Bandit Alley
MODEL SPECIFIC => SUZUKI BANDIT 250 & 400 => Topic started by: Gouraami on May 05, 2015, 04:21:27 PM
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Hi Everyone
Finally creating a project thread, will help me remember how long it took to get her on the road and help you by making you look busy behind your PC at work :thumb:
She is (I think) a '91 Bandit 400 limited edition. I am not sure as I must still receive the paperwork. The bike currently belongs to a girl friend (please note the space between the two words). She has had the bike for around 4 years, but unfortunately was unable to get the bike running properly. During this time the frame was sprayed and tank repaired, apparently it had a dent in it as the bike had been dropped by the previous owner. The main problem I believe, was too many cooks in the kitchen. There were way too many people working on the bike and it had become a social thing, so drinking while working was a very important part of the project. I didn't help during these times, I purely went to drink :bandit: I had enough of my own vehicle problems to sort out.
After being unable to get the bike running properly she started losing interest in the project, to the point where it was standing for around a year (most of 2014). Before this it had been standing at a mechanic for a few months but unfortunately he passed away while the bike was in his care. I don't think he worked much on the bike before his passing.
I decided to ask if I could purchase the bike, as I would see it simply sitting there in the garage every time I went to visit. I had also finished studying so finally had the time and money to look into repairing it. Initially I was told no, but around two weeks later I got a message saying that she had changed her mind, someone else had also approached her, but she said she preferred I had it.
The problem is she won't take any money for it, the deal is once I have her in roadworthy condition I get the paperwork and that's it. I still need to convince her to let me pay for it.
Anyway, I am sure most of you have skipped the past three paragraphs, time for the pictures!
I will post the pics when I get a chance, I am having issues using Photobucket at the office.
The day of collection: The owner and I dropped the bike as we were loading it onto the trailer :duh: great start to the project (collected 01/02/2015)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Day%20of%20collection_zpsercmukaz.jpeg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Day%20of%20collection_zpsercmukaz.jpeg.html)
Note how dusty the bike is, by this time I had pumped up the tires, both were under inflated.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/When%20collected%201_zpski7jwhdr.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/When%20collected%201_zpski7jwhdr.jpg.html)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/When%20collected%202_zps49yvlizk.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/When%20collected%202_zps49yvlizk.jpg.html)
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Not much happened for the first 5 - 6 weeks when I had it. I was waiting for the Litetek viton carb rebuild kit. During this period I had removed the carbs and cleaned them as best as I could. Luckily the bike came with a spare set of carbs, so I took the best parts from both to create one good set.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Complete%20Viton%20carb%20kit_zpsi9hn3qp0.jpeg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Complete%20Viton%20carb%20kit_zpsi9hn3qp0.jpeg.html)
Once assembled I had a continual problem with it running on three cylinders (and not very well either), number 3 was getting spark and there was fuel in the carb, but no go. The cylinder head sounded very noisy. I then decided to check/redo the valve clearances. Wow, they were way out. Once assembled, there was no spark (at all). This led to a long afternoon of ringing out wires, and general checking of continuity. With no luck and a flat battery I decided to go drink beer. My dad apparently fiddled with it after I left and got it to start. According to him he cleaned up the contacts on the coil and frame and it started. I found this very strange as I had already checked for continuity there... Unfortunately, #3 was still without fire after this.
At this point I decided a compression test was in order, as I suspected a valve problem. I was unable to find a 10mm spark plug hole adapter for our car 14mm compression tester. This led to me having to make one out of an old spark plug.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Home%20made%2010mm%20adaptor_zpssvpg9fq2.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Home%20made%2010mm%20adaptor_zpssvpg9fq2.jpg.html)
The results revealed good and bad news:
The good news: All cylinders had relatively the same pressure
The bad news: That pressure was 45 Psi (75 Psi less than the minimum allowed in the manual)
I was glad that the cylinder head was fine, but realized the timing must be out as this is the only way the pressure can be down on all 4 cylinders. This also meant that there was a problem with cylinder 3's carb as it couldn't be getting fuel into the cylinder. This led to the carbs being removed, stripped and put back on many, many times (most bandit owners seem used to this procedure by now :bandit: ). I wanted to get it running on all 4 cylinders before fiddling with the timing. This didn't happen.
I then moved on to changing the timing:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Correcting%20timing_zpspfpojxez.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Correcting%20timing_zpspfpojxez.jpg.html)
A lesson from working in the dark:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/IMG-20150325-WA0000_zps2gfd9ege.jpeg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/IMG-20150325-WA0000_zps2gfd9ege.jpeg.html)
I Broke the left oil passage pipe between the inlet and exhaust cams :banghead: I simply didn't see it bending while I was loosening the bolt. Luckily I was able to source one from a second hand bike shop, Craigs. I was very lucky, parts for these bikes are very scarce in sunny South Africa.
Changing the timing didn't go as well as planned. I couldn't get the timing spot on as in the manual, it kept being either half a tooth below or above the top of the tappet cover sealing edge of the head. There isn't much that can be done to change it, so ended up picking half a tooth before the top edge of the head. During reassembly I broke a journal bolt off in the head :duh: This made me very worried as being high tensile bolts drilling it out was going to be a huge problem, including I would have to remove the engine to have enough space to work. It made no sense however as I hadn't even compressed the valve springs properly yet. After looking at the bolt that broke off the following was found:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Stretched%20journal%20bolts_zpspwmwmcqt.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Stretched%20journal%20bolts_zpspwmwmcqt.jpg.html)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/IMG-20150326-WA0000_zpspktvwgnp.jpeg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/IMG-20150326-WA0000_zpspktvwgnp.jpeg.html)
One of the previous owners didn't seem to understand what torque settings are. Luckily, with lots of patience, I was able to remove the broken bolt with a small screw driver, turning it 1/10 of a turn at a time.
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Are you sure you held the throttle wide open during compression check?
Or is it already working and is this a write of the past;)
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The carbs were off at the time (as seems to be the general case with a bandit :bandit:), so yeah WOT
This is what has been happening in the past 3 months since I got it. I am trying to catch up with the story up until now. It is more or less running now, but I am really struggling to find time to work on it.
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Since a compression tester is like a doctor's opinion I'd get my hands on a second compression test kit and compare the results.
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I must still get to that in the story, not finding much time to type it out
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The next problem was finding replacement journal bolts. I was unable to find a reliable source to provide the tensile strength of suzuki #9 bolts. After some phoning around I ended up buying 12.9Mpa Allan caps. Luckily these just fit within the space provided under the tappet cover.
After this the no spark gremlin returned. After more testing I found that the cable running from the signal generator had broken. The wire must have been on its last, but when removing the cover to set the timing it must have broken it completely. It was leaking oil badly from the signal generater cover gasket, so decided to cut a new one. I had to remove the cover again to solder the broken wire, so did both jobs at the same time.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Leaking%20oil%20from%20signal%20generator%20cover_zps1f4woam3.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Leaking%20oil%20from%20signal%20generator%20cover_zps1f4woam3.jpg.html)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Cut%20new%20gasket_zpsn56vq6cn.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Cut%20new%20gasket_zpsn56vq6cn.jpg.html)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Gasket%20cut%20cover%20been%20repaired_zpskwufoihe.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Gasket%20cut%20cover%20been%20repaired_zpskwufoihe.jpg.html)
The bike definitely had a tumble in the past, it wasn't me who repaired the cover. This sorted out the temperamental sparking problems.
Compression test 2:
All cylinders were roughly 75 Psi.
The reason I think the results were still low was due to my compression tester adapter. I was unable to put a hose clamp etc around the pipe to seal, as the diameter of the spark plug hole is too narrow. not even a cable tie worked. As the pressure climbed I believe it blew past the pipe, not giving actual readings. Two different gauges were tried and similar readings were obtained.
It was still running on 3 cylinders, I simply couldn't get #3 cylinder to run.
I decided to swap out for the other set of carbs. The reason I started with the other set was due to them being bought as a "recon" set. This was the preevious owners last attempt to sort out the running problems. The cleaning and rebuilding process started all over again. The main issue with this set was that somehow a previous "machy" had stripped the pilot screw on cylinder 1. It was stuck in a position that would create a very rich mixture at low rpm. Before sorting that out I decided to see if this set of carbs would make it run on all cylinders.
Finally! All four cylinders were running. There was definitely an issue with the other #3 carb. I still haven't figured out what it is, I cleaned and blew out all passages etc.
The pilot screw on #1 was causing problems though, the spark plug would foul quickly, resulting in 3 cylinder running until it was swapped out again :annoy:.
