|
A 2006 GZ250 Story
Well this is my first post of what I hope are many. I have just bought a 2006 GZ with a blown motor. The goal here is to document its progress through pictures and words. I will also probably have a bunch of questions that I hope people will be able to help answer.
Today I ordered the "new" motor off of EBay. It is supposed to be here Thursday. Tomorrow I'll start taking the old motor out. I hope a bunch of people follow along, because I am nothing more than a hack combine/tractor mechanic who just knew enough to keep 40 year old equipment running through harvest. Although I've ridden for 40 years, I haven't done much wrenching. Questions will be coming quite often. Stay Tuned..... :) Brad |
......and here we go........
https://s26.postimg.cc/hbtmy53k5/IMG_2752.jpg
Here's the bike!! Obviously the tank is off. The fella said he was going down the road and the engine seized. Someday, I might investigate the motor, but today I need to get it out. Here's some of the other things I'd like to do to get her fixed up: https://s26.postimg.cc/fk0o384rp/IMG_2748.jpg The tank has some kind of sticker on it. I hope its not covering up scratches, but we'll see https://s26.postimg.cc/z1vbj69f9/IMG_2747.jpg The guy ran it as a straight pipe. I'm old and like the quiet, so I think I'll get the muffler welded back on. https://s26.postimg.cc/lxpr6h1xx/IMG_2750.jpg Seat is a little chewed. Looks like an ebay purchase waiting to happen https://s26.postimg.cc/fk0o38rx1/IMG_2751.jpg I may have an electrical problem. I'm not sure if both running lights are supposed to be on, or if I have a short or dead bulb. It also could be the battery needs to be juiced up a bit. https://s26.postimg.cc/euhvqvz39/IMG_2749.jpg The saddlebag is pulled out. I'm hoping this is a 99 cent washer fix.... .....but all those are in the future..... Today its out with the motor!!! |
Overall the bike is in pretty decent shape except for the motor, of course. The right running light is probably just a bulb our. Regarding the muffler, if he was running straight pipe, he would have had to modify the jets in the carburetor in order for it to run right just as an FYI. Otherwise it would have run pretty crappy. Have fun.
|
Quote:
Thanks for that..... See...... this is stuff I have no idea about... I went through all the steps in the service manual until it came to removing the chain sprocket..... its never a good idea to yell into the house for your your wife's help telling her you need her weight.... She stood on the brake while I tried to get the sprocket off with a 4 foot cheater bar. The wheel still moved. Today I'm off to my scrapping buddys place looking for an impact wrench. I'll tell you..... it gets frustrating when I used to reach over on the farm and the tools were right there..... "We" decided to "downsize"..... and it seems everything I gave up I still need at one time or another....... Luckily most of my downsizing went to one of my three boys.... Now I have to figure out which one got the 30mm socket!! :) New motor arrives today :clap: |
Well a friend came through with an impact wrench and 30mm socket, so the sprocket is off..... in fact... the whole motor is out!!
https://s26.postimg.cc/tdphbgyth/IMG_2757.jpg https://s26.postimg.cc/3ux4yfs45/IMG_2758.jpg The only problem I had was with the swingarm bolt. I had used jackstands to hold the motorcycle up and mounted them too the swingarm. After the motor was completely unbolted (except the swingarm), I had to move the Jackstands to the frame. It was a delicate ballet between jacks, and motor and stand..... Before that, I couldn't figure out how the exhaust pipe came out because it was all one welded piece..... I found out someone did some customizing https://s26.postimg.cc/ortd33xut/IMG_2755.jpg ......and missed a spot...... https://s26.postimg.cc/r954ae4wl/IMG_2756.jpg so now I'm off to eBay to try to find an exhaust...... |
Yesterday evening a large box came from UPS. The new engine has arrived!!!! I liked the way they packaged it. Lacing twine around a rubbermaid container. The motor seemed no worse for wear.
