Good evening all
I’ve finally regained enough motivation to continue the rebuild of my gt550, which started out as a pretty rough bottom end and a frame.
I’ve had the crank rebuilt and the case’s vapour blasted, it’s pretty much all back together and I’m just installing the clutch and I thought I would just try the kick start lever and it seems very stiff, I haven’t put the side casing back on yet and now I’m worried that I May have to split the cases again
Any ideas?
Thanks for reading bit of a long post !!
Gt550 kick start stiff
Moderators: oldjapanesebikes, H2RICK, diamondj, Suzsmokeyallan
-
- On the street
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:27 am
- Country: Uk
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: 74 gt550
- Alan H
- Moto GP
- Posts: 3169
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:50 am
- Country: England
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: 4 x GT550s - J, M, A, B.
- Location: The Republic of South Yorkshire
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
Where are you based? I have a 'spare' 550 engine we can split and check to see what you might have missed/misaligned/mis something elsed......
I'm near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
I'm near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
-
- On the street
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:27 am
- Country: Uk
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: 74 gt550
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
Morning Alan
Thanks for your reply, I actually have 2 more bottom ends which, in hindsight maybe I should have split and copied! I was just wondering if anyone had come across this or maybe it’s normal? I didn’t have a kickstart lever on any of my engines. I’m pretty convinced I’ve done something wrong so I’m going to have to split the cases again
Thanks for your reply, I actually have 2 more bottom ends which, in hindsight maybe I should have split and copied! I was just wondering if anyone had come across this or maybe it’s normal? I didn’t have a kickstart lever on any of my engines. I’m pretty convinced I’ve done something wrong so I’m going to have to split the cases again
- jabcb
- Moto GP
- Posts: 4241
- Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:32 pm
- Country: USA
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: 69 T350 thru 75 GT750
- Location: southwestern Pennsylvania
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
Could you more fully describe the problem?
Does the transmission turn easily? Can you spin the transmission & shift through the gears?
Does the transmission turn easily? Can you spin the transmission & shift through the gears?
BAS (Bike Acquisition Syndrome) - too many bikes but have room for more
Suzuki:
GT750 2x75
GT550 72 & 75
GT380 72
T500 69 project & 73 project
T350 69 & 71
Honda 85 CB650SC & 86 CB700SC
09 Triumph Bonneville SE
Suzuki:
GT750 2x75
GT550 72 & 75
GT380 72
T500 69 project & 73 project
T350 69 & 71
Honda 85 CB650SC & 86 CB700SC
09 Triumph Bonneville SE
-
- On the street
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2021 6:14 am
- Country: England
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: GT380L - 1974
- Location: North East UK
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
Hi Hawky, I had exactly the same issue during the rebuild of my GT380.
Luckily I tried the shaft before re-installing the engine and caught it whilst on the bench.
I had the bush on the end left hand end of the kickstart shaft misaligned to the spigot on the crankcase half.
The bush had two dimples in when I split the engine instead of one. The second dimple was actually a mark that had been made when a previous owner had rebuilt the engine and tightened the two halves together with the bush not in its correct position.
Stupidly I picked the wrong dimple to align the bush / spigot to upon re-assembly.
I could get the kickstart shaft to spin freely by just slackening the crankcase bolts around the end of the kickstart shaft but it would immediately tighten again when they were torqued down.
Unfortunately the only fix was to split and pop the correct dimple onto the spigot.
A learning experience for sure!
Pete
Luckily I tried the shaft before re-installing the engine and caught it whilst on the bench.
I had the bush on the end left hand end of the kickstart shaft misaligned to the spigot on the crankcase half.
The bush had two dimples in when I split the engine instead of one. The second dimple was actually a mark that had been made when a previous owner had rebuilt the engine and tightened the two halves together with the bush not in its correct position.
Stupidly I picked the wrong dimple to align the bush / spigot to upon re-assembly.
I could get the kickstart shaft to spin freely by just slackening the crankcase bolts around the end of the kickstart shaft but it would immediately tighten again when they were torqued down.
Unfortunately the only fix was to split and pop the correct dimple onto the spigot.
A learning experience for sure!
Pete
FS1E
RD250 E
CB750 K6
CBX B
CB900 FD
CBR1000 FD
CBR600 FV
CBR600 F1
CBR600 RR
FZ1-S Fazer
Z1000 SX
Z1000 SX Tourer
GT380L
Current - 1981 Honda CX500 & 2023 Kawasaki Z1000SX Ninja
RD250 E
CB750 K6
CBX B
CB900 FD
CBR1000 FD
CBR600 FV
CBR600 F1
CBR600 RR
FZ1-S Fazer
Z1000 SX
Z1000 SX Tourer
GT380L
Current - 1981 Honda CX500 & 2023 Kawasaki Z1000SX Ninja
- jabcb
- Moto GP
- Posts: 4241
- Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:32 pm
- Country: USA
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: 69 T350 thru 75 GT750
- Location: southwestern Pennsylvania
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
I found it easiest to leave the sealing plug out, and use a little spring clamp to hold that left-side kickstart shaft bushing in the correct place.
After the crankcase is bolted together: remove the spring clamp, coat the sealing plug OD with ThreeBond case sealant or assembly lube, and it easily taps in place.
On the GT550 cafe build, I tried a few other ways and didn’t get the bushing to line up correctly.
After the crankcase is bolted together: remove the spring clamp, coat the sealing plug OD with ThreeBond case sealant or assembly lube, and it easily taps in place.
On the GT550 cafe build, I tried a few other ways and didn’t get the bushing to line up correctly.
BAS (Bike Acquisition Syndrome) - too many bikes but have room for more
Suzuki:
GT750 2x75
GT550 72 & 75
GT380 72
T500 69 project & 73 project
T350 69 & 71
Honda 85 CB650SC & 86 CB700SC
09 Triumph Bonneville SE
Suzuki:
GT750 2x75
GT550 72 & 75
GT380 72
T500 69 project & 73 project
T350 69 & 71
Honda 85 CB650SC & 86 CB700SC
09 Triumph Bonneville SE
-
- On the street
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2021 6:14 am
- Country: England
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: GT380L - 1974
- Location: North East UK
Re: Gt550 kick start stiff
So happy that it’s not just me that struggled with what is a simple piece of kit
FS1E
RD250 E
CB750 K6
CBX B
CB900 FD
CBR1000 FD
CBR600 FV
CBR600 F1
CBR600 RR
FZ1-S Fazer
Z1000 SX
Z1000 SX Tourer
GT380L
Current - 1981 Honda CX500 & 2023 Kawasaki Z1000SX Ninja
RD250 E
CB750 K6
CBX B
CB900 FD
CBR1000 FD
CBR600 FV
CBR600 F1
CBR600 RR
FZ1-S Fazer
Z1000 SX
Z1000 SX Tourer
GT380L
Current - 1981 Honda CX500 & 2023 Kawasaki Z1000SX Ninja