Drilled out the pilot (was really hoping I wouldn't F it up)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Removed%20Pilot%20screw%20with%20easy%20out_zpsg6du0kzr.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Removed%20Pilot%20screw%20with%20easy%20out_zpsg6du0kzr.jpg.html)
Luckily the thread in the carb wasn't too damaged, so just replacing the pilot worked fine. I ended up looking for the 4 best pilot screws out of the 7 I had left, as I then noticed that they had been over tightened at some point, making them not conical anymore. It is difficult to see in the picture (The bottom one is damaged):
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Pilot%20screw%20tip%20squashed_zpshrhonlwg.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Pilot%20screw%20tip%20squashed_zpshrhonlwg.jpg.html)
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One thing I forgot to mention was that I also replaced the inlet manifold o rings (where it presses onto the head) as these were beyond their service limit. The main problem wasn't actually the o rings it turned out. The inlets were catching on the head on cylinders #2 and #3, preventing them from sitting flush. I used a dremel to cut away some material and paint. The inlets are however convex (Where they meet the head), I should sand them straight. I will check again to see if they are leaking, they weren't at the time after the repair.
At the same time I noticed how badly aligned the ports are. I tried swapping and turning them around on the different ports, but they always end up misaligned. Is this common with the inlets? Do all early 400's have this problem? I don't mind using a dremel to align them up properly, but will get to this at a later stage.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Inlets%20off%20centre_zpsrqzf2lm4.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Inlets%20off%20centre_zpsrqzf2lm4.jpg.html)
The bike was finally running relatively well at low rpm. It did sound rough, but I still hadn't done a carb sync as i didn't have the gauges to do it. I manually synced them while rebuilding, but that isn't good enough.
The problem now (and allways was from the start, even when running on 3 cylinders) was that it wouldn't rev/ride over 6000rpm in any gear or 10000 rpm in neutral. I ended up joining Bandit Alley's forum due to this problem. I was quickly helped out, a real :duh: moment for me :thanks:
The thread can be followed here:
http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=13917.0
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Stick with it! :thumb:
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Thanks TJS
Since the bike was finally running on all 4 cylinders, it was run for longer periods of time, finally getting warm. Once the pressure built up it would start leaking water from the thermostat housing. Initially I thought it would be a simple o-ring change, however once taken apart i found that the plastic housing was actually buckled. I would accept this as a common problem as the design is not great. A third securing point would ensure this would not happen.
I decided to true both plastic and aluminium surfaces and go from there. Using sandpaper and a piece of glass, this was achieved.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Fixed%20Thermostat%20housing_zpssmil6lhr.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Fixed%20Thermostat%20housing_zpssmil6lhr.jpg.html)
I think I ended up using the old o ring... but I am not sure anymore...maybe I bought a new one. After tightening, the plastic housing started bucking again, as I said earlier, poor design. It however does not leak, so I am going to leave it as is.
I gave her a wash, initially so that I could identify further oil leaks, but ended up washing the entire bike. Some after pics:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%201_zps4thtvhlb.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%201_zps4thtvhlb.jpg.html)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%202_zpseo4lr2c2.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%202_zpseo4lr2c2.jpg.html)
She has many kilometers on the clock:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%203_zpsvpf34tz6.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/After%20a%20wash%203_zpsvpf34tz6.jpg.html)
I had never had the plastics on the bike, so decided to see what she would look like:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/before%20spray%20job%20pieces%20put%20in%20place_zpswgpan0lj.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/before%20spray%20job%20pieces%20put%20in%20place_zpswgpan0lj.jpg.html)
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I thought that Limited version had the same gauges as naked but it looks like the opposite is truth. Visually similar to naked with same redline and top speed. Either original or retrofitted from GSX-R 400?
is the temperature meter working?
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No, the limited edition has different gauges, similar to the GSX-R 400. I think the GSXR ones are black?
The temp gauge didn't work originally, it was wired up incorrectly. I was relieved to see it working once corrected.
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Sorry about no updates in the past month. I have been really busy with other things, leaving little time for the bandit. I have taken some photos of things I have done, will update some or other time.
The bad news, I thought I would save some time by sending the bodywork in to be sprayed. What a complete disaster. Three weeks passed while it was "Sprayed".
The "sprayshop" has dented my tank and all the panels are in worse condition than when I sent it in :annoy: . I am really angry and despondent about the project now. The tank was perfect.
Currently all the panels and tank are lying in my car ( and have been for a few days now), I don't even feel like taking it out.
Lesson learned: you want something done properly do it yourself. I absolutely hate customer service in South Africa.
Once I feel like fiddling with the bike again I will try and blow the dent out using a compressor.
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Finally I have some time to update again. This is what as been happening over the past weeks.
I was unhappy with all of the brackets on the bike. The paint had started coming off due to rust underneath.
I started with the Fairing bracket, as you can see it is surprisingly detailed.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/21052015836_zpsimghyn22.jpg)
This is why I wanted to repaint all the parts, most of them looked like this:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/21052015838_zpsoajkv7to.jpg)
After a lot of work, down to bare metal. Ready for primer and paint:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/21052015839_zpsh8avbxqd.jpg)
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This is what happens when you put others needs before your own and you don't primer the same day: Had to do the job over again :banghead:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07062015842_zpsehianqly.jpg)
while I was trial fitting the fairing I found, yet another, broken off bolt. This time on the frame. I struggled a long time to get this one out. I am not sure if it was a stainless bolt that was in there, but I wasted a few hours and a couple of drill bits trying to get it out. Once out I needed to retap the hole. The tap then broke off in the hole :banghead:. It ended in an entire Sunday afternoon being wasted on sorting out one hole.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07062015843_zpsls1tqadh.jpg)
Stripping the clock holder to bare metal:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20062015848_zpsrx9hm13k.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20062015847_zpskkfqpanx.jpg)
I didn't take pictures off all the parts I stripped of paint, im sure you get the idea by now.
Finally, some parts after paint:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015849_zpsqygmcaah.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015850_zpsrjikydbq.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015851_zpsuddiyryb.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015852_zps13kfuhcu.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015853_zpslmp0rrrd.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27062015854_zpszgjcolfz.jpg)
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I want that kind of tree which grows bandit parts too! Where are seeds available?
I've had several bolts broken off too. On both machines. I've broken them personally and I don't remember to apply excessive torque. I assume that the material used was too soft or vibrations made them fragile over the period of 20 years.
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:rofl: hahaha, I wish trees like that were available!
That is interesting, I think you are onto something about the cyclic stress on the bolts...
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i am in process of changing them one by one. first in the queue are the screws at the bottom of carbs. i am changing those which' carbs need to be opened to be cleaned again and again. so far 2 of 4.
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Are you changing to allan caps?
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yes, matching screw with allen head type uses same allen key as the one used for side airbox covers. so you are sure you have the right tools always with you if you decide to take your carbs off on a nice sunny day and clean them :)
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When I was working on my carbs often some of the screws were allan caps. I found them annoying as it would take longer to remove (can't turn as fast) and I had to go find an allen key (the most annoying part :duh:).
I ended up swapping them out for screws, just saved time.
Stainless allan caps would look prettier though... I might change the ones you can see from both sides once everything is sorted
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the matching allan key should be placed in retainer at the bottom side of driver's seat in order to be able to remove passenger's seat (to get access to tools placed therein) and airbox side covers as part of fuel tank removal process.
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Most people prefer the allen heads over screws because they are less likely to strip. The original philips heads work great if you use the proper tool, but I've seen way to many carbs with them completely mangled from using the wrong sized bit.
These are your friend for speed.
(http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/099198/099198852263lg.jpg)
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the main problem with these phillips screws is that they in fact are not phillips screws.
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When I was working on my carbs often some of the screws were allan caps. I found them annoying as it would take longer to remove (can't turn as fast) and I had to go find an allen key (the most annoying part :duh:).
That's not true you just need to have the swapable ones that you can put on your screwdriver or ratchet.
Most people prefer the allen heads over screws because they are less likely to strip. The original philips heads work great if you use the proper tool, but I've seen way to many carbs with them completely mangled from using the wrong sized bit.
These are your friend for speed.
(http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/099198/099198852263lg.jpg)
Ah, I meant these :P ^
The original philips heads work great, in 1995. But not in 2015.
Even if you use the proper tool, most screws are simply so stuck that the head will spin (since that's how philips screws are designed to prevent over torquing).
I've replaced pretty much all bolts and screws needed to remove tank/carbs/airfilter/battery with allens. Just carry 2 allen keys :).
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As ventYL was trying to point out in an earlier post to this thread: There are no Phillips head screws on the Bandit. None... nada... not a single one.
They are JIS head screws (Japanese Industrial Standard). They are not designed to interface properly with a Philips type screwdriver.
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to make it more interesting, there are even DIN cross-type head screws and something in ostblock was used. My 30 yrs old NAREX cross-type screwdriver fits pretty good into JIS type screws. Newer NAREX screwdriver does not (maybe due to change from ostblock standard to DIN/ISO standard?)
at all the names are funny (not that much funny for one used to use them)
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The ones in the braking reservoir seem like regular philips screws to me
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I don't have one of those ratchet/swap able screwdriver :annoy:
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Finally had some time and motivation to work on the bike again.
Had to fabricate new clock rubbers, mine were missing. Ended up using a door rubber seal from a mini and cutting it to the required size.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/09072015856_zps40u09jvn.jpg)
I then started removing the paint from the completely failed paint job mentioned in a previous post. It still has not set, it is soft when you push your nail into it. This made it a nightmare to remove. I'm still busy with it at the moment.
