and, wait I, crap,..have to redo it.  haha  Still that eggplant parmigiana looks divine!!!

I did spend a late hour and completed the front turn signal re-hash / LED conversion last night.












The signals were getting water inside.
In a effort to make a better gasket seal, black RTV was applied to the  ledge and the gasket set into it, allowed to cure. This made the gasket sit level and gave the lens something to compress.




This old leather punch was my grandfathers. I found a novel use for it. Making tiny screw gaskets.
(It took a few tries to make good ones)





Very bright!
With LED front and incandescent rear bulb, the flash rate is fast, but prob acceptable



I haven't tried connecting the running lights yet.

What's wrong with this picture???

I've posted photos from this view and nobody commented.

So what do you see wrong???

Apart from the front tank rubber mount, I don't know.

The suspense is killing me... What is it?

Corrected in this photo

Before, the coils were mounted upside down.

Just confirmed by looking at my 2004 F-model. 

Quote from: SK Racing on September 17, 2020, 02:49:50 AM
Before, the coils were mounted upside down.

Just confirmed by looking at my 2004 F-model. 

Yep.

The valve shims came in and I wanted to get the engine closed up.

(BTW, The final valve clearance was a very snug .003" /.76mm feeler gauge on the INTAKES.
Snug .004" /.101 on the EXHAUST (no shims changed EXHAUST)

Put the valve the cover on,  gapped and installed the spark plugs, went to put the plug wires on and realized that the spark plug caps were very loose. Once the caps were screwed onto the wires, the  plug wires became too short.
Once again, someone had previously misassembled components.

The factory service manual is very good with wire and cable routing diagrams.

Suzuki glued the re-useable rubber valve cover gasket in place with black RTV. They glue it into the cover and the four "half moon" sections into the head at the cams.

When I removed the cover, the "half moons" were glued in tightly and the rest of the gasket pulled out of the cover easier.  However, this was a mistake. I spent a good solid hour cleaning all the old RTV out of the cover groove and off the gasket... just to glue it back with more fresh black RTV.

  If there is a next time, you can be sure that I'll carefully free the "half moons" from the head and leave the gasket glued to the cover!

Good tip. Thanks for the heads-up.

If its silicone RTV Suzuki didn't put it there. Its probably just the gasket degrading and the left over remnants.

RTV sets rigid and has a habit of breaking off when cured then taking a trip around the engine and becoming lodged in oilways, blocking oil pickups and filters and getting between clutch plates. Not something the manufactures take chances on.

I know people who have learnt this the hard way.

There are far more suitable and safer products than anything based on silicone.

I only use this, it has never failed to work and more importantly.......its never caused me to worry about what harm it may be doing inside the engine.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hylomar-Universal-Gasket-Jointing-Compound/dp/B079D8XJSP/ref=asc_df_B079D8XJSP/?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583726549159376&psc=1

I will agree that an excess of silicone RTV is a bad thing. The excess that squeezes out of a joint when tightened, may get loose and then work it's way into oil passages and other components.
 
Properly applied, silicone RTV is good stuff.

I've  never removed a GS500 valve cover before, so I can't say what is usually there for sealant.

I am 100% sure that this engine had black silicone RTV applied to the cover grooves and cam ends.

I'm also 100% sure that the rubber gasket is in very good condition. No sign of hardening or deterioration.

I used Gen II ultra black RTV, sparingly applied to the areas Suzuki shows in the FSM. 



I looked up Suzuki Bond 1207B
That is actually Three Bond 1207B, Black silicone RTV.

A little more progress tonight with the lighting all back together.


Solid state flasher installed




The brown wire was unused and listed as "position indicator" in the schematic. It comes on with ignition. I made a small  "Y" harness and connected the running lights of the turn signals (having converted to 1157 LED)




The bucket was missing one of the wire clips shown in the wire routing diagram. I didn't have anything made for that and had to make do with a small bit of metal strapping.




Just enough to hold a wire tie and secure the main harness.





Nothing is without drama or issue on the front of this bike. The bezel was held on with one sheet metal screw and the adjuster was gone. Here it is repaired, with a 6/32" screw and a speed nut clip. The spring from the hardware store. Two new flathead metric screws to secure the bezel.




Final result of headlight and running lights. I couldn't really capture the flasher well with a still photo, but think there is enough difference in brightness (running to turn) that it's OK.

Yeah.....Threebond.....I know that stuff. They put it in a tube that says Suzuki on it and charge x3 for it 

Still......I am always weary of using anything that sets hard like RTV, heard to many horror stories.