My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

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wullie3xv9
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Bike owned: GK76a GSXR400R & TZR250RS
Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by wullie3xv9 » Mon May 22, 2017 6:25 pm

LOL, aye. My GK76 is a pain to work on compared to my 3XV. It feels like I have to "dismantle for access" most times I want to do anything to the GK76! :roll:
Anyhow, I've gotten a couple of other things done since last time. I've refitted the stock 14 tooth front sprocket &, while the sprocket cover was off, I cleaned & re-greased the push rod, the clutch lifter mechanism, clutch lever & lube'd the clutch cable with SILKOPEN.
That's been it until yesterday when I started to repair the missing corner of the R/H infill panel on the top cowl/fairing.
( It's bugged me since I bought the bike ). I used a chunk of ABS plastic from an old broken fairing panel to make a patch.

First task was making a template from plasti-card which was used to help fashion the repair patch.
https://s19.postimg.cc/69ybv87mr/STA42351.jpg

Next was sawing off the broken edge to leave a straight line on the infill panel so I could file a shallow angled chamfer on both the infill panel & the repair piece to give a much bigger surface area for adhesive to help give a stronger join.
https://s19.postimg.cc/57o5coh3n/STA42353.jpg

I was going to use two part resin adhesive ... but the hardener had gone off, so had to use SUPERGLUE instead.
I used some clamps & left it to set for an hour.
https://s19.postimg.cc/7c8idqnv7/STA42355.jpg
https://s19.postimg.cc/ibtppcm03/STA42357.jpg

Once set I could start sanding the repair down & then I fitted the r/h centre fairing panel to mark where the new upper fastener hole needed to be then drilled it out in stages to 8 mm.
https://s19.postimg.cc/m871ld9kj/STA42361.jpg

After that it got a coat of filler/primer & sanded back. So far, so good ... :grin:
https://s19.postimg.cc/9tk9l0uwz/STA42364.jpg

Next is finishing it off with some primer & gloss black. 'Til next time .... ;)

Wullie.
Last edited by wullie3xv9 on Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:36 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Hubbskiboy
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Bike owned: GK76A 1993 and 1990
Location: West Midlands
Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by Hubbskiboy » Tue May 23, 2017 1:33 pm

Variablevalves suck wrote:i usually use a pair of circlip pliers , works well.
Hi Variablevalves suck,
You are the GK76a guru! :worthy:
I just tried a pair of circlip pliers to move the rocker arms to one side to access the shims and it worked a treat.
Where do you find this wealth of knowledge? ;)
Cheers bud.
Hubbskiboy.

Hubbskiboy
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Bike owned: GK76A 1993 and 1990
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Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by Hubbskiboy » Thu May 25, 2017 5:38 pm

Hi Wullie,
Keep at it matey, it'll be worth it in the end. :grin:
Quite chuffed with my home made auxiliary 'fuel tank' for when I need to access underneath the tank while it's running.
It works really well and only cost me a few quid.
Found the alloy bracket in a skip at work, couple of brake fluid reservoirs from china and some old fuel pipe I had lying around.
8mm fuel connectors weren't that cheap off eBay, but they have RGV stamped on the side, so that makes them cool in my book. 8-)

Image

Also, does anyone know whether these Tyga yokes for the VJ22 will fit our bikes?
I'm looking at ways of loosing some weight (off the bike ;) ) and I distinctly remember how ridiculously heavy the standard yokes are! They were silly heavy when I had them powder coated.

Image

Ta,
Hubbskiboy

wullie3xv9
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Bike owned: GK76a GSXR400R & TZR250RS
Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by wullie3xv9 » Tue May 30, 2017 7:34 pm

Hello again, folks. I was looking forward to telling you I've fitted the pair of stiffer HAGON front springs ... but I've had to rebuild the forks with the stock springs due to a length issue with the HAGON's, even tho' I phoned them about my concern. ( I wondered if these springs were for the SP models, not the R models, but HAGON say no ).
Here's the problem. The HAGON springs seem to be 37 mm's too short as the ends of the springs don't reach the end of the damper rods when fully extended, which the stock springs do with their spacers fitted. ( The stock spacers are 70 mm's long ). See below.
https://s19.postimg.cc/lvfnf7tvn/STA42370.jpg
https://s19.postimg.cc/45dyu6o0j/STA42372.jpg

If I fit these particular springs I'll need to make up a pair of spacers ... or else I'll loose 37 mm's of ride height !
The problem is they'll have to wait until I have more time, but for now I'll live with the stock springs. I've put in an extra 10 mm's worth of oil so the air gap is now only 87 mm's which will hopefully help to reduce the fork bottoming instances.