I tried sanding initially, but it simply clogs the sand paper:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/09082015862_zpsyvp7yyal.jpg)
After a whole lot of work and many hours. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy :annoy:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/09082015867_zpsx4qnp4oa.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/10082015868_zpsbcxu836s.jpg)
This is the dent they made:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/10082015870_zpsflxotoab.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/10082015869_zpsluxsvg8g.jpg)
Getting there, slowly but surely:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/09082015865_zpsuxrsdbrw.jpg)
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Progress update:
Finally I convinced the previous owner to let me pay something for the bike. We settled on R4500 (Roughly 350(USD) at the current exchange rate) . This means that I now also have the paperwork. I must still check if it is a '90 or a '91...
I am not going to put it in my name until it will be able to pass roadworthy, in SA you only have 14 Days to get it roadworthy once in your name.
All the non set black paint has now been removed of the tank. I see there is some filler sticking through from a previous repair.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/16082015874_zpsdeuvfyzv.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/16082015875_zpsqjpo4dk2.jpg)
I then removed all the paint from the dent
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/16082015878_zpslirxpgnj.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/16082015876_zpsyh6dv51c.jpg)
I saw this trick on the internet, epoxying a nail on the dent and then pulling it out. I hope it works, i will find out today after work. If this works I will hopefully be able to pull out most of the dent with a few nails. I know I will need to fill the remainder to make it smooth.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/16082015880_zpszyxozyut.jpg)
I also got a chance the balance the carbs. As I was finishing up it simply died and didn't want to start again, only swing.... then wouldn't even swing. I then accepted it stopped running due to a flat battery. I will have to see why it has stopped charging the battery, didn't have a multi meter with me yesterday.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/15082015873_zpsouqpbgl8.jpg)
Oil leaks that need to be sorted out:
- pissing out the breather housing on the tappet cover
- leaking on the corner of the tappet cover
- still leaking on the signal generator cover.
It looks like I will have to go to Johannesburg for two weeks due to work, so less bandit time :banghead:
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The epoxy idea simply didn't work. It would break off every time I would try and pull the dent out. I used Prattley Steel, if you wanted to try this rather buy something else. It is simply not strong enough.
Next idea was brazing. This worked, but also burned off the layer on the inside of the tank. I am not concerned as I am going to re epoxy the inside anyway. The two pictures below have some of the dent pulled out:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/19082015881_zpsat7dbmff.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/19082015882_zps7weutcbo.jpg)
In the end four rods were brazed on to try and remove more of the dent. This is the final result after grinding the brazing off, I am going to have to body filler the remaining dent.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/20082015883_zpsq75cpgin.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/20082015888_zpszpuyjxeg.jpg)
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looks quite good given that there's no filler yet. hope you find the effort being paid out by final result
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Thanks ventYl, I am really looking forward to the end result. Still many many hours to put in through.
I need to go buy some filler, plastic primer and 2k primer during lunch. Lets hope I am not too hungover to work on the bike. The friend I bought the bike from is going to France for a few months, having a going away party tonight.
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Finally found some time to work on the bike again. Been away for work, etc etc.
Filled up what remained of the dent:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/15092015889_zps3w5itjtn.jpg)
Sprayed some primer. I haven't sprayed anything in 15 years. If you look at the picture below you will see how badly it is sprayed! After flatting it looked better, but I will need to up my game if I want to spray the final coat. Practice makes perfect.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20092015894_zps8pkfz2bv.jpg)
My filling job also needs work, you can see that I took too much off, making it look flat where it must be curved. Concentrate on the part between the two bare metal sections and the curve at the bottom.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20092015895_zpsrffi3p1s.jpg)
I also redid my timing cover job. It was still leaking oil. I did what I should have done in the first place, sealant only.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/15092015892_zpslge6snyb.jpg)
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The breather was the next thing on the list. This is a bit of a stupid design, the way I look at it, it has to leak if assembled as per the manual. Let me explain my view on it:
Exhibit A:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/16092015893_zpslfqtjxgt.jpg)
Looking at the above picture, they state to only apply thread lock to screws "2". This makes no sense, as the oil will gather in the breather and simply run past the screws (They won't seal 100% on the cover due to surface inperfections) and out onto the cover, as mine were doing. My initial improvement was wanting to place copper washers between screws 2 and the cover. This didn't work as I couldnt find 5mm copper washers.
Exhibit B:
The holes in the base are also quite large, resulting in less surface area between the cover and the screws.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20092015896_zpstncog5hm.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20092015897_zpstcs6kliq.jpg)
I added washers and tried to fill any gaps with sealant, I hope it works. I also sealed the inner cam chain guard against the cover to prevent oil coming up from the bottom.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/20092015898_zps3vb9vegq.jpg)
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Update time:
Once sanded, I found a spot on the front of the tank that seemed flat once primed, some sanding revealed why. A previous repair that wasn't filled 100%
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/25092015900_zpsptj6ezgv.jpg)
After I filled it, I primed the entire tank again. After fiddling with the spray gun settings it came out a whole lot better than the previous spray attempt. It doesn't look like I took a picture though..
I took her for a ride for the first time in a VERY long time. I struggled to get her to start initially. Turns out I mixed up the spark plug leads after I replaced the tappet cover :duh:
The good news:
- After soaking the tappet cover gasket in silicone liquid for a few days and modifying the cover a little, the tappet cover seems to have stopped leaking.
- My sealant job on the breather cover seems to be good, no oil from there either.
The bad news:
- Whoever repaired the signal generator cover did a piss poor job:
There is a crack under that Allen cap, in the bend:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26092015901_zpskyqn9ths.jpg)
It is leaking through that weld:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26092015902_zpst7epbwkm.jpg)
And past this one:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26092015903_zps6hl6h6mw.jpg)
My sealant job against the block was 100% though :grin:
During the ride I took her to 12000rpm for the first time, sitting with a heavy flat spot at +- 7000rpm. She pulls well from after the flat spot till 12k.
I am also sitting with a flat spot coming off idle. I am going to turn out the pilot screws from the stock 1.5 turns to 2 and see what happens.
To give myself some motivation I loosely attached the panels and fairing to give me an idea of what she will look like once complete, the previous time I didn't have the headlight attached. I am really looking forward to getting her on the road. The weather hasn't been playing along for spraying.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26092015904_zpspd0vkiw6.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26092015905_zpsxiyostxn.jpg)
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In the above picture you will see the fairing is already half repaired. Initially the fibre glass had broken off on both sides where the faring is secured to the frame. I didn't document it initially due to the "spray painter" wanting the parts urgently. I took some pictures last night to document the past and current repairs.
I fiberglass-ed both sides. (done a few months ago):
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07102015907_zpsclwiugzu.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07102015908_zps3qgfemrr.jpg)
The two recesses on the outside of the fairing also needed to be redone. I didn't have filler at the time, but the "spray painter" offered to smooth out the holes for me if I could cut them out in the correct places. I did what he asked, but he didn't return the favour. The holes were not even round once he had filled the edges. This has led to me redoing the job this week.
I didn't take a before picture, but I used a dowel to get the recess's round:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07102015912_zpsafg7paos.jpg)
The end result, still need to chamfer that edge. It looks a lot better than the original attempt! You should be able to see the different colour fillers when looking at the hole. I am still busy with the other side.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/07102015910_zpsmjxabqz7.jpg)
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Was the same spray painter who screwed the first paint job? Or is general reliability services in your area poor?
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This is still from the guy who stuffed up the first job.
Unfortunately service is generally poor.
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During the week I was prepping the tank inner for epoxy, as the inside is rusted. Even though I sealed the holes I kept finding pool acid ( the sulphuric acid is used to remove all the crap on the inside) running out. After some investigation I found a drilled hole in the tank!! Out of all the odd things I have seen done on/to this bike, this surprised me the most.
What type of complete idiot drills into a tank? why? :banghead:
I will braze it up before I coat the inside.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/15102015918_zps9u8iphtn.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/15102015922_zpsaxhivqo7.jpg)
Then while prepping the panels for primer I came across another crack in the one side cover, not sure where this came from, maybe I broke it without realizing? Either way, fibre glass time:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/15102015913_zps48u7we2n.jpg)
It turns out that if you do not go out drinking on a Friday night you can be productive on a Saturday! Plastic primered the plastic parts and then primered everything. I actually like the grey colour of the primer...I was considering putting a clear cote over it :shrug:
My spray painting skills are definitely improving, feeling more confident for the final coats
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/17102015913_zpsm29yscpc.jpg)
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I wonder what prevented the fuel from leaking out of fuel tank previously? :roll:
Do you have something special for the internal tank cure? I heard about some two-substance epoxy specially suited for inside of tanks. Mine is fine but... not only in south africa service reliability is poor. Someone in Germany thought it would be a good idea to spray-paint inside of tank which began rusting due to a lot of sitting time (<20000 km in 24 years means a lot of sitting). I think that the paint is being melt by fuel and that caused my problems with severely clogged carbs. Some places are already showing signs of rust doing it's job underneath the paint so I assume that I have to re-do it in less than two years. Fortunately I have spare fuel tank to ride during that time.
