Hardware Removal (Day 57)

Other bits taken off today 

LHS exhaust bracket and side stand rubber stop

 Brake lever and gear change lever



Clutch Cable (Day 57)

 Cable run over LHS petrol tank lug.

  Retaining clip on rocker cover nut

 Clutch cable adjusting lug on RHS

Progress (Day 57)

 Getting down to the nitty gritty

 My special concoction (50% brake fluid and 50% cellulose thinner is in the jar against the wall.  Can't live without that.

 Quite corroded but I am confident it is good underneath.

Exhaust Pipes Removed (Day 57)

 So since the exhaust bolts are now out it was quite simple getting the whole system to come off.  But it doesn't look like it's in good shape.  One side is rattling badly (rusted internal baffles?) and both side let lose a load of powdered rust when I turned them over.

On the under side of both silencers there was blistering which had completely penetrated the outer skins.

 Very rusted underside.

Exhaust Pipes Examination (Day 56)

 This is what the pipes look like before removal.

 Don't think this is OEM

 

Exhaust Bolts OUT! (Day 55)

Big celebration here; we finally got them out.  All 8 of them and not a single breakage.  I think I have discovered the secret:

1.  Trick - take your time.  My bolts had been in for at least 25 years and it has taken me 2 weeks to get them out.  Not 2 weeks of total work but a little bit every day.

2.  I think the magic formula was a concoction of 50% brake fluid and 50% cellulose thinners.  Brush this on twice a day.  Mine came out after 3 days of this.

3.  Don't be afraid to do some impact driving.  I had hex bolts holding my exhaust in and it took me a while to find the right combination of driver bits and 3/8th inch and 1/2 inch converters.  Give them a good whack.  Do it a couple of times a day.  Keep adding concoction.

4.  Don't stick on the one bolt, try them all.  I spent the first week on one bolt.  Nothing moved.  Then today I tried another bolt on the other side of the engine.  It came out quite easily.  So I did some of the others.  The first bolt was the worst.  See the photos and you understand why.  I had spent all that time being put off because the first bolt I tried was the worst.

5.  Take your time.  Don't expect to do it in a day.

6.  My next trick was going to be the blow torch (I ordered them from Ebay but they have'nt arrived yet) but in the end they weren't needed. 

7.  Trick - try tightening them as well as unscrewing them.  My first discernable movement on the first bolt I got out was when I screwed it in.  Even the smallest movement is good.  Add more concoction and keeping screwing it up (until it's very tight) and then unscrewing it a little.  For a time it seemed to me that it got tighter the more I unscrewed it.  That was the sign to screw it back in and add some more concoction and wait a little.

8.  From the photos you can see that the concoction penetrated the bolts by about 50% (see the darker part of the bolt) which is quite amazing. 

Exhaust Bolts part 2 (Day 54)

 We are still on exhaust bolts. Now trying 50/50 mix of brake fluid and cellulose thinners. I will paint this concoction on twice a day for a week.

I also bought a decent hex bit that fits nicely in the hex bolt and allows me to attach a nice socket wrench.  Only just fits (you can see it touching the exhause manifold) so it is not lined up entirely square.  I also have the problem of how to reach the other bolts for cylinders 2 and 3.  Apart from the exhaust manifold getting in the way, the frame tubes are an additional obstruction.  The set up shown below will not work with these cylinders!



Rear Suspension (Day 51)

Taking a look at the rear suspension today.  I am pretty sure (but not 100%) that these units were original.  I haven't seen another GS1100 with them though.  Dad may have had them fitted at the time of purchase.  Don't know if they work or not.  Might just be easier to switch them out for a new pair of conventional shocks but I would like to try and keep her to the original purchase specification as I can.

They are air or gas filled shock with an air valve under this cap.



 They have a Suzuki sticker on them.

 And an adjustment control dial at the top.

 

Under the rubber cover there is no sign of any springs just a massive piston / stanchion constructed rather like an upside down fork leg.

 The stanchions look to be in good condition with no pitting or rusting.

Airbox Dismantling part 2 (Day 50)

Having taken some advice from fellows at the GS Resources Forum I discovered that you can take the airbox apart. You need to remove the copper rings from the carb to airbox boots, prize out the boots and then you can see the screw heads.

Copper rings coming out.



Remove the boots.

 Now you can see the pesky screws that need to come out to take the airbox apart.

 Out you come.

 And apart she comes.