https://s26.postimg.cc/moa7nc7xx/IMG_2759.jpg https://s26.postimg.cc/osukof1ut/IMG_2761.jpg I set them side by side on the workbench and moved the starter over and some gearing, and then went to do the flywheel..... https://s26.postimg.cc/og36i7opx/IMG_2762.jpg https://s26.postimg.cc/lyrfaycj9/IMG_2764.jpg ......ugh..... the flywheel....... Seems you need a special puller. I tried one of my two jawed gear pullers, but the rounded backside of the flywheel made it impossible. Seems I need to get a specialized 35mm x 1.5 internal thread puller that I will never use again.... but I guess ya gotta do what ya gotta do....... So...... the puller should be here Tuesday so I guess the rest of this weekend I'm going to work on more minor things...... |
See you are a bit like me. Don't like to borrow so go and buy even for a one off.
|
Quote:
|
Kind of a slow day today in the bike restoration world. I'm waiting on a magneto cover gasket and the flywheel puller. They should be coming in the next couple of days, so I thought I'd try to tie up some loose ends....
The original petcock on the bike leaked, so I bought a replacement. https://s26.postimg.cc/fkd49mto5/IMG_2772.jpg I thought about rebuilding the one on the bike, but this bike has been ridden hard and had a few shortcuts taken (one of the motor mounts was an english thread..... along with a couple of others). I decided since the cost of the new petcock and rebuild kit were around the same, I would just buy one. The other thing checked off the list today was sticker removal.... https://s26.postimg.cc/u3k9b0k85/gas_tank_sticker.jpg https://s26.postimg.cc/5aapadod1/IMG_2770.jpg Not hard at all. The WD40 and my wife's hair dryer made quick work of it. There are a few dings in the tank. I'm going to have to figure out how to get those out. https://s26.postimg.cc/ir7nt83th/tail_sticker.jpg Another thing I'm not to sure about is that Suzuki sticker on the rear fender. it looks awful!! I'm not sure if the other sticker half peeled it off or what. Nothing sees to touch it as far as getting it off so...... https://s26.postimg.cc/g9vwm01xh/IMG_2771.jpg I found some badges that were slightly bigger. https://s26.postimg.cc/xaesutk5h/s-l1600.jpg They're on order and should be here in a couple of weeks..... |
Sooooo.... The gear puller arrived tuesday.... A Motion Pro 08-0349 35mm Flywheel Puller M35 X 1.5 R.H. I bought it off of Amazon.....
https://s26.postimg.cc/exazsiwid/IMG_2775.jpg A simple thing really it has a M35-1.5 right handed thread that mounts on the flywheel and a pusher bolt. With the motor being out of the bike, I was having a hard time holding the pusher bolt, so I hit it with the impact wrench and it came free no problem. Using the impact though, I dislodged one of the three rollers that mounts in the flywheel. I always hate it when you pull something off and a part of it goes rolling off the bench.... I immediately thought it was one of the magnets and I was screwed, but looking at the parts manual, I figured out it was the roller and I was back in business in no time. The next day I was reinstalling the motor while waiting on the magneto cover gasket. Everything was looking good, so after hooking up the electrical, I decided to try the starter.... that worked!!! So then I got brave to see if there was spark at the plug..... and..... that worked!!! I thought I'd better stop right there and drink some beer..... Things working right away don't happen to me often...... Yesterday the gasket arrived, so I put that on... tightened everything down. Put on the new exhaust (the PO had run straight pipes) filled er up with oil and gave her a try....... and...... https://youtu.be/3cOhjx-AOX4 A few more things left to do, like some wire routing and cleanup and some fuel line/filter routing. Oh yeah..... and a pesky turn signal wiring problem...... I told my wife yesterday that I'll probably die of a heart attack, because my whole life revolves around electrical problems...... One other thing.... I bought a petcock for the same price as a rebuild kit off of eBay.... it works fine except it can't fully get into the "On" position because of the tank. Putting it in the position shown, does allow fuel though to get into the filter. I think I'm going to have to do some filing on the petcock handle to get it to go fully up https://s26.postimg.cc/y2e92aiw5/IMG_2776.jpg |
It was the beer that did it.
|
Congrats to you. I am impressed with your success in getting a non running bike ready to hit the streets. I know you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. :tup:
|
Thanks!! Now I'm trying to chase down a short in the rear turn signals. Neither one works. When I put the left one on, the front signal blinks, but the tail light blinks with it ever so slightly. When I turn the right one on, the front signal doesn't blink, and neither does the taillights. I'm assuming two different problems.....