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It must have been drilled during its "restoration" over the past X amount of years, it wouldn't have been able to be used with the hole in.
Satisfactory service delivery is a global problem unfortunately.
Normal paint definitely wouldn't stand up to petrol for a long time. It is going to be best to redo yours sooner than later if you can see the blister marks from the rust.
The epoxy you describe sounds like the one I have purchased, specifically for petrol tanks. Apparently their is a 3M product as well.
This is the one I am going to use:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/18102015914_zpsnzjfk4av.jpg)
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Update time:
Turns out the fairing needed more work than was initially thought. I found another two broken/cracked pieces. Once again, fiberglass time.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/24102015915_zpso2c2xgzr.jpg)
I seem to be doing things in the incorrect order. I was supposed to braze the tank and put the epoxy in the tank before spraying, but it didn't work out that way. The weather was good for spraying on Saturday, so I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity.
I sprayed the parts that were ready, it actually went better than expected! I sprayed 3 coats, but I want to do another 3.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/25102015913_zps4fwvinur.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/25102015915_zpschnggtia.jpg)
The next day I spotted something that looked like a dent in the tank. Unfortunately I was right :annoy: I seemed to have missed this while repairing the other side. It is really shallow and around 2 cm in diameter, which is why I must have missed it while the tank was matt in colour. It is going to irritate me every time I look at the bike , so i might as well sort it out now while I am spraying. I have added pictures of the dent at different angles.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/25102015914_zpsx5qalsdz.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/25102015916_zpsq2vwvujv.jpg)
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Mate, I think that if you ever want to take it out to ride after it will be finished there's no worry 'bout that dent. I didn't recognized it before reading the paragraph describing it (actually I was thinking: what a good paint job). I doubt anyone will be pedantic enough to find it while looking at the bike. My old car has huge dents all over the body due to hailstones. Only few people realized that without me pointing it out. Despite the fact that dents are bending the light into 4th dimension.
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Thanks for the compliment regarding the paint :thanks:
If it was on the side stand side I probably wouldn't have been as concerned. It won't be such a big deal to sort out, so I might as well do it.
The other issue I am sitting with in the previous side cover repair. Due to it being fibre glassed on the one side the cover still ends up cracking the paint on the other side when I flex it. I see the previous repair only has one layer of fibre glass, I am thinking about beefing it up with another two layers to limit the flex. Luckily it is at the bottom so you won't really see it when looking at the bike. The proper way of doing it would be to plastic weld, but I do not have the equipment to do it.
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Sometimes it feels like I am never going to finish this project :deadhorse:
I did what I mentioned I was thinking about in a previous post, beefed up the fibreglass on the side panels to limit flex, this will hopefully sort out my cracking issue. It does look like it has, I have bent and turned both panels with satisfactory results.
Before:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/26102015915_zpsftxl4xn8.jpg)
After:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/29102015917_zpscgwksyo2.jpg)
Also got around to brazing the hole in the tank. While brazing something started burning inside, I will dig it out tonight, not really sure what it is. It looks like some type of material :
The fixed hole:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/31102015928_zpsumha2pvj.jpg)
I also flatted all of the black sprayed items, busy prepping them for another 3 coats. I am not going to add any pictures, it simply looks like dull matt black paint. I have also been prepping the primed remaining things for their first 3 coats of black.
Eventually I got very tired of sanding. I had to switch over to something else as I was getting very frustrated, panel beating is not a fun job. I have a lot of respect for people who do this for a living. I switched over to the pilot settings on the carbs. Adjusted to firstly 2 turns, tested, and then 2.25 turns out. It is idling way better then before, but there is still a slight hesitation when blipping the throttle off idle. When I have a chance I will turn out the pilots to 2.5 turns and compare the difference. Hopefully 2.5 turns will sort out the hesitation. I also need to drop the needles down a notch...
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I was very angry again last night :annoy: :rant2: :banghead:
I should have never sent my panels off to be sprayed, their terrible job just keeps coming back to haunt me. I found a line which kept forming on the tank. I would sand it away, but once the tank stood in the sun it would come back. Last night I stood with the heat gun to see what happens when it gets warm. The line would instantly become bigger and if touched was soft. I started picking at it until a whole section broke off :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: . What was left behind was unset black paint!!! What this means is that they had dropped my tank twice! They then put filler over the black paint that wasn't set!! Below is the damage: (This is still the same tank, I have flatted it in the mean time, that is why the shine is gone)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/04112015936_zpsdvtynplk.jpg)
I decided to get it back down to metal and fill at the same time, I didn't want to see it another day. I repaired the other dent as well, but the more I think of it, I am starting to think this dent was also caused by them.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/04112015938_zpsvvommlth.jpg)
This is the stuff I mentioned in yesterdays post that is inside the tank close to where the hole was. Whatever it is , it burns. I was able to remove this with an extended long nose pliers, but the rest I ended up burning off as I couldn't reach it. There is still some left but I cannot get to it, I hope it doesn't react with the inner tank epoxy when I put it in.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/04112015939_zpswqbikhhl.jpg)
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Seriously, all the precise prepairing and then they'll screw it up taking your money (i don't assume you'll get any refund). Don't you consider to buy hardware and try it on your own? Most probably you'll screw the paint for several times but after all you are learning it. You always know what and why went wrong and in turn what to do better so this will not happen again (as Elon Musk says: so next time something else may go wrong).
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I got a full refund, I insisted upon that. There was a lot of shouting and screaming when I went to collect my stuff :rant2:
I have been doing the body work by myself since then, the black, primer and filler work in the previous pics is my work. I am redoing work now due to their previous bad work.
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Update time.
Tank - In the mean time I have ended up redoing the front corner again :annoy: It turns out there was more damage further past the repair I made. It only showed once the tank was in the sun. I have now learned that if I use a heat gun I can quickly see where there are problems. I am still finishing up, I am hoping the spray some primer today after work.
I have prepped the inside of the tank for the epoxy, I am hoping to pour it in on Wednesday after work. I am going to leave the tank in the sun for the next two days to ensure it is 100% dry inside.
Side Panels - These are proving to be complicated to repair. The issue is not the flexing it turns out. Every time the panels get hot from the sun the paint becomes soft and bubbles where the crack is. This is replicated when using a heat gun on it. I have come across a youtube video where lego (ABS plastic) is used to repair cracks in ABS plastic panels. I think I am going to give this a go. I should probably firstly see what the hardware has to offer then it comes to plastic repair...
Front Brakes: I ordered some braided hoses for the front as I simply couldn't get the front brakes to feel good without feeling spongy. I decided this was due to the 25 year old brake lines as I had bled the brakes many, many times without any air coming out. There was some drama with my online order, but it is sorted out (Why can't I just get good service :roll: ). The brakes are now only marginally better :banghead:. I have tested the master cylinder by placing a bolt in the master cylinder instead of the banjo, it passes 100%, I can barely move the lever then. I have never struggled like this to bleed brakes before! I have also tried tying the lever to the handlebar overnight, no luck. Once I have ridden the bike a bit I will try again, maybe there is air trapped somewhere and it needs a bit of vibration to move.
Back Brakes: I finally sourced a brake reservoir. After a long chat with the owner of the shop he ended up giving it to me for free :bandit: I love free stuff! Once I took a look at it at home I saw why, I needed to get the blue paint off it + the screws where stripped. Once opened I ended up needing to clean out very old brake fluid that had dried on the inside. It is currently on the bike, I must still finish bleeding it properly.
There were two more 400 bandits standing at the bike shop (to be repaired, not for parts), both of their front brakes felt spongy like mine, so I don't have much hope of getting mine better.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/13112015955_zpsxtlbc0ih.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/13112015956_zpsbwsorbuy.jpg)
While bleeding the back brakes I discovered the rear bleeding nipple was gone. I realised once there was brake fluid sprayed everywhere already :stickpoke: oops. The bike was on it's center stand at this point. It was getting late, so I decided to call it a night, I didn't have a spare nipple so there was nothing else I could do (I found one on Saturday and filled the system). I rinsed everything off and went to park the bike. The problem is that the bike parks on its side stand where it is stored. All the left over brake fluid inside the caliper dripped out while the bike was at an angle over night from where the bleeding nipple would go in :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: This is the aftermath:
It ate all the paint off the rim :duh: A stupid mistake on my side.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/14112015960_zpshyeloyzh.jpg)
Electrics: There was a bad connection leading to the regulator at the point below. It would get so hot that the insulation would start melting (As you can see on the middle one, but all three would do it) I decided to solder the wires together instead of using crimp type connectors. You shouldn't be replacing a regulator often anyway. All sorted out now, the wires no longer get hot.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/14112015962_zpsl2ob2nt5.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/14112015964_zpsdn2qjrha.jpg)
I wanted to see what the bike was going to look like in black, so temporarily placed the panels etc on. I made a good choice with the black :thumb: I am very happy with it.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/14112015957_zpsdbbp8qwb.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/14112015958_zpskqtvjccp.jpg)
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One more thing, I ended up playing with the Pilot screws again. Adjusted to 2.5 turns out. This doesn't work, it ends up fouling plugs. 2.25 turns is max, but it still hesitates off idle when grabbing some throttle indicating it is rich. The strange thing though is that it still does this even when running lean at 1.5 turns out. I am going to start at 1.75 turns out and try again when I have a chance. I am hoping 1.75 is a winner
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Wow that front fairing look sexy as hell :yikes: I didn't know it would look so good on the 400! Also I realize how much better dual front discs look... :stickpoke:
Anyway about bleeding the brakes... Once you have pressure, try pumping the lever like you normally do when bleeding, but this time open all the banjo bolts instead of opening the nipple - sometimes there's air stuck in the banjo and you will never have a solid lever.
