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i have a project in a similar state...
my SF looks currently like the first pics you posted...man, these guys helped me through HELL AND BACK with that thing! i bought it for $600, and it actually ran perfectly fine. took it for a spin around the block when i got it home, and parked. went to take it on a rip a couple of days later, and...running god awful...spitting oil out of the crankcase vent like crazy; smoke POURING out of the left exhaust. consensus was that it was either valve stem seals, or my rings were shot. yanked the head, changed the valve stem seals, lapped the valves, correctly put the valves back in...then couldn't work on it for a few days, so i had it loosely put back on, and next up was to put the shim buckets and cams back in.
got to the garage, tried to put the buckets in...they WOULD NOT GO BACK IN. i tried EVERYTHING...put the head in the oven while freezing the buckets...no dice. got frustrated, and left the head with one bucket partially in. a couple of days later, said bucket is COMPLETELY frozen...stuck. that head is screwed now...don't know how, but it is. i was legitimately depressed about that, haha.
i lucked into my SG (also scored for $600!) a couple of days before that...it sat in a garage for 15 years. i slaved over that thing for about a week straight, and i'll tell you...after the advice i got on here, that thing fired up IMMEDIATELY. that's the one i ride now, however, (i currently have a thread about this) i'm getting no fire whatsoever on cyl 4.
that being said, the SF is going to be my first custom build...gonna keep the SG as close to stock as possible! the SF isn't going to be a chopper/cafe/etc...no frame mods, or any of that. i'm debating on what to do...the old head has FRESHLY LAPPED VALVES, and brand new valve stem seals...if i got it put back together and it still was smoking like it was, i'd be PISSED first off, but second, it means the piston rings are shot. so, maybe i'll just get the wiseco big-bore kit?! i've been HEAVILY debating what to do there!
i AM going to try to do the carb mod, though...being that the SF carbs are on my SG, and some have reported getting 20-30HP from using the 88-92 "slingshot" GSXR carbs. they're getting REALLY HARD to find, being that euro-racer guys figured out that they can be used on some older cars...
i may just "bite it", and invest in a shiny, brand new set of mikuni RS36's. gotta space'em for the carb boots, mod (cut) a couple fuel connections, but it isn't that bad.
probably going to throw a modern front end on there...maybe put a modern rear with a chain conversion.
i'm gonna make a thread for that build the DAY i start it, and i can't wait. the only aesthetic besides the front/rear end that would stand out would be the handlebars...i'm partial to the "superbike" bars. i can't get down with the cafe racer thing...not that it looks bad or anything, i just HATE clubman style bars. my buddy has his KZ400 in the same garage, and i had to move it to make room for the SG. luckily, the engine is out of the frame...HOWEVER, the PO wanted to cafe it out, so there were clip-ons on there. I KEPT PINCHING MY DAMN FINGERS BETWEEN THE BARS AND GAS TANK while moving it...
The turning radius SUCKS as well...i don't get it.
the SF will more than likely be a cross between a scrambler/tracker...i AM stripping as much weight as possible, though.
i LOVE this forum, and have seriously spent COUNTLESS HOURS researching stuff for both bikes...i'll have to take a screen shot of my shopping list for the SF...as T.C. said to me, "DEEP POCKETS", haha. i'm not married, no kids, no house...i spend my money on music equipment, motorcycles...ANYTHING mechanical! OH, YEAH....BEER, TOO.
that being said Seth, my brother and i may be making a trip home in june with our bikes...we're originally from the nazareth/easton/allentown area, so not TOO FAR from you! i'll hit you and eastcoaster up if all works out, and we'll take a cruise!
my SF looks currently like the first pics you posted...man, these guys helped me through HELL AND BACK with that thing! i bought it for $600, and it actually ran perfectly fine. took it for a spin around the block when i got it home, and parked. went to take it on a rip a couple of days later, and...running god awful...spitting oil out of the crankcase vent like crazy; smoke POURING out of the left exhaust. consensus was that it was either valve stem seals, or my rings were shot. yanked the head, changed the valve stem seals, lapped the valves, correctly put the valves back in...then couldn't work on it for a few days, so i had it loosely put back on, and next up was to put the shim buckets and cams back in.
got to the garage, tried to put the buckets in...they WOULD NOT GO BACK IN. i tried EVERYTHING...put the head in the oven while freezing the buckets...no dice. got frustrated, and left the head with one bucket partially in. a couple of days later, said bucket is COMPLETELY frozen...stuck. that head is screwed now...don't know how, but it is. i was legitimately depressed about that, haha.
i lucked into my SG (also scored for $600!) a couple of days before that...it sat in a garage for 15 years. i slaved over that thing for about a week straight, and i'll tell you...after the advice i got on here, that thing fired up IMMEDIATELY. that's the one i ride now, however, (i currently have a thread about this) i'm getting no fire whatsoever on cyl 4.
that being said, the SF is going to be my first custom build...gonna keep the SG as close to stock as possible! the SF isn't going to be a chopper/cafe/etc...no frame mods, or any of that. i'm debating on what to do...the old head has FRESHLY LAPPED VALVES, and brand new valve stem seals...if i got it put back together and it still was smoking like it was, i'd be PISSED first off, but second, it means the piston rings are shot. so, maybe i'll just get the wiseco big-bore kit?! i've been HEAVILY debating what to do there!
i AM going to try to do the carb mod, though...being that the SF carbs are on my SG, and some have reported getting 20-30HP from using the 88-92 "slingshot" GSXR carbs. they're getting REALLY HARD to find, being that euro-racer guys figured out that they can be used on some older cars...
i may just "bite it", and invest in a shiny, brand new set of mikuni RS36's. gotta space'em for the carb boots, mod (cut) a couple fuel connections, but it isn't that bad.
probably going to throw a modern front end on there...maybe put a modern rear with a chain conversion.
i'm gonna make a thread for that build the DAY i start it, and i can't wait. the only aesthetic besides the front/rear end that would stand out would be the handlebars...i'm partial to the "superbike" bars. i can't get down with the cafe racer thing...not that it looks bad or anything, i just HATE clubman style bars. my buddy has his KZ400 in the same garage, and i had to move it to make room for the SG. luckily, the engine is out of the frame...HOWEVER, the PO wanted to cafe it out, so there were clip-ons on there. I KEPT PINCHING MY DAMN FINGERS BETWEEN THE BARS AND GAS TANK while moving it...
The turning radius SUCKS as well...i don't get it.
the SF will more than likely be a cross between a scrambler/tracker...i AM stripping as much weight as possible, though.
i LOVE this forum, and have seriously spent COUNTLESS HOURS researching stuff for both bikes...i'll have to take a screen shot of my shopping list for the SF...as T.C. said to me, "DEEP POCKETS", haha. i'm not married, no kids, no house...i spend my money on music equipment, motorcycles...ANYTHING mechanical! OH, YEAH....BEER, TOO.
that being said Seth, my brother and i may be making a trip home in june with our bikes...we're originally from the nazareth/easton/allentown area, so not TOO FAR from you! i'll hit you and eastcoaster up if all works out, and we'll take a cruise!
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