How to replace the output shaft of a 95 Suzuki Savage.

The output shaft is the shaft that turns the front sprocket (or pulley in this case) which pulls the chain (belt) that turns the rear wheel. The input side of the shaft is the point where the engine’s power is translated into “movement”.

At this point, we have already taken our engine down to the transmission and we’re ready to remove and replace the output shaft.

A good practice when doing this kind of work is to wear gloves (latex or nitrile). This will help protect your hands as well as the engine’s components. You certainly do not want to have your fingers wandering across a bearing surface!

Step 1

Remove the washer on the input side of the 5th gear.

Remove 5th gear by sliding it towards the input end of the shaft.

5th Gear rides on a bushing, which will be removed the same direction. Remove the washer the bushing rides against too.

Once Step 1 is complete, you should have these parts off the shaft.

The 5th gear rides on a bushing that has a hole in it. This hole is for oiling and must be lined up properly when re-installing it. There will be a hole on the shaft that must line up with the hole in the bushing. Forgetting to do this when re-installing could be deadly to your engine.

Make sure to check the bushing for any damage or extensive wear. If you have to look twice at the bushing when checking, replace it. They’re not expensive considering the damage that could occur if they fail. Better to replace them now than to have to go back in again. Trust me.

Another piece of advice I can offer is: STAY ORGANIZED. I usually “rebuild” the parts as I remove them. When I set a gear down on the table, I put its bushing back inside it and place the washers, etc. on the sides from which they were removed. The most important thing is to organize in a way that will help YOU remember what goes where.

Step 2

In this picture, disregard the washer because it was removed in Step 1. Do pay attention to what 4th Gear looks like.

This side of 4th Gear faces the output end of shaft.

This side of 4th Gear faces the input side of the shaft. Note: the washer laying on top of the gear is part of the 5th gear components and should be disregarded for this step.

Step 3

Remove the snap ring that holds 3rd Gear and its washer in place.

It is a very, very, very good idea to have the proper snap ring pliers for removing internal/external snap rings. Snap rings are tough, springy, and can/will put an eye out in an instant! Trying to pull snap rings off with a flathead screwdriver, or the like, can (and probably will) damage the shaft or the snap ring. Pay attention here, I could be speaking from experience… Also, spring (no pun intended) for the good snap ring pliers, not the cheap ones. Another free tip from my experiences…

Remove the washer the snap ring "rides" on.

This is the snap ring and the washer it holds in place.

Step 4

Remove 3rd Gear and the bushing it rides on.

After completeing Step 4, 3rd Gear's removed components should look like this.

Step 5

To remove 2nd Gear, you will have to remove its lock-washer.

Pull the lock-washer away from grooved washer by sliding it toward the input side of the shaft.

This is the lock-washer & washer set that hold 2nd Gear in place. Note: Wear marks on the washer will hint which way the washer faces when re-installing.

Once the lock-washer and washer have been removed, remove 2nd Gear by pulling it toward the input end.

Step 6

Last, but not least, remove 1st Gear.

1st Gear

Remove 1st Gear's bushing.

The last parts left on the shaft after you remove 1st Gear should be a washer and a snap ring as pictured here.

Step 7

For this make, model, and year bike, these are the components of the output shaft from the transmission.

Remember to check all your parts for damage or extensive wear. If you have the slightest inkling that a component may need to be replaced, replace it. At the end of the day, working to get back to the transmission in a single cylinder engine is not cost effective in comparison to what it cost to just replace the parts that are “sort of” worn at the time the engine is already cracked open. Replace’em and save yourself time and frustration.

Check out my other posts for instructions on re-installation. It’s not as simple as doing everything in reverse!

The reason I tore my bike apart.

Here it is, the reason I tore my bike apart.

Output shaft.

If you’re not familiar with the mechanical side of motorcycling, the above pictured is an output shaft. The output shaft is the side of the transmission that turns the front sprocket, in my bike’s case, a front pulley. It is the mid-way part of turning combustion into movement, the rear sprocket (rear pulley) and wheel being the last.