On the mixture screw, I've found 2x out is the best for my 400 with slip-on exhaust.
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, but this time open all the banjo bolts instead of opening the nipple
Now that is a bloody good idea!! :thumb: I am definitely going to give that a try
I jumped directly from 1.5 turns to 2, so that is why I want to give 1.75 a try
That fairing has been flatted again, so it is all dull, I want to spray the final 3 coats some time this week
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What is your air filter / carbs / exhaust setup? I see that your exhaust is not stock but dunno if it is fully open or not. You might need to do some fiddling with carb parts due to changed air lines. That small displacement engine is probably very prone for this to be set up properly. I have another output headers with straight pipe type exhaust from K1 GSX-R 1000 and the bike screams for huge adjustment when I mount it. It is simply rich as hell making VW-like black smoke when accelerating. Do you have your carbs ballanced? IMHO unballanced carbs will make bike hesitating when off-idle wide opening the throttle than pilot screws. The screws are mostly felt when engine is under load.
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Hey ventYl
Currently a very dirty air filter on the inlet side and the end pipe is fully open (and very noisy). I did balance the carbs around 2 months ago, but it didn't correct the hesitation off idle. I will give balancing another go and see what happens
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Hey ventYl
Currently a very dirty air filter on the inlet side and the end pipe is fully open (and very noisy). I did balance the carbs around 2 months ago, but it didn't correct the hesitation off idle. I will give balancing another go and see what happens
On my current setup (2x mixture out), without DB-killer in the exhaust, there was always a slight hesitation when pulling away slowly. It wasn't bad though, but I had to noticeable give more throttle to pull away. On more aggressive throttle no problems.
With DB-killer, it's much better. I've also found it's way smoother and more constant on idle. With open can, it would almost sound like it had an offset firing order. A valve adjustment did make that much better, but still it might be something to consider.
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That sounds like what I am experiencing, including the pulling away.
I will fiddle with the pilots and balancing and see how good I can get it while taking your experience in consideration :thumb: Thanks
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That sounds like what I am experiencing, including the pulling away.
I will fiddle with the pilots and balancing and see how good I can get it while taking your experience in consideration :thumb: Thanks
If you don't want to use a DB-killer, be sure to pick up #110 mikuni main jet and put the needle on +1 rich. You'll be amazed what this engine can do. :bandit:
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Thanks for the advice Squishy, I am not sure if it is going to pass roadworthy with the current "silencer" on, it really is very loud, I might have to change it temporarily till the bike is in my name.
I should take a picture of the silencer...
The needle is currently on +1 rich, I just need to order some main jets! :motorsmile: You can never go wrong with a bit more power
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Thanks for the advice Squishy, I am not sure if it is going to pass roadworthy with the current "silencer" on, it really is very loud, I might have to change it temporarily till the bike is in my name.
I should take a picture of the silencer...
The needle is currently on +1 rich, I just need to order some main jets! :motorsmile: You can never go wrong with a bit more power
Yeah.. mine is too loud as well without silencer.. But with 110 main and +1 rich needle, the silencer really negates the extra power... you're gonna need a silencer that gives a bit of back pressure and dampens the sound a little bit, but still allows enough air to pass.
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, but this time open all the banjo bolts instead of opening the nipple
Now that is a bloody good idea!! :thumb: I am definitely going to give that a try
I tried this last night on the banjo's, it is a little bit better, there must have been some air stuck in the double banjo (that link the calipers) as this is the one that made the difference. Very slight, but still an improvement. I can however still get the lever to the handlebar. I bled the system again as well afterwards, no air coming out. I have left the lever cable tied to the bar overnight, but I am going to accept the feel for the mean time. I am sure that after some use they will improve. I will bleed them again after 1000km of use.
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Another thing you can try is to let it bleed on it's own for some time. Like slightly open bleeding nipple and continuously adding fluid. The very slight flow might take bubbles out of pipes.
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There is a better chance of turbulent flow moving any bubbles, but I will give this a go at the 1000km bleed. I am not going to bother with it at the moment, I need to concentrate on the things that I need to get the bike on the road. The brakes are currently good enough, they just don't let me feel confident in them.
It is a brilliant day outside to spray :grin: but i'm sitting at work :rant2: . Poor weather predicated for the weekend
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, but this time open all the banjo bolts instead of opening the nipple
Now that is a bloody good idea!! :thumb: I am definitely going to give that a try
I tried this last night on the banjo's, it is a little bit better, there must have been some air stuck in the double banjo (that link the calipers) as this is the one that made the difference. Very slight, but still an improvement. I can however still get the lever to the handlebar. I bled the system again as well afterwards, no air coming out. I have left the lever cable tied to the bar overnight, but I am going to accept the feel for the mean time. I am sure that after some use they will improve. I will bleed them again after 1000km of use.
Don't forget to do all banjo's, going top to bottom. For example if you have a mid section they have banjo's too.. and the banje on the brake caliper.
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I did them all Squichy, the middle one reaped the best rewards, thanks for this advice by the way
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It has been a frustrating 2 weeks.
Lets start with progress :grin:
Adjusted the pilots to 1.75 turns out, the hesitation when blipping the throttle is 90% gone. I didn't take it for a ride however, so not sure if it is going to rev cleanly or not when there is load on it. It will be fine for the moment, will definitely be ride able. I am going to tick this one as complete. If necessary I will get back to this after roadworthy.
Revisited repairing the side panels. I used a product called Q-bond. Firstly I opened up the cracks (only picture of one panel, the repair was the same on both):
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/24112015968_zpsbcb8qcbx.jpg)
After I added the product, the next step will be to plastic prime and primer.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/24112015970_zpsigbdceos.jpg)
Are these the only productive things I have done in the past two weeks :sad:
Moving on to things that have been counter productive.
Oil leakage - The manual says to put sealant on the gasket's half moons where the cams are. I didn't so I need to redo that, the one is leaking. To myself: RTFM :duh:
I also haven't got around to fixing the cover.
I attempted to epoxy the tank. Unfortunetly the product failed. This is the before picture:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/18112015966_zpsiaxwnqhj.jpg)
I can't seem to find the after pictures, but I know they are somewhere. You are supposed to have around 2 hours to move the product around the tank and to pour out the remainder. In my case it cured in around 30 mins, all in the one corner. Unfortunately it cannot be removed, the tank is now heavier and has less volume. Two sides were also not covered. I phoned the distributor, he is not sure what went wrong, and cannot give me an answer but did offer to redo the tank to cover the rest of it. It is going to be even heavier when it gets back :sad: :sad: He added that he has never seen the product fail in this way. Just my luck.
I am not getting great service out of him either, I was supposed to have the tank back last week already. I hope he hasn't dropped it :roll:
I will edit this post once I have found the pictures, I stuck a webcam in the filler hole.
The one braided hose I ordered is leaking. I have received ok (I can't say good as originally they sent me two different looking ones) service from them, they are sending me another one.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/29112015982_zpscyal6nra.jpg)
Other service issues: I ordered a front brake switch, received acrylic nails instead and still haven't received my bar end mirrors, they are going to resend it.
I think that is it for this update...
Edit - one more thing, I had to redo the corner of the tank again, turns out there was more hidden damage
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acrylic nails?!
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acrylic nails?!
Yip, I don't seem to have good luck :shrug:
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Hm I don't know, the tank epoxy solution I'm familiar with says you need to move and mix the liquid around the tank in the first 15-20 minutes, as the harding process fully starts after about 45min!
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Hm I don't know, the tank epoxy solution I'm familiar with says you need to move and mix the liquid around the tank in the first 15-20 minutes, as the harding process fully starts after about 45min!
The instructions that were printed that I received with mine is different. I'm sure it is a different product
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More counter productive updates:
Tank: My tank is still at the tank epoxy distributor. Excuse after excuse. It has been two weeks now. I was there at the start of the week to inspect his redo job. There were still spots that were not covered. I then became angry as I left a laptop with a webcam with him to inspect the job once he was done. He didn't bother as "I was sure I did it properly" :banghead: When I dropped it off I told him I don't want to waste time and money by having to leave it by him again. Sigh. He is also starting to ignore my phone calls and messages, his attitude seems to be that he is doing me a favor. I still can't find the after pics I took once it failed, it must be on the laptop that is by him.