I sure do miss those analog volt meters. When I was chasing down turn signal problems, I could see that needle swinging from six feet away. These digital meters don't help much when looking for blinking voltage....... |
Don't you get one with beepers?
|
Quote:
Well, I have been pouring over the wiring diagrams and I traced some wiring. found one wire that was bad in the rear fender and repaired it. Now all the continuity all checks out, but still no turn signals. Next I took apart the turn signal switch and cleaned it. all the continuity checks out there for both sides all the way to the connector. From there I decided to take a Wag at it and I believe its the turn signal relay. Ordered one of those and it should be here Monday. Funny story.... (not really, but I'm laughing at it now).... While tracing the wiring and ohming it out, somewhere along the way after stuffing the headlight wiring back in, the left driving light quit working.... So back apart and checking wiring and this and that and getting frustrated until I decided to check the bulb...... It was blown....... I turned a simple five minute fix into an hour and a half over a blown out light bulb...... and thats the way I work......... :doh: |
Shakedown Cruise!!
Cue Music!!
https://youtu.be/QJVl6Iuiy00 Sooooooo. I got the bike all bolted back together except for the turn signal relay..... Polished up on my hand signals and took off https://s26.postimg.cc/5o2fmwx1h/IMG_1980.jpg https://s26.postimg.cc/pioh91zed/IMG_1981.jpg I rode out to the "First Oklahoma Oil Well" tourist site right here off Route 66 (....not much of a tourist site...... :) ) https://s26.postimg.cc/rahg3xnw5/IMG_2790.jpg Impressions: (This was the first time I rode it for more than up and down the street.) It really reminded me of my first "real" bike..... A 1973 Honda CB175..... My knees were about as high on the tank and the power was just about the same. The foot position is not that much off of the ol Honda. I do need to adjust the brake pedal though. It's really high.... I have to lift my foot off the rest to get it. I was surprised how little it vibrated. I haven't put the handlebar weights on yet and I sure didn't notice much in the hands or in the mirrors. Really a pretty well behaved little bike. My top speed was around 55 mph. The CB175 could do around 70, but I was 30 lbs lighter then..... I'm pretty happy.......just a couple of small things to do before I can get to customizing it a little to make it mine........ :tup: |
You mentioned the brake pedal being in the wrong position. strangely enough, all GZs come from the factory with the brake pedal in the wrong position. :hmm: Dunno why.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
........... and the brake rod. I had to also move the activating arm on the spindle.
|
Quote:
Quote:
Thanks guys!!! I got er done.... Its kind of funny, the brake light switch setup hasn't changed since the 1970's..... I guess if it works........:) Now I'm waiting on that flasher relay.... it should be here today.... Then I can either be relieved or start the whole process of going through the schematics again.......:shrug: |
....ugh..... not the relay...... I'm going to test the switch again this morning. If it's not that, that leaves a blue wire thats easy to get to and an orange/green wire thats near impossible to get to to test.... Based on my past experience..... I'm betting its that last one...... Also based on my past experience.... since its so hard to get to..... it will be the last one I check........
|
>:(alright!!!! This is absolutely frustrating!!!! If I unhook the back turn signal grounds the fronts work fine. If I then touch the grounds to the bike the rears flash as they should..... but..... if I have the grounds hooked up, or ground the leads to the bike......THEN turn on the switch.... nothing works.... I can't even untouch and retouch the ground. I have to turn the switch off, then untouch the ground, turn the switch on, then retouch the ground to get the rear signals to work.....
I have already replaced the flasher relay..... This is way above my pay grade!!!!>:( |
Just a thought :hmm: Been going over the wiring diagram (and my diagram is a poor drawing in places) but the power to the turn signals link up to the signal light flasher bulb (both signals use one bulb) Have you checked this area? Just clutching at straws for you, but just maybe.