Here's the forks, rebuilt with the new OEM guide bushes, oil & dust seals. I bought a SEALEY 41 mm fork seal driver off EBAY, as both the GK76 & my 3XV9's forks are that size, so it was a dawdle to fit the new seals, plus I used it to push down & locate the oil seal retaining clip & fit the dust seals. :grin:
https://s19.postimg.cc/fuhyi4zjn/STA42368.jpg
https://s19.postimg.cc/fuhyi5uer/STA42374.jpg

I got the front end rebuilt that weekend & spent last week chipping away at the other jobs needing done to get it finished, which included ....
... painting & attaching a new replacement sprag clutch / timing trigger cover, ( a Chinese made one via EBAY ), which replaces the OEM one that was severely scuffed when I had my low speed "off" in the wet back in May 2016 :oops:, ...
https://s19.postimg.cc/aj31xgg1v/STA42375.jpg

.... painting & attaching the replacement prop stand bracket my mate Mike reamed & bushed for me over the winter.
The combination of the bush & a new OEM pivot bolt has got rid of all the free play, so the stand doesn't flap about like a flag in a breeze anymore ! :grin:
https://s19.postimg.cc/rjly650sz/STA42376.jpg

I've also fitted a new OEM L/H riders foot peg mount / gear lever pivot which has halved the amount of free play there,
( the mount was a NOS part I stumbled upon on EBAY one night during the winter) & I've treated the gear lever to a new OEM rubber.

Last Friday I managed to get some time at work to spray a few coats of HALFORDS gloss black onto the repaired & primed R/H infill panel. I'm chuffed with how good it looks. :grin: ( I'll give it a couple of weeks to fully cure before giving it a T-cut & polish ).
https://s19.postimg.cc/a6bnr9icj/STA42380.jpg
https://s19.postimg.cc/ibtpphbr7/STA42385.jpg

Before I could refit the fairing I needed to fit brighter bulbs to all three gauges as they weren't bright enough to illuminate the gauges properly on the odd occasion I've been out on the bike when it's dark ! :roll:
Turns out the ones fitted were only 1.2 Watts when they should be 3 W in both the speedo & tacho & a 2 W in the temp. gauge. The highest wattage I could find on EBAY was 2.3 W, so I ordered a box of 10 for £8.99 ( inclusive of free postage ). The clocks are now easier to read in the dark.
https://s19.postimg.cc/h9jj6y8df/STA42387.jpg

This arrived from Japan today, a brand new OEM rubber mounting sleeve for the CDI unit.
https://s19.postimg.cc/ymttlsvyr/STA42391.jpg

The one on the bike is perishing, plus one of the mounting loops has broken. I stumbled upon MegaZip.net's web site in Japan after inputting the OEM part No. onto a web browser. The sleeve cost a whole $10.83 US dollars with another $19 & a bit US dollars to cover postage by Japan's EMS. I think I got myself a bargain. :grin:
I'll fit the sleeve tonight & that's another wee niggle sorted.

As of now the bike is complete again, but I still have to replace the brake fluid before I go to work "up north" this Sunday for 2 & a half weeks. So far I haven't had a chance to give it a shakedown run either ! :roll:

'Til next time ... ;)

Wullie.
Last edited by wullie3xv9 on Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:26 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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Variablevalves suck
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Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by Variablevalves suck » Sat Jun 10, 2017 9:52 pm

Hubbskiboy wrote:
Variablevalves suck wrote:i usually use a pair of circlip pliers , works well.
Hi Variablevalves suck,
You are the GK76a guru! :worthy:
I just tried a pair of circlip pliers to move the rocker arms to one side to access the shims and it worked a treat.
Where do you find this wealth of knowledge? ;)
Cheers bud.
Hubbskiboy.
Im very old.
76a is not really my thing, i like the 73a.
Ive been a mechanic and engineer so know a little.
The rgv yokes could well fit, Suzuki are king at sharing parts.
if you want real nice yokes at sensible money then look up James at JJ machine works,
exquisite work for the right price.

wullie3xv9
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Bike owned: GK76a GSXR400R & TZR250RS
Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by wullie3xv9 » Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:47 pm