Brake Lines: I found that the other braided hose that was supplied is also leaking. They are going to send me another one. I asked them to TEST it before they send it. Lets hope that was done. :roll: Don't worry about all those rusted bolts and allen caps, I will replace them with stainless once the bike is ride able.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/30112015986_zpsu6fgduke.jpg)
I finally got around epoxying the engine cover. Not tested yet, I must still get it back on the bike properly. I am hoping to do it after work today and seal the cam cover, but I am sure the girlfriend is going to object :sad: The usual response: "You only spend time on the bike and never with me :gloom: "
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/30112015987_zpsy5jmhdnq.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/30112015988_zpssy0sxohn.jpg)
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I am currently sitting 1700km from my bandit. Work work work.
I was finally able to collect the tank the day before I left. Once again people take no pride in their work. The tank was finally fully coated (I have pics back at home) but the guy messed epoxy on the outside and the tank is scratched, at some places back to the primer. Luckily I need to spray the tank so I can sand out the scratches, but if it was newly sprayed it would have led to another argument.
My mirrors never arrived, so I had to order another set :rant2:
I will hopefully be back home by the 23rd of December to continue with the bike.
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Hey everyone, finally getting back to the bike. I haven't touched it in around two months! Life has been keeping me away from it, but not going to explain here, this is a bike forum!. I really need to start getting this project done. To do that, I need to be less fussy and get it roadworthy. I can worry about the small things at a later stage. In four months time it is winter again.
I finally found the pictures for inside of the tank: (Apologies about the picture quality, that is the highest resolution the webcam does.)
This is the front right, where everything was going smoothly:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Tank%20left%20side_zpsogpae5sm.jpg)
The right side, still going well
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Tank%20left%20wall_zps8kcnhva8.jpg)
Then the problems began as it started to set:
The front left side where it cured in the front corner:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Tank%20Front%20Right_zpsxs2ady1m.jpg)
The rear:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Tank%20rear%20floor_zpskcyyiak7.jpg)
The left side:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/Tank%20right%20side_zpsxbqbmqok.jpg)
There are a few more updates from the past weekend but I am out of time, will update again when I have a chance
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If you can get it all out; try just using Meal Rescue for a couple of days, rinse with non-eth gas, new petcock screen and maybe a fuel filter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuU1F2VLoI
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Hey TJS
Thanks for the advice, but this has been sorted out, the inside is now fully coated. I haven't seen Metal Rescue in stores in South Africa anyway. We do have similar products though.
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Update time:
I havn't been taking a lot of photos :duh: Let me post what I have.
The rear hugger was in surprisingly bad condition. Initially I thought I would be able to sand out the scratches, but it turned out some were really deep. I tried to figure out from what, but I cannot find anything in the vicinity that would be able to do that. The picture below shows what it looked like after some sanding. At this point I decided that I was rather going to respray it as there was no ways I was going to get it looking good again as it was also faded.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/18012016989_zpsjwazxwyk.jpg)
After some plastic primer and filler spray I was able to remove the scratches. This is a photo during the process, it turns out I didn't take a later photo. The scratches are out now, but still needs to be sprayed black.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/05022016992_zpsp76cp6rj.jpg)
The one ear was gone of me rear light bracket. I was going to repair mine, but found a bandit breaking for spares, so decided to rather buy a replacement. I was also able to buy a replacement rear hanger, the lock section is broken on mine. (No photos of the rear hangers)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/08022016993_zpsr0x3rbjm.jpg)
At this point my priorities changed. I started a new job on the 1st of March. I didn't have much time to work on the bike as there were a few projects I had to finish at my current job before I could leave. The problem however, was that the bike was still not in my name. I then realized that if I couldn't get the bike roadworthy in Feb I wouldn't be able to use the bike for the next 6 months as I wouldn't be able to get leave at the new job. The bike was then literally slapped together for roadworthy. It went as it was, not sprayed, mismatched bolts everywhere, loose panels, spongy brakes etc. I made sure I got all the electrics to work, but as Murphy would have it, the rear brake light switch stopped working just before roadworthy! I had to strip it and clean the contacts quickly, very frustrating. It took 6 hours and R1980, but I finally had the bike is in my name.
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the "paper issues" are always the most frustrating. it is not the amount of money you have to spend, it is not the time you have to spend but it is the absurdance of the state ifself you have to deal with. usually with no outcome.
one of my bandits. despite being owned by me for about three years. still not on my name. original owner cannot sell it legally. i paid money for it, i have the bike, the papers but cannot get it on my name. worse is that recently the law changed. if the bike won't pass roadworthy test in next few weeks authorities will revoke the papers and the bike will turn into a bunch of spare parts definitely.
it makes no sense for me to make it pass roadworthy tests because amount of money which this bike requires is larger than I paid for bike itself...
edit: I have that warm feeling that GSF400 rear hugger is identical to GS500E rear hugger. They both look visually the same. There should be plenty of those bikes out there including many being broken for parts.
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I must agree regarding the paperwork issues. To make things work I had to, uhm... "organise" some required paperwork that didn't have to get it into my name.
Oh no, whats the plan with your bike then? If it doesn't pass will you still be able to keep it for spares?
Thanks for the heads up regarding the hugger, but GS500E's are even more scarce than bandits here! I am not going to abandon my hugger yet, have spent too many hours making it look good again.
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well while autorities refused to transfer papers to my name and i moved since then I assume that literally nobody except of few people really know where the bike currently is. administrative recycling of paperwork will therefore change nothing.
and there's possibility that after papers will be revoked I have chance to re-apply for new papers with my name on them as if I imported the bike. good news is that then authorities might ignore the reasons for previous refusal bad news is that it will be even more costly action :D
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I hope you manage to sort it out, you must be very frustrated by now
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i was frustrated back then when I paid for the bike, carried it over to my place and triet do make the paperwork. Frustration was the larger I had to make it running before I bought it because it was in non-running condition. I spent several hours in repair, several trips to previous owner's place and many hours on google until I sorted it out and made it running.
Now I simply don't care anymore. I know what the bike needs in order to be running again. I have another which has flawless paperwork and I use this one as occasional spare-parts source. Yet nothing important is missing from it. The most serious part I've used from it was front light because the other one got hit by stone on freeway and there's small hole in it.
If I will have use for it and it will be worth of the money it will cost I'll make it roadworthy sometime in the future.
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Luckily my front brake light switch and bar end mirrors arrived in the post before roadworthy :grin:
In the mean time I also found a bottom radiator bracket, left brake hose bracket (on fork)and a hooter for R150.
I have ridden around 70km on the bike since it has been slapped together. I don't really feel like stripping it again, enjoying riding it at the moment.
I gave it a mini service yesterday, changed the oil (Motul 5100), oil filter, cleaned,lubed and adjusted the chain and a new air filter. The licensing took all my money, so decided to leave the spark plugs in the mean time, I am going to get irridiums for the next service. She is running well, took her to 160km/h in a 70km/h zone (I haven't installed the number plate yet, so might as well have fun while I can :bandit:), but due to the front wheel not being balanced it wasn't very enjoyable, felt like I was riding a jackhammer.
While changing the filter I got concerned, I saw the previous owner had used a cork gasket instead of the o - ring groove. I decided to remove the cork and see what surprise was waiting for me, I was expecting a cracked housing or something similar.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/21022016997_zpsewcyjrvt.jpg)
But I was lucky! no issues, once cleaned up and the new o - ring installed there were no issues. I can only assume that they had lost the o - ring and went the cork route instead?
Things that still need to be fixed/completed/replaced as of 22/02/2016 to complete the project:
1 - The front tyre is the wrong way around on the rim + needs to be balanced.
2 - The rear tyre needs to be balanced
3 - The left side braided hose is chafing on the fork, need to bend the banjo to sort this out
4 - I need to replace the washers on the front brake line, I have two leaks at the washers. I have bought replacements, but haven't had the time to install them. Rebleed the system afterwards
5 - properly secure the coils. They both currently only have one bolt holding them on.
6 - Complete the spray work (Tank, side panel, rear panels, fairing and rear hugger)
7 - install the new screen I had made, involves drilling it. I really don't want to crack it so leaving this for a day I have lots of patience.
8 - Either buy a new indicator or modify my left sided one to be a right sided one (It sits at a slightly different angle at the moment). ( I am thinking of buying a new set instead)
9 - Change all visible bolts to 304 stainless allan caps or button top.
10 - Order a sticker set, going for the newer model decals
11 - get another set of keys cut
12 - buy and tank protector
13 - buy a new set of grips, I really don't like the current ones. I am considering buying heated grips
14 - re tighten the rev counter securing bolts. I think I over tightened them when I installed them, as now the rev counter gets stuck at certain points in the rev range. It used to work properly.
15 - bend the right side frame above the rear wheel a bit further in, as it is catching the side cover
16 - Lots of polishing work!
17 - Flush the coolent system and put coolent in, it is currently running on rusty water only
18 - properly secure the hooter
19 - there is a rubber like cover that fits between the battery and the rear wheel that is broken. It looks like it prevents the battery and fusebox from getting wet if the rear hugger is removed. I will need to repair and install it.
