Pacific NW GT380 "make it roadworthy"
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:33 pm
Hi all,
As I've already introduced myself elsewhere, let's just get right down to the quick and dirty.
I'm working on a GT380 that was recently purchased by a friend in "nearly complete" status. Our goal is just to make it roadworthy, and at first glance it doesn't seem far off. I'm not a trained mechanicm but rather a dude that's in love with old bikes and refuses to let anyone else put their grubby paws on them. However, I've never worked on a two stroke. I do love my Suzuki GS1100 though.
I'm hoping you guys (and gals) might be able to answer a few elementary questions from this two-stroke-newb.
The first one is really not engine related. The bike was manufactured in July of '74. For parts purposes, would I be better off looking up parts for a '74 or '75?
Second, regardless of the year, I noticed in multiple microfiches in different locations that the '74 and '75 GT380s did not come with Carbs marked 33011 (though I did see 33012, 33013 and 33014 listed for those years). This particular bike I'm working on indeed has carbs marked 33011, and had a single throttle cable that split into four to go to the carbs and the oil pump. In your expert opinions, does it sound to you guys like some previous owner put carbs off a '72 or '73 on the bike? Also, the left carb float chamber is actually touching the motor under it. Seems like this would be problematic, no?
There is no real room for vertical movement on the left carb. You know, it just goes head>>intake boot>>carb and all are seated properly (notch in intake boot lined up with ridge in head and marking tab on carb). I've looked at a lot of pictures of '75 GT380s and the carbs do look like the float chambers are extremely close to the motor, but if we need to start looking for a correct set of carbs, I want to get moving on it.
We had ordered carb kits for a '75 GT380M and, at least the float bowl gaskets, are slightly different. I used a razor to cut to fit, and everything else seemed to match up pretty well, but I'm still a bit skeptical. I'm wondering if I should get carbs kits for a '72, leave the newly installed carb kits in and run them, or pick up a set of correct carbs for a '75. Only one of the float bowl gaskets was damaged when disassembling the carbs, so only one float bowl is using a gasket that was cut to fit.
Hope all that makes sense, and of course I'd be happy to take more detailed pictures if it would help.
As I've already introduced myself elsewhere, let's just get right down to the quick and dirty.
I'm working on a GT380 that was recently purchased by a friend in "nearly complete" status. Our goal is just to make it roadworthy, and at first glance it doesn't seem far off. I'm not a trained mechanicm but rather a dude that's in love with old bikes and refuses to let anyone else put their grubby paws on them. However, I've never worked on a two stroke. I do love my Suzuki GS1100 though.
I'm hoping you guys (and gals) might be able to answer a few elementary questions from this two-stroke-newb.
The first one is really not engine related. The bike was manufactured in July of '74. For parts purposes, would I be better off looking up parts for a '74 or '75?
Second, regardless of the year, I noticed in multiple microfiches in different locations that the '74 and '75 GT380s did not come with Carbs marked 33011 (though I did see 33012, 33013 and 33014 listed for those years). This particular bike I'm working on indeed has carbs marked 33011, and had a single throttle cable that split into four to go to the carbs and the oil pump. In your expert opinions, does it sound to you guys like some previous owner put carbs off a '72 or '73 on the bike? Also, the left carb float chamber is actually touching the motor under it. Seems like this would be problematic, no?
There is no real room for vertical movement on the left carb. You know, it just goes head>>intake boot>>carb and all are seated properly (notch in intake boot lined up with ridge in head and marking tab on carb). I've looked at a lot of pictures of '75 GT380s and the carbs do look like the float chambers are extremely close to the motor, but if we need to start looking for a correct set of carbs, I want to get moving on it.
We had ordered carb kits for a '75 GT380M and, at least the float bowl gaskets, are slightly different. I used a razor to cut to fit, and everything else seemed to match up pretty well, but I'm still a bit skeptical. I'm wondering if I should get carbs kits for a '72, leave the newly installed carb kits in and run them, or pick up a set of correct carbs for a '75. Only one of the float bowl gaskets was damaged when disassembling the carbs, so only one float bowl is using a gasket that was cut to fit.
Hope all that makes sense, and of course I'd be happy to take more detailed pictures if it would help.