Now then folks. Yes, I'm still alive. :grin: It's been a while since I was last here with an update as work's been a complete pain in the a..e this year ! :( As a result I've rarely ridden either bike, let alone do any work on them.
The highlight for my GK76 was another full trackday at Cadwell Park back in late June which it survived intact & still a "runner" :grin: , although I was informed by some other riders that it smokes a wee bit ! :whistle:
https://s19.postimg.cc/6e5xh2zdf/STA42396_-_Copy.jpg

I've managed to order a few more new OEM parts for the 76 via MegaZip.net though, one of them being the lower speedometer cable guide that bolts to the L/H fork bottom with the rear mud guard attachment bolt.
https://s19.postimg.cc/4mcymaimb/STA42393.jpg

I've also ordered a full set of OEM valve guide seals, ( I plan to replace the originals the next time the valve clearances are due to be checked ), plus a new threaded push rod, clevis fork & two lock nuts to help tidy-up a spare rear brake master cylinder, ( from the spares stash ), I dismantled & cleaned up a couple of months ago as the original parts are badly corroded.
I also bought a TourMax rebuild kit, Pt. No. 280253 & a 6 mm stainless steel clevis pin off ebay to complete the refresh.
I finally got round to rebuilding the master cylinder yesterday afternoon & now looks far better than it did before. :grin:
https://s19.postimg.cc/4mcym7avn/STA42440.jpg
https://s19.postimg.cc/6e5xh3737/STA42445.jpg

The rear master cylinder currently fitted to the bike isn't maintaining pressure. As I press the rear brake pedal I can feel my foot going down slowly as the pressure bleeds away ! There's no visible leaks on either the rear caliper or from the master cylinder when I stripped it so I'm assuming the first of the two piston seals' is the culprit.
The bike's due its MOT by the middle of March 2018 so I should have it fitted by then. Hopefully during my 3 week Christmas/New year break ... weather permitting. :pray:
( I've got quite a few days holiday to use up before the end of my leave year! )

Ch'o the noo.

Wullie. :smile:
Last edited by wullie3xv9 on Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:14 pm, edited 4 times in total.

wullie3xv9
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Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by wullie3xv9 » Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:56 pm

Hi folks. Thought I'd post a wee update on the latest goings on with my GK76 tidy-up project.

Back in late December I managed to get a good weather day so was able to fit my overhauled rear master cylinder.
https://s19.postimg.cc/aaxz2rp2b/STA42458.jpg

On the same day I also removed the top fairing/cowl so I could finally fit a new, pattern screen that I'd purchased via ebay a couple of years ago.
https://s19.postimg.cc/4zj2i1nk3/STA42460.jpg

I managed to re-use the OEM screen pins & rubber washers but had to order a set of OEM retaining clip/washer do-da's from MegaZip.net.
I've fitted an OEM edging strip to the new screen, another part sourced from MegaZip.net.
https://s19.postimg.cc/61t90q3ub/STA42544.jpg

I've also replaced the very scratched/touched-up R/H lower belly pan panel with a much less scratched/touched-up panel that's T-cut/polished up nicely.
https://s19.postimg.cc/xcek8mz1f/STA42522.jpg

Finally, as of last Saturday it's officially out of winter hibernation ... but needs a fresh M.O.T. cert as the last one ran out on the 15th of March! :whistle:
Every time I've planned to get it done on a day off work the weather's been absolutely pants up here! :x
Anyhow, here it is all spruced up after a wee wash & polish on Saturday afternoon.
https://s19.postimg.cc/4crlpgw2b/STA42551.jpg

Hubbskiboy
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Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by Hubbskiboy » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:06 pm

Hi Wullie.
It's been a while - last post in April, so hope you're still riding that lovely GK76A of yours. ;)
I had my first proper test ride on my bike last weekend and it was amazing.
I forgot how fast these little rockets are and how much fun they can be.
Still got the fairings to finish, but I'm pleased with pretty much the rest of the bike.
What do you reckon? Only taken 2 and half years so far!!!! :whistle: :o

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Hubbskiboy
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Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by Hubbskiboy » Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:25 pm

Hi Mofo. Glad you approve!
Here's a link to a movie of my first ride.
Sounds pretty good to me.
Obviously the new piston rings and valves are bedding in, so should settle down.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gitgnpw981fbl18/480.mov?dl=0

moforockband
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Re: My GK76a winter service/tidy-up project.

Post by moforockband » Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:13 pm

Motor sounds perfect in that! Did you use Suzuki rings in it?


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