20 - attach the number plate
21 - order two more foot pegs for the pillion
22 - attach the exhaust tailpiece more securely
23 - repaint all the calipers and both brake reservoirs
24 - spray radiator ( there is currently sand between some of the vanes, so I am hoping the vibration from the bike will remove it so that I can spray
25 - check what is wrong with the bottom head bearing, there is play but is fully tightened. I think the incorrect bearing was installed at some point
26 - check how much oil is in the front forks, they feel soft
That is what I can think of while not looking at the bike... still a long way to go :banghead:
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change all the screws holding the coils. they are made of some shitty material. I've managed to strip thread from three of them so far.
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:thumb: will do
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Time time time. There never seems enough of it to work on the bike.
Uhm...updates... I still havn't stripped the bike yet, still riding it as is. I have covered just over 300km with the bike now since the service. It hasn't let me down yet, so I am starting to feel confident in taking it for longer trips.
Some recent pictures, ( and as I am typing this post) still haven't put the number plate on...actually enjoying the freedom of speeding when I like :bandit: . Been lucky so far, haven't been pulled over. Since I know there is now fresh oil in, I feel more comfortable keeping the revs up, Thus took it for a highway run the other day to just over 180kph on the clock, feeling good, the fairing definitely helps.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/120320161006_zpsghrtnf5c.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/120320161007_zpsullmbjyy.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/120320161008_zpsdbwvpuxv.jpg)
This boys and girls, is why you put coolent/anti freeze in your bike, corrosion. I hadn't put in yet as I kept on pulling the tappet cover off. Poor bandit, this is what I drained:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/120320161002_zps7dkb3yhe.jpg)
I then filled up with white vineger (A mild acid) and went for a long ride. I also made sure to let it idle long enough for the fan to come on a few times. This is what was drained a few hours later:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/120320161005_zpspydsl2ne.jpg)
I was unfortunately out of vinegar, so I flushed out the system with a hosepipe and filled up with coolant.
Grrr, out of time. Will try and post tomorrow night again
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the "rusty mud" coming out of cooling system is fairly standard situation in two-decades old vehicle which never had system cleanup performed and/or cooland was not replaced regularly.
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Petcock issues:
Another issue I picked up was fuel leaking from my manual ebay petcock. The issue was that if you turned it to open or reserve (or even off) it wouldn't stay center. Once off center it would start dripping. If you then push the center up or down you can get it to stop leaking. Mine was either assembled with a missing part or it was a dud, thus the cheap price.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121636181496?euid=ab5f9a51bfc3450a9df904fc4c5329f7&cp=1
For anyone who bought something similar and experiences the same problem:
Unscrew the faceplate. Take note of how things come apart. The problem is that the centre piece is too loose inside the housing. There is a 1mm gap on either side that equates to a 2mm gap once the centre piece moves as you turn it. The centre then moves past the rubber seal causing it to leak.
The solution:
Fill up the gap. I used a trimmed cable tie to fill up the gap all the way around, it now works great, no leaks. Just remember, whatever you use should withstand petrol if there is an issue and that it MUST be flush or below the housing once inserted. It will leak otherwise. I didn't take a picture, but once you have opened it you will figure it out.
Another issue you might come accos is leakage around the securing bolts of the petcock to the tank. This is not the petcocks fault. Fuel is leaking past the threads in the tank. I used PTFE tape to solve this, it seems to be working ok.
The third issue: Flow rate. When I start reaching reserve I start to run into fueling issues, due to less head (m). Less head means less pressure, so combined with my inline filter it is unable to fill the carbs at full throttle on the highway. I thought I had dropped a valve the first time this happend! Was dicing a friend on a SV650 back from town, when at over 180kph it felt like the bike started running on 3 cylinders :yikes: as I coasted to the shoulder it got worse and worse and would barely idle once stopped. My friend stopped to ask what was wrong, as we chatted the bike started to recover, and I figured out it was a fuel issue. Once the tank was filled it was fine again.
I know you guys are going to tell me it is the in line filters fault, to which I agree, but the petcock does has a very low flow rate (and thus a large pressure drop for a gravity fed system) when checked with nothing connected to it. I am going to try and find a better filter, if necessary put two in parallel.
EDIT - Summary: for the price, I guess this does the job ok. It has its issues, but at 1 / 16th of the price of a Suzuki GSF400 petcock it is a good alternative.
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There has been some progress! But not enough time to share all the updates. Work has been keeping me too busy to really spend time on the bandit.
Sorted out numbers 1 and 2 on the list. I was initially going to remove the center stand, but I am so glad I didn't! it makes any maintenance procedure so much easier to do! I was able to remove both front and rear wheels while leaving the bike on the center stand and a plastic container.
I haven't documented much that has happened over the past two months, plus have probably forgotten some updates.
What I remember + took pictures of: (updates are in no specific order)
Finally got around to changing the screen. I had to drill the new holes in it. Tip, you don't need to buy a special perspex drill bit, you can use a normal metal drill bit in reverse (at high speed), but don't push, let the drill guide itself through the perspex. This job ended up going better than expected. I had my doubts initially, as I didn't have another set of hands to help.
Still the original screen:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/080520161048_zpsmgwmvwkp.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/080520161050_zpsto6d9asb.jpg)
Done! I scratched it after this, four deep scratches :banghead: wasn't happy.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/080520161051_zpskbbl1ovu.jpg) (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/gouraami/media/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/080520161051_zpskbbl1ovu.jpg.html)
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The front forks were very spongy, from the day I got it. During the roadworthy test it was recommended that I take a look at them.
I ordered some fork oil, Castrol 10W (Colour: Clear) and set about getting the front end off. The oil that came out was very dirty, a black/red mess. The fork seals were not leaking, so I decided to not fiddle with them and left them as is. The dust covers on the other hand were screwed. The one was so badly rusted that it was scratching the fork. I took a picture, as seen below. They were also perished, so didn't stop water from leaking through.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/270320161020_zps9kjmh1iy.jpg)
I unfortunately couldn't find a replacement set anywhere else than at Suzuki. I wasn't willing to pay the R583 they wanted, so ended up ordering a set online for 1/5 of the price. I will have to remove the front end again to replace them, but it isn't so much work. At the time of this post I was still waiting for delivery.
The service book states that 495ml is required per fork, so i ordered 1L. Once I had shared this litre between the two forks, I was still far from the 105mm measurement from the top of the fork (also stated in the service book)... Confused I started googling. Bandit Alley to the rescue (Again)! It turns out the limited edition came out with longer forks, thus needing more oil. The shops were closed and I needed to move the bike again that day, so ended up topping up with some old oil :duh: . The front end is definitely firmer now, so job successful :thumb:
This was found during the stripping process: It was very difficult to remove the pre tensioners on the forks. Once Out I found out why. Whoever worked on the forks before me must have been very careless. I will let the pictures tell most of the story:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/270320161018_zpssloiljyv.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/270320161015_zpsnvjwyh1e.jpg)
They had somehow damaged the thread inside the fork and then simply turned the caps on stripping the thread. It must have been done deliberately as you would need a lot of force (or a long pole) to do that. While I was loosening them a lot of aluminium swarf (shavings) came out with it. Both forks had this damage. Luckily I was able to screw them back in again.
I was going to replace the head bearing at the same time, as the front end had a lot of play. You would feel the front end shift under braking (and hear). It turns out he bearing was never tightened, the adjusting nut was already loose when I got there, as was the top bolt. After adjusting, there is a very small amount of play, it might be damaged from being used so loose, but it is very minor, so I am going to leave it and let it settle in the mean time. I will adjust it at the next service again (in 4000km at the time of this post).
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You couldn't wait till tomorrow to buy some new oil? :bandit:
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:grin: no, the next day was a Sunday and the bike couldn't stay where it was till the Monday. Also by the time I get home from work I don't feel like working on the bike
I estimate I added around 25ml of old oil, equating to around 5%. I filtered the old oil before I used it, so it should be fine
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I have some time for a few updates.
I was going to remove the center stand initially, as I didn't like the look of it. I am so glad I didn't, it makes most maintenance procedures much easier to perform. Balancing wheels for example, saved me from making two trips to the bike shop:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/27022016933_zpsgqskxw6b.jpg)
The Ebay seller I bought the braided hoses from lied about them being stainless steel, so I covered up what I could with heat shrink. They are starting to rust with the winter rain, very annoying.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/270320161022_zpsse59ql5c.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/270320161024_zpssatawkkm.jpg)
The speedo cable had also seen better days, so to keep the elements, out I also gave it the heat shrink treatment. I gave it a good lubing afterwards, as the speedometer was hoping now and again at certain speeds. it did help, but it is not solved
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/030420161026_zpso7ydhgwc.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/030420161028_zpsj3a3bi1i.jpg)
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did you put some kind of oil (or whatever will prevent rust and won't be washed out by water) underneath the shrinkwrap? without doing so you can be :yikes: to find a rust underneath the shrinkwrap later.
