Poldark

I just took a quick look on the Bay. Lots of GS650 final drive gear hub assemblies from US sellers at reasonable prices. Even if you can find the bearing from a non-Suzuki source for a lower price, there is your time and effort to change out the bearing. You also run the risk of damaging the assembly while removing and installing the bearing. Much quicker and easier to swap out the assembly. Make sure to drain and replace the gear oil.

Suzuki generally used common size metric bearings. You should be able to find a four digit number on the bearing which will correspond to its size. You can measure the bearing: inside diameter, outside diameter, thickness. If it is a common size, finding one should be easy. Your local auto parts store might have it, but you would need that four digit number.

"It also makes that noise when in neutral and being rolled" Does the noise change with engine speed or vehicle speed? It might not be the engine. Don't go investing your time and money into an engine swap when it could be something else such as a drive-line issue. Try putting the bike on the center-stand, in neutral, and rotate the rear wheel. Does it still make the noise? Work on locating where the noise is coming from. It might be something like a bad universal joint in the drive shaft. How upset would you be if you put out the time and resources into an engine swap and it turned out to be a bad u-joint or something else? I've done that sort of thing and it's frustrating.

You could make your own as per the drawing above. There is an aftermarket reproduction of an early h0nd@ CB750 wire harness for under $100. It's a basic harness which should be adaptable to other bikes; may require changing a connector here or there. Lots of options for regulator/rectifier. Suzuki GS's used permanent magnet charging system similar to what h-d used for decades.

To protect paint: go to plumbing supplies and get some foam rubber pipe insulation. Install it on frame rails that might rub against engine during installation. (remove when finished)

There are many non model specific aftermarket carbs on e-bay. Figure out which ones have the same size outlet. They will be two separate carb, so you would need to run a one-into-two throttle cable like many of the old Suzuki two-stroke twin cylinders ran. Non CV carbs should run well with inexpensive pod filters. Get new rubber intake manifolds. Just my thoughts.

Have you tried 4into1.com ? They sell a lot of reproduction side panels for various models.

Do you need to keep everything original? If not, there are plenty of aftermarket master cylinders and newer model salvage options. A friendly hydraulics repair shop might be able to help you find the piston rings for your original master cylinder.

If the above advice doesn't work, check the clutch release bearing. Mine failed a few months ago on my GS(X)750 while on a group ride. By the time I got home, it had worn a groove in the release plate. Good that I had a spare. Not a difficult job to do. Bearing is available from dealer, not expensive.

I assume that's Newark, New Jersey? Could you provide a link for anyone interested?

The Dyna coils are likely more heat resistant than the stock ones. With old stock coils, best to use the correct resistance; no matter internal or external. Dyna makes the black 5 ohm coils for use with points, why not just use them or an external resistor as recommended? What's the advantage to running with over -heated coils?

Just remember to match the appropriate ignition coils to the breaker points; 4 or 5 ohms. Electronic ignition systems are normally 2 or 3 ohm. Running points with the lower resistance coils will work fine for a short while, then break down and leave you stranded; been there.

No.............not another "one-post wonder". I was even willing to look through the bin of Mikuni carb bodies at the shop and find him a replacement one. But no; just one post and gone.

I concur with what Hannibal just posted. I also have a 1978 GS550E. Any GS550 up through 1979 should have interchangeable carbs. Does the whole rack need to be replaced? If just one carb is messed up, it may be easier/cheaper to just replace that one rather than the whole rack.

Welcome to OSS. Take a couple minutes to introduce yourself. Have you been messing around with old Suzuki's a long time, or are you just starting? There have been too many new members who get their one question answered and then disappear. There's also a good chance of the parts swap you are attempting has already been done; so search through the old posts.

Welcome to OSS, Kev. Maybe take a couple minutes to introduce yourself. (Have you owned or worked on old Suzuki motorcycles a long time or is this your first one?) Master cylinder: front or rear, does it not correctly or do you want an exact OEM replacement? Don't forget to read the forum rules.

At the risk of sounding like "Mister Obvious"... I suspect a few owners upgrading to heavy clutch springs, may be chasing the wrong problem. If the clutch is truly worn out, it should be rebuilt. Could it be sometimes, an owner "up-grades" to a "better" engine oil which causes the clutch to slip. The engine oils our air cooled Suzuki engines were designed to use, are very basic compared to what is on the market today. Clutches work by friction; lubricate too well and they won't work properly. I normally use an auto parts store's brand, no thrills, 10W-40. [Note to OSS staff: this is not an endorsement of any particular brand of oil which would be a blatant violation of forum rules.]

I'll post photos when I get a frame and can create a vision of what the final product might look like. Right now it's just an old engine with some parts pulled off.

I brought home a T500 engine. It was discount priced due to being locked up. After much penetrating oil, torch, and agitation, I got the barrels and pistons apart. I think it was ran without oil. No photos to post at the moment, just a tired fifty year old engine. A bike will be built around it. Something just seem cool about the idea of riding a fifty year old motorcycle.

Don't feel too bad. One time, I did similar, but the opposite. Hooked up the vacuum port to the vacuum actuated fuel petcock, then capped off the other two "vacuum" ports. After I figured out that they weren't vacuum ports, but carb vents, it ran so much better.

2021 MotoAmerica is scheduled for May 21-23 at Virginia International Raceway. MotoAmerica - May 21 at Virginia International Raceway (virnow.com) Kids get in free with paying adult.

I don't think we ever had the Kat 550 here in the US, so I'm not sure which 550 engine it had. Certain model designations differ between different markets. Certain new products were not introduced the same year here and there.

Which 550 engine in the Katana? Two valve per cylinder or four? The link I provided for the 650 top end on a 550 lower applies to the two valve per cylinder engines. The four valve per cylinder engine from the mid 80's, often labeled TSCC, were a different engine. If that's what you have, you need a direct replacement engine or an oil cooled 600 as Wraith described. If you aren't sure what you have, take a picture and we can help you figure it out.

The caps on the idle mixture screws were just there to comply with US environmental standards; they pull out easily. There's no way the original factory settings would still be correct; our fuel formulations have changed in the past forty years, and yours will be different too. Carbs were generally jetted too lean from the factory. If running everything mostly stock, go one size larger jets. If running higher flowing air intake or exhaust, you may need to go two or more sizes larger. Of course this could all vary on local atmospheric conditions, fuel formulation, and vehicle regulations.

We had a discussion not to long ago: 550/650 Swap - Page 2 - Air Cooled - Oldskoolsuzuki.info As stated above, your most expedient route, other than another 550 engine, would be to swap in an oil cooled 600.