|
Quote:
I'll take a look at that Alan.... Your talking about the flasher indicator on the dash right? Something else occurred to me was I ought to look at the tailight ground. When the front turn signals are flashing, the tailight blinks ever so slightly..... |
Sounds definitely like a ground fault. Sometimes that can be a bad bulb, grounding through the other filament in the bulb, though, so check that out, too. (take the tail light bulb out, and see if that makes any difference)
|
Yesterday was doing the stuff so I've been supposed to do around the house, so no working on the GZ. I've also got a new wiring problem, I was playing the guitar in a group at church last night and for some reason, my guitar pickup quit working...... Have I told y'all how much I "LOVE" chasing around missing electrons.........:cry:
Speaking of wiring issues.... I first cut my teeth on em on this 1973 Honda CB175. https://i.postimg.cc/p5nMbHcY/cb175.jpg I was thinking how much newer this bike was that than that one etc.... etc.... then I did the math....When that picture was taken, the Honda was 8 years old. My GZ is 12!!! One more cup of coffee and its off to the garage. The whole day is dedicated to the Suzy.... Last night, someone from church offered to come over today to help me. I told em they better not... when working on this, I can string a bunch of compound words together that would make my army drill sergeant blush!!!!...... :D |
Alright..... I have been up one side and down the other with this wiring issue. I have isolated it at every connector and tested it. I isolated the front from the back, the side from the side, I even I even wired the turn signal relay outside of its connector and tried it. Nothing..... So.... I had about settled on the switch.... but then I tried to jump across the connector to eliminate the switch, and nothing. So I put it back to where the fronts should work and then nothing. I reseated the flasher relay and the fronts worked. arrrrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!
So its got to be one of three things: 1. switch- maybe the contacts have worn down enough to where there is an increased resistance 2. Wiring harness - if anything, it would have to be right near the fuse box and maybe its something right there or a pin on the relay connector. I've tried cleaning them, but no luck 3. Two bad turn signal relays? The second one came in a new box.... I'm kind of discounting this though because the front turn signals blink when the back ones aren't hooked up. Its about $100 for both the wiring harness and the switch I may just have to start shelling out the money...... again..... |
I'm waiting on the wiring harness and switch to show up. Both should come in today. sooo while I'm waiting on the mail I'm going to answer "Why the GZ???"
Well..... A few years ago.... my wife and I sold our farm.... bought a large truck and trailer and set off to see America. We did that for a year when my wife came down with a rare disease and we had to settle in somewhere. Move forward a year (.....and a new kidney.....), and we decided the travel bug had not been fully satisfied, so we bought a small motor home and have used that for the last year. Unfortunately with a motor home there is no separating the vehicle from the home, so whenever we wanted to see the sights, we'd unhook everything and then rehook when we returned... between that and making sure our pets were cool (....or warm....) when we were sightseeing got to be a hassle... So here we are in the next step of the plan. We bought a small covered trailer and needed a lightweight bike to go with it (....and for me a project to keep from going crazy....).....so a GZ250.... We'll be pulling the traier behind the motor home with our mountain bikes, kayaks and the Suzuki. of course now...... all this bike is doing is making me crazy!!! .......but hopefully this will all be straightened out in the next couple of days.....:) |
Wellll..... the good news is is that the turn signals are fixed..... The bad news is is that it was none of the parts I ordered....
After hooking up the switch and it making no difference, I installed the new wiring harness. Installing the harness is not a hard job at all. I was being super careful and it probably took an hour total including the zip tying to secure it. But when I hit the turn signal switch it didn't matter. Still no working turn signals. Since I already had gone through the whole back and middle, I concentrated on the front..... and the way I fixed was..... I hooked the front turn signals up wrong..... I accidentally hooked up the turn signal switch wire up to the front driving light wire, and both the right turn signals worked. Then I did the the same to the left and both the left turn signals worked. As long as the driving lights were not functioning, all the turn signals worked..... so thats what I've done. I have no driving lights right now, but the turn signals work fine and I'm happy!!! Maybe in a couple of weeks after I get over this frustration, I'll try again. But for now, it's going to be like it's going to be. |
Nice job Brad! I’ve spent the past two months turning my GZ into a bobber - joined up here said hello then went to work! I know what you’ve just accomplished, wiring gremlins can be especially frustrating. Very satisfying when you get to ride off on it tho
Message me if you need the seats, body panels or fenders - I don’t need them anymore :) Mine (04) only had 2500 miles when I pulled it apart so they’re all in great shape |
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:02 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.