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I didn't...but it is quite a tight fit, I'm not too concerned about it. It will take a long time before it rusts through
With the speedo cable there will be oil there, so also not concerned
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It is a public holiday tomorrow so I have some time tonight to go through photos taken a few months ago:
Around 4 months ago I found a decent gravity fed sintered filter. It flows much better than the original plastic filter that I had on and is reusable.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/160420161040_zps1sa6j5q8.jpg)
Then I came across these pictures :banghead:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/160420161037_zpsf2e6ntj9.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/160420161036_zpsklgpw4rs.jpg)
Frustrating times. I was having low down rich issues once the bike was warmed up. One of the things I thought could be the problem was that the rubber grommets blocking the pilot jets were worn. I proceeded to make rubber disks to permanently block the pilots. The bike become a non runner once assembled. For those wanting to make there own rubber seals - look inside the hole, there is a passageway that comes from the main jet side, if you block it, it essentially blocks the pilot circuit from receiving fuel. If you want to make something make sure the replacement fits below the passageway.
For others reading this having low down (off idle) rich issues, check that you have the correct jet and jet needle combination. I had unintentionally mixed 32BST and 33BST carb jet and jet needles together. If your floats are set to low (below the 14.6mm std setting) this can also cause low down rich issues.
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The new fork seals arrived. (previously not replaced, mentioned in a previous post)
I ordered these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301695224935?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT (http://www.ebay.com/itm/301695224935?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)
It claims these seals are a direct replacement for 400 Bandits. This however, is a lie. They are 1mm to 1.5mm too high, causing the seal to not sit flush on the fork leg. It was easy enough to sort out out, I sanded them shorter. It is also not a very tight fit inside the fork leg, but it is tight enough to not slip out, they are 0.5mm in diameter smaller then the originals.
Removed the front end again to replace the seals, center stand once again proving its worth :thumb:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/100620161056_zps5ezjhby9.jpg)
In the process of shaving the seals:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/110620161064_zpsordqxm3u.jpg)
Eventually got them flush with the fork leg:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/110620161065_zpsprjopzas.jpg)
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For those wanting to make there own rubber seals - look inside the hole, there is a passageway that comes from the main jet side, if you block it, it essentially blocks the pilot circuit from receiving fuel. If you want to make something make sure the replacement fits below the passageway.
For others reading this having low down (off idle) rich issues, check that you have the correct jet and jet needle combination. I had unintentionally mixed 32BST and 33BST carb jet and jet needles together. If your floats are set to low (below the 14.6mm std setting) this can also cause low down rich issues.
I still believe those rubber plugs are useless. I ran my GSX600F pretty much without them with no change. (also Mikuni BST33). If you think about it doesn't make sense to have any pilot jet size if the fuel is already metered by the small hole between the pilot jet and main jet.
If your pilot jet is smaller than this hole, it wouldn't matter to have plugs - as the fuel is limited by the pilot jet anyway.
If your pilot jet is bigger than this hole, it's size and function is useless since the fuel is already limited by the small hole if you block the pilot port with a plug.
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On Fridays I normally use the Bandit to go to work with, a round trip of around 60km. In cold weather the temp gauge doesn't even move on the highway. This really bothers me as I don't like the idea of the engine running cold while at 140kph on the highway. I read about the thermostat change on the factory pro website, here:
http://www.factorypro.com/tech/tecthermosuz.html (http://www.factorypro.com/tech/tecthermosuz.html)
I tried to find one locally, but didn't find anything. I then decided to limit the flow of the original thermostat while in the closed position. I did this buy soldering 3 of the holes closed. I left the top one for the air to bleed out the system and the bottom one to try and have an even flow over the thermostat.
Original state:
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/110620161070_zpsrpmvu0ow.jpg)
Sealed 3 of the holes
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh252/gouraami/Suzuki%20Gsf400%20Bandit/110620161074_zpsnwknoiqn.jpg)
The engine definitely runs warmer, however at this point I cannot give accurate results as there seems to be a loose connection at the temp gauge somewhere. When the gauge works (normally once off the throttle, less vibration) the temp gauge is not right at the bottom anymore while on the highway.
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Yes the bandit cooling system is a bit overkill for the engine.
A proper fix is to replace the thermostat with a version that opens later. I think CBR600F was a good swap.
The easiest way is to simply ducttape the a part of the back of your radiator. This way you can just remove it once outside temperature gets higher again.
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Yes the bandit cooling system is a bit overkill for the engine.
A proper fix is to replace the thermostat with a version that opens later. I think CBR600F was a good swap.
The easiest way is to simply ducttape the a part of the back of your radiator. This way you can just remove it once outside temperature gets higher again.
If you look at the cooling system drawings/schematics for any of the later model Suzuki bikes (and Honda, and Kawasaki, and Yamaha) you'll see that they always have a small constant-circulation line (small rubber hose) of coolant that bypasses the thermostat and runs directly back into the coolant pump.
Here's a link to the parts fiche drawing of the 1999 Suzuki SV650 coolant pump. On the coolant pump's large inflow (radiator return flow) pipe you can see where the small constant-circulation hose is connected to it.
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/1999/SV650/WATER+PUMP+%28MODEL+K1-K2%29/parts.html (http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/1999/SV650/WATER+PUMP+%28MODEL+K1-K2%29/parts.html)
And here's a link to the parts fiche drawing of the 1999 Suzuki SV650 thermostat housing with all of its hoses. If you look at the hose marked #24 you'll see that this small line is the constant-circulation line that connects from the thermostat housing directly into the return flow pipe of the bike's coolant pump.
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/1999/SV650/RADIATOR+HOSE/parts.html (http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/1999/SV650/RADIATOR+HOSE/parts.html)
Suzuki (and other manufacturers of motorcycles and cars) use this routing of coolant. This configuration warms the engine block up evenly which reduces the thermal gradient experienced by the engine (i.e. preventing the engine from running cooler in the bottom end while being hotter in upper portion of the cylinder jacket and head) which reduces engine stress and uneven wearing of the cylinder walls and piston rings and in general during cooler weather this configuration keeps the engine warmer (in the optimal operational zone).
The GSF400 thermostat housing has an extra (unused) port cast into it which is perfect for modifying into a constant-circulation line (this extra port is there because the GSF400 thermostat housing was also used for the GSX-R400 which used two temperature sensors instead of just one temperature sensor, so when the GSF400s were built/assembled this extra port on the thermostat housing wasn't drilled through into the thermostat housing, it was left solid). This is what I did to my GSF400, documented here in my build thread:
http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=13747.15 (http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=13747.15)
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Thanks for the advice Squishy and Greg
Unfortunately it looks like this project is over.
I was in an accident on Saturday, went to the hospital and got released today. A car cut me off and I had nowhere to go,so ended up rear ending the on the highway, at freeway speeds. This led to a lot of rolling for me and sliding for the bike.
I'm pretty sore, but think I got off relatively lightly. Got me some titanium in my hand now (had an operation to fix some bones), a broken toe,torn ligaments in my foot and the usual road rash and bruising.
The bike isn't looking so good. Repairable, but I think i'm over it, I have spent to much time on it to start again. Want to get something bigger.
Will update again, but so far the plan is to get payed out by the cars insurance and let them take the bike. With the money put a deposit down for something larger with fuel injection.
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Crashing in freeway speed sounds pretty serious! Looks that you are eligible for secondary birthday date. It is shame that so rare machine which received so much care from you is down but at least you are alive. Hope you will be fine and kicking as soon as possible and that you never ever experience similar situation again with any machine you will choose.
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Thanks for the kind words ventYl
I'm despondent about it, but really not in the mood to start looking for parts again etc. It was running the best it ever has been since I got it.
Lets see what the insurance says... maybe I end up fixing it up again.
The front end is twisted, not sure if it is the forks that bendt or the tripple clamps, not really in the mood to look.
I will take pics to end this project thread, if that is the route I go
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Usually the tubes got twisted first. If it was tripple clamp you probably won't be replying to me. Forks and the other internals should be obtainable as that would be cheaper than straightening and re-chroming old ones.
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That sucks man. I know what is it like... especially the muscle-ache afterwards. But don't stop riding because of the accident is my advice :beers:
Anyway I can understand you not wanting to rebuild it again. Maybe bandit 1200? ;)
Good luck with the recovery
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The bandit has been standing since the accident. Work has been crazy, I haven't even had a chance to go for quotes for insurance purposes.
Squishy, an accident wont stop me from riding, back on the 125cc in the interim.
I have healed relatively well, still limping, but still don't have use of my finger. Going to have to go for physio when I have a chance
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I guess the project is back on...
Went to buy some second hand parts today :bandit:
Going for a beer now :beers:
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Hey everyone!
I am glad this forum still exists :thumb:
Based on the date of the last post the Bandit has been standing for almost 5 years :deadhorse: It also means that 5 years later I still don't have the use of my finger. It is also the bandits 30th Birthday!
I do still plan on reviving the old girl, but for now it is in the same state i bought it in. A non runner, under a layer of dust being used to store stuff on top of.
I have over the past few years found replacement parts after the accident, the final part outstanding is one side cover. I think it is complete otherwise.
I did use the bike as is after the accident for a few months once I healed (and hit a pedestrian :annoy:), but eventually it lost compression on cylinder 3. I am not too worried, I am sure it is a valve seating/burn problem.
This thread will be revived! :thanks: