Suzuki - Top End Rebuild - The End

Suzuki - Top End Rebuild - Day Three

 All clean.

 Tapping out three stripped bolts on the cam bearing cover

Suzuki - Top End Rebuild - Day Two

 Cleaned valves - not perfect but looking much better

Valve grinding the old fashioned way

 Valve grinding the new way. A thick piece of rubber and a slow setting on the drill works much better

 All springs measured and within the allowable tolerances

  Shims measured in preparation for gaping after reassembly

 All valve thicknesses measured and within the allowable tolerances

All valve stem thicknesses measured and within the allowable tolerances - unfortunately, I don't have the ability to check valve/cam shaft run out, valve guide wear or several of the other valve angles.

Suzuki - Top End Rebuild - Day One

A recent compression test on my 1979 Suzuki GS850 revealed some low numbers and so I thought it was time to take a look at the valves and tackle a few ongoing problems.

All the parts needed to fix my problems:

1) Low Compression - will grind valves and replace guide seals
2) Replace the old failing stator (the old one is not producing enough juice to charge the battery)
3) Replace the rubber carb boots
4) Drain the oli, remove the sump and replace the sump filter
5) Fix three small stripped bolts on the cylinder head

A few other items needed along with my to do list

Before removing the carbs I checked the height of the fuel in the float bowl - this one is fine but the center two carbs will need a small adjustment

Instead of trying to use the gas tank to supply fuel during the test it's easier to set up a temporary fuel supply. I use a small oil tank I found on eBay for 10$.

The two outside carb float levels look good

Carbs Off

Removing the cams - yes this is the recommended way to do it

The cam chain tunnel seal is no more - I replaced this about a year ago

Lots of carbon at the exhaust ports

and LOTS of carbon in the head...

LOTS of carbon on this valve - this is the right side #4

A few stripped head bolts that need fixing - these have been like this for years - time to fix them

Here is the first repeair - was a 6mm thread - its now a 7mm