Front pulley.

In the Output Shaft picture, you can see what looks like a thick toothpick held between my fingers. That is actually a piece that came off the output shaft. That thick toothpick-looking piece is actually one of the splines from the shaft. “I thought a transmission shaft would be made of metal,” is probably what you’re thinking, and you’re right. What’s not pictured here is front pulley (fits onto the shaft’s splines) and the creative ways we had to use to get it off the shaft.

Now, in the 95 Suzuki LS650 service manual, the steps for removing the front pulley are simple; loosen rear axle, move rear tire forward, remove belt (it’s belt-drive not chain-driven), remove nut holding pulley on, remove pulley. So when I got to the last step and the pulley did not slide off into my hands, I started to sweat.

We tried heating the pulley and soaking it with an anti-seize spray, thinking there was a rust issue. That actually went on for 2 days, until finally it was apparent rust was not the issue. After another day of heating and prying, the front pulley finally came off the shaft.  And what was revealed had all of us floored!

At some point, an owner of this bike had removed and replaced (or beat back into shape) the front pulley. When the pulley was re-installed, the nut that holds it on the shaft wasn’t properly torqued, allowing the pulley to “move” on the shaft. This movement would have eventually chewed away at the splines of the shaft. So that explains the thick toothpick-like piece in the picture, right? Wrong.

One of the owners of this bike decided that using an epoxy of some sort, possibly JB weld, to weld the pulley to the output shaft, was just as good as replacing it. Basically, the parts that meet to create movement from combustion were super-glued together. I couldn’t believe it.

Having not paid much for the bike, buying parts for it was not a concern. I knew I would have to crack the case open but it’s a single cylinder so I wasn’t worried about that either. But a very big problem did arise in the midst of my splitting the case to get to the transmission. As I was searching for the output shaft for this year and model, I learned that in 95, Suzuki changed the LS650′s transmission from 4 speed to 5 speed. No big deal really except that in that same year, they revamped the transmission again and a new output shaft superseded the original 95 shaft. Simply put, it that meant that unless someone with the same year and model put their transmission on eBay, I was outta luck.

But someone finally did just that! I had to buy an entire lower end and when I split the case, it looked as though it had been pulled from a swamp. All the parts cleaned up well and I was able to use the output shaft with no problems.

Pretty sure Swamp Thing used to vacation in there.

After all the headache, I still think it’s a good thing the original belt needed to be replaced otherwise I may not have ever known the pulley was super-glued to the transmission…

Shinya Kimura Motorcycle Video

Reblogged from complex composition:

I was trolling blogs for inspiration and I think I found it. This gentleman could not speak more poetically about the experience of riding a motorcycle.

Rebuild a Brake Master Cylinder – 80s Suzuki GS650

This master cylinder was removed from a 80s model Suzuki GS650. I have skipped the steps of disassembling the master cylinder but they are basically the same except in reverse.

To start this project you will need to find a workspace that has plenty of room, light, and a table. Next, dig out your safety equipment. I recommend safety glasses and gloves for this project. Brake fluid is a nasty little bugger and will eat through eyeballs as fast as it will paint. The gloves will make leaving your workspace to answer the phone, etc. less challenging and it will keep the brake fluid from harming your skin. Always have shop towels in abundance and readily available. Shop towels are more durable than regular paper towels and soak up twice as much liquid.

Once your workspace is set up, check that you have all the tools you’ll need. Snap-ring pliers, needle-nose pliers, pick tools, small flathead screwdrivers, scotch-brite pad, parts cleaner, and the recommended brake fluid for your vehicle.

TOOLS

Tools: Snap-ring pliers, needle-nose pliers, pick tools, and small flathead screwdrivers.

NOTE: It is important you use your vehicle’s specified brake fluid. There are different types of brake fluids and some of them do not mix which can, and will, cause brake failure.

STEP 1

Cylinder should be clean and the walls should be smooth. All ports should be clear.

The walls of the cylinder should be smooth, i.e. not have any scratches or nicks. Scratches or nicks can tear seals or cause seals not to function properly. Scotch-brite can be used to smooth out light scratches and nicks. If the cylinder has deep ruts then the assembly will have to be replaced.

Be sure to coat the cylinder walls with the type of brake fluid you will be using before installing any parts. It’s also a good idea to lightly coat any parts going into the cylinder.

STEP 2

Install the main cap to the smallest end of the return spring. Then install the return spring, largest end first, into the cylinder.

The main cap will likely “fit” onto the small end of the return spring. In this picture, you can see a rubber notch under the main cap that fits into the spring. This notch will keep the main cap attached to the return spring while the parts are moving inside the cylinder.

The top of the main cap is visible inside the cylinder.

Gently drop the check valve down into the cylinder so that its curved side is facing the main cap. A good rule of thumb when re-installing parts is to look at their wear marks. In this case, there is a circular wear ring on the curve side of the check valve which tells us that it faces the main cap and not the piston head.

No visible wear pattern.

This is an indication that the check valve is not rubbing against something that is smaller in diameter than itself.

A visible circular wear pattern on the curved side of the check valve.

The wear pattern on this side indicates that something with a smaller diameter than the check valve is rubbing against it.

If you compare the piston head to the main cap, you will find that though they are similar in diameter, the main cap is a rubber piece held in place by the top to of the return spring. Suffice it to say, the top of the return spring is the wear pattern culprit even though it doesn’t physically touch the check valve.

STEP 3

Install the primary seal onto the piston.

This master cylinder’s primary seal has two very different sides. One side is flat and the other is cupped and tapered out farther than the flat side. Install the seal on the piston with the cupped side toward the piston head.

Piston and primary seal.

The piston head has 4 ports (only 3 are shown in the picture) the brake fluid flow will flow through, which is why the primary seal’s cupped side must face the head. The larger tapering and the cupped edge help seal fluid in so that pressure can be built.

STEP 4

It is always important to check parts for damage or wear. The majority of this master cylinder’s parts were replaced during this project due to wear. O-rings and any other rubber parts should always be thoroughly check for cracks, tears, or general wear. Brake fluid is pretty harsh so the rubber parts tend to go first. While disassembling this master cylinder, I found the piston had some scratches and nicks. These had to be remedied before I could put anything back together.

Scratches and nicks will eat up any rubber parts with which they come into contact.

 +

Cut a strip of scotch-brite about the same width of the piston. Then gently smooth out the scratches and nicks on the shaft.

=

This piston shaft looks almost good as new!

Be careful when renewing the life of any part! The object is to fix, not change. Gently use the scotch-brite like sand paper over the scratches and nicks but don’t over do it. Changing the diameter of the piston’s shaft could be worse than it having scratches and nicks in it.

STEP 5

Now that the piston is ready to go, it’s time to install the primary seal.

Now install the secondary seal.

The secondary seal will slide onto piston with the “square” end facing the piston head. The square end has round corners to allow it to move up and down in the cylinder.

Check the secondary seal's o-ring for damage or wear. If it has signs of either, replace it.

The secondary seal should fit snugly against the primary seal.

 STEP 6

Install the piston, head first, into the cylinder.

Gently drop the piston down into the cylinder. The piston won’t go far because the return spring is already in the cylinder.

STEP 7

Install the stopper plate onto the piston.

The stopper plate should drop down into the cylinder evenly and lay flat on the secondary seal.

Make sure the stopper plate is laying flat.

STEP 8

Use a small flathead screwdriver to lower the piston into the cylinder.

Lower the piston will take a good deal of pressure so make sure your assembly is secure and won’t shoot out from under you while you pushing down. When the piston is depressed completely, the stopper plate should lay evenly within the cylinder and below a visible ridge cut out of the cylinder’s wall.

STEP 9

The ridge that is now visible around the cylinder wall is there to hold the snap-ring in place. In other words, the piston will have to be held down, the snap-ring constricted, and then the snap-ring installed into the ridge. Sounds easy, right?

Snap-ring and pliers.

Stick the ends of the pliers into the loops of the snap-ring. Squeeze the pliers just enough to put pressure on the loops keeping the snap-ring on the ends of the pliers. If you don’t squeeze enough, the snap-ring will fall off, and if you squeeze too much, the snap-ring will live up to its name and possibly put out an eye!

Constrict the snap-ring by squeezing the pliers.

Once the snap-ring is inside the cylinder, more pressure can be put on it to constrict it without worry that it might pop off the pliers. However, this does not it will definitely not come off the pliers so keep your safety glasses on!

Constrict the snap-ring more to install it into the cylinder.

The snap-ring must be installed into the ridge/groove cut out of the cylinder wall just about the stopper plate. The snap-ring’s job is to hold the stopper plate in place and if the snap-ring is not in that groove, it can’t do its job.

NOTE: There are 2 grooves cut out of the cylinder wall. The lowest one is for the snap-ring. And getting the snap-ring into place will probably be the hardest part of this project so don’t freak out if it’s not just dropping into place.

STEP 10

Install the rubber boot into place over the piston. The end of the rubber boot with the protruding edge goes in first. This edge will have to be tucked into the second groove just about the snap-ring. If the rubber boot is getting tucked into the same groove as the snap-ring, the snap-ring’s in the wrong groove.

CONCLUSION

Be sure to clean up any spilled brake fluid or parts cleaner. Both of these can be harmful to plastics and painted surfaces, not to mention people in general. Dispose of your shop towels properly, especially those used to clean up brake fluid and parts cleaner.

I like to keep old parts around even after replacing them, unless they are completely useless. You never know when you might be in need of a spare in a pinch!

Awesome? I’ll tell you what’s awesome…

I just replaced the starter on my YJ, not 2 months ago, when the replacement starts (no pun intended) crapping out on me. Talk about frustration. Don’t get me wrong, I know starters are all “rebuilt” anyway, but to have to 2 bad ones in a row, well that is just awesome.

It’s been raining here for about 48 hours so I haven’t been able to crawl under the vehicle to remove the existing starter and return it to the auto parts store. I decided to test the battery first, just in case, so we moved the vehicle closer to the house (because of the rain) and that’s when I saw it…a starter bolt. That’s right, laying on the driveway where the Jeep had been parked was a starter mounting bolt.

With this new development, I aborted the battery-test plan and decided I would wait until tomorrow to re-install the mounting bolt. That was yesterday. Today, I ventured out into the rainy-weather to re-install the bolt, only to find, it had been the only bolt holding the starter in place for as long as it did.

I guess I’m lucky. The starter could’ve come off while I was riding down the highway, hitting a car behind me without my knowing, and then I’d be in jail for “leaving the scene of an accident”. However, until I can get the starter completely removed and take peak down into the gear housing to check for chewed gears or loose teeth bouncing around, I will not count my lucky stars. For if there are teeth missing from the starter gear or visible chewing of the gear, having lost the starter on the highway would have been the least of my problems.

Rain Rain Go Away

Thinking about taking a ride up to the Dragon some time soon. Any advice from predecessors?

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Frankenstein.

Dude just checked in a bike and when I asked him what it was (as in model, etc) he said, “Frankenstein”. Then I went out to ride it into the warehouse, and saw he was right.

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Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum

I’ve seen the wooden motorcycle photos online, but as a rookie to the motorcycle industry, I had no idea that some of the first bikes were framed out of wood!

You can find this beautifully crafted machine of its time, and many more, at the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum in Alabama. My class recently took a trip down to the museum, it was about a 2 hour drive (for those of us who didn’t get to ride), and it was worth it! The internet is a wonderful place for learning the history of so many things, but seeing 100 year old motorcycles in person, well, nothing compares.

I have about 150 photos in all, which isn’t even close to the number of pieces/vehicles this museum displays. And over 90% of the vehicles actually run!

I’m going to post a few of my favorites here. You may like these but don’t sell yourself short on the experience! I strongly encourage you to get yourself to this museum!

VMAX

2 BIKES THAT CIRCUMVENTED THE WORLD!

KTM SPORTBIKE

(I’m not a sport bike rider, but this bike is some kinda sexy.)

INDIAN

(Equipped with skis, just in case.)

MILITARY BIKE

(I love this look and functionality. I’m going to have to figure out how to get a rifle sheath on my Savage.)

Air, help yourself.

We spent this weekend in Asheville, NC. If we were going to relocate for no other reason(s) than beauty (scenery) and people, Asheville would be the city. The vibe there is so relaxed.

We took the scenic route from Chattanooga that connects with the very bottom of the Dragon. And the weather was amazing! I was not happy about being trapped in a cage for the entire trip! Once I get my bar stabilizers, that will definitely be one of the first road trips I make.

I had wanted to come down the Dragon on the way back, unfortunately, it was going to add an hour to our schedule and we were already running behind. However, Hwys 64, 74, 19, 23, all of which I think we hit on the way home, run through national forests and along several rivers, so there was plenty of scenic eye-candy.

Since the trip was just suppose to be for a day, I didn’t pack my camera and thus missed out on a lot of great shots of bikes on the road! But I did get a great shot of a sign that really evokes the theme of my website! So much so, that I set it as my avatar.

Free air for your tires, in this day and age, probably seems trivial, even though every vehicle on the road requires tires. As consumers, we’ve been programmed to accept newly imposed charges for things that were once free, or were considered to be a part of a service. Unlike oil or fuel for your engine, your tires don’t use different grades of air. It is what it is. The cost of operating an air compressor to air up 4 tires on a vehicle can not possibly justify charging every single user $.75-$1.50. Especially when they are only putting air in 1 or 2 tires!

I digress…

The Nantahala Food Mart off Hwy 19 near Bryson City, NC offers free air for your tires and there’s a great sign to encourage patrons, or passerbys, in need to use it:

 Yes.

First rebuild. The Savage.

The first time I rode my Ninja, I knew I wanted to be involved in motorcycle culture for the rest of my life. At that time, I didn’t realize there were so many niches within the riding community. From cruisers to sport bikes, Harleys to Japanese bikes, restored classics to chopped customs, there are mini-cultures within this one larger community. All participants are joined by their love of riding, but that’s about it. And so, I too had to discover my niche within the many.

I bought a sport bike first, thinking I was all about speed and sleekness. My 2007 Ninja 500 wasn’t a super sport bike, or even that fast, but I felt a kinship with other sport bike riders. However, it meant nothing. I realized my passion about motorcycles wasn’t founded in the sport bike arena. Sport bikes, as far as looks, are a dime a dozen. GSXRs and Ninja 250s have so many aftermarket mods available, that even though owners are trying to individualize their rides, they all end up looking the same. And the Ninja 500, well, there are no aftermarket mods available. That got my wheels turning. I wanted to customize bikes to the owners taste, etc. vs. just putting on aftermarket mods.

My first attempt at this was debadging my Ninja. I took a hairdryer and a razor blade to the decals on the lower and rear cowlings. My next move was the fuel tank but its decals were clear-coated over. With limited experience in the painting arena, I decided not to try to remove the fuel tank’s decal. Then I realized, the bike’s fairings, etc., were in too good of shape for me to mess with anymore. I started looking for an older bike…

In March of 2011, I finally found my first project bike and drove 4 hrs, in a Jeep, in the rain, to pick it up. It was a red 95 Suzuki Savage with a fuel tank that looked like it had been beat to hell. I loved it. It was perfect for what I wanted to do.

Previous to finding the Savage, I had found a website with ratbike photos and instantly fell in love with the concept. As an artist, using elements that seem mundane to tell a specific story or create a specific feeling is exactly what I am all about. But then I found a website featuring custom bobbers…and that was the end of my search. I had found my niche.

So I brought the Savage home, toiled over what I wanted to do to it, and then got to work. After 5 months of unexpected setbacks, etc., I finally pulled it out of the shop last week. Though the final look has not been achieved, it’s a great start!

Missing Attachment

For more photos of the process, check out my site http://freetireair.com and go to the blog tab.