GSX1100 oil starvation issues?

[Not_so_Evil_Lloyd]

Hello all, been a while! Have tried to search but couldnt find answer to this.

I'm sure i remember reading a long time ago in i think Streetfighters mag that the aircooled 1100 GSX (pre Efe i think)  had an issue with the base gasket breaking down and blocking an oil way and leading to the head being starved of oil and fucking them.

If this is the case, is there a model range thats affected? And did Suzuki alter anything to stop it? Just wondering if i should be concerned about my 1100ET which has been off the road for 10years but ive just dug out again and if there is a way of indentifying weather its one of the affected motors without stripping it.

[Duckndive]

As far as i can remember only the 1135cc motor has a steel base gasket the rest use a paper one...

i always use the steel ones  

[Arttu]

Yep, if I recall correctly my '83 1100E had paper base gasket. And that was pretty much the latest of the 1074cc engines.

[Not_so_Evil_Lloyd]

Ok so how much of an issue is this. Should i be thinking of a top end overhaul and can i fit a better gasket. I don't want to trash a head.

[Gixer1460]

The paper ones can go hard and they do bulge into the oil transfer passage but they very rarely actually fail and block oil flow. There are aluminium, copper or steel 'gaskets' that can stop the effect but they natively don't seal as well as paper without some gunk. More chance of breaking your rings just to replace a gasket that isn't leaking!

Edited February 16, 2021 by Gixer1460

[Not_so_Evil_Lloyd]

Fair comment. When i 1st picked this thing up it didnt concern me. But there were more affordable spares about back then. 

[Isleoman]

I never experienced it in 106K miles.  I've never seen it referenced on this site or GSR.  Seems like an extremely low probability.

If your bike is 82 or earlier I'd be more worried about the crank twisting (which did happen to me) but I don't want to throw out unlikely scenarios that will keep you up at night, Oh wait I just did.

Sorry.   

[Askamaskinservice]

Just now, Isleoman said:

If your bike is 82 or earlier I'd be more worried about the crank twisting (which did happen to me) but I don't want to throw out unlikely scenarios that will keep you up at night, Oh wait I just did.

Sorry.   

Well now i cant sleep either...........

[TonyGee]

bloody hell you've got me worried now, oh wait mines a bandit engine  

[Not_so_Evil_Lloyd]

Unlike a lot of you guys this isnt a big power ET. Its a stock engine with a Harris pipe and half an Airbox (a shit adaption, so will be looking for a useable airbox at some point) bandit 12 front forks in slingshot yokes. renthal bars and a gsxr wheels. Nothing fancy. Unsurprisingly its flat black 

[Isleoman]

In the US is was mostly 82 EZ models that had cranks twist.  It was well known when I bought mine in 84, as a left over.  I told the owner of the dealership of my concern and he assured me based on him opening a book and looking at serial numbers that mine was a late mfr model and the crank throws were factory welded. 

I said beautiful can you please right that all down on the bill of sale and we have a deal.   In the first month and a half of ownership I took the bike cross country and put 10K miles on the stock motor doing it.  As I got back to my house at the end of the trip I did a small wheelie to celebrate.  I knew as soon as the front wheel came down that the crank had twisted.   

Dealer did stand behind the warranty but bike was out of service for six months waiting for the welded crank from Japan.   Luckily my 74 Z1 was still on the road. 

 

 

 

[inazumarob]

I do not know about the base gasket issue, but I do know that the mesh on the oil pickup tube in the sump gets blocked. I understand that it is part of the service schedule to clean the mesh regularly but it gets missed and over time the mesh blocks restricting oil flow. Usually happens when oil changes not carried out regularly.

 

[buff]

I had the base gasket let go on a 1100 et clutch side, covered my boot in oil. Luckily spotted soon enough not to cause any big problem.

[Gammaboy]

I'd be more worried about the oil pickup sucking air where it doesn't have a gasket, or sucking air because the pickups point forward and are 3/4" off the bottom of the sump.

Both can be fixed easily.

[Ibbo]

Ive had a look round, and not found any info on modifying the pickup.

Can you advise a bit more on what could be done?

 

thanks Mike

[Gixer1460]

19 hours ago, Gammaboy said:

I'd be more worried about the oil pickup sucking air where it doesn't have a gasket, or sucking air because the pickups point forward and are 3/4" off the bottom of the sump.

Both can be fixed easily.

Generally only a problem with bikes used for 'competition' - drag racing or road racing (heavy accell and braking) where oil surge can occur or engine run with low oil levels. Its is 'rarely' an issue with normally used / maintained road bikes. Repositioning the pick-up tubes and/or lowering the unit does cause their own problems so not a 'fix all' solution.

[Ibbo]

Not worth doing for a fairly standard road bike.

thanks mike

[fab]

10 hours ago, Gixer1460 said:

Generally only a problem with bikes used for 'competition' - drag racing or road racing (heavy accell and braking) where oil surge can occur or engine run with low oil levels. Its is 'rarely' an issue with normally used / maintained road bikes. Repositioning the pick-up tubes and/or lowering the unit does cause their own problems so not a 'fix all' solution.

what problems does it cause lowering the oil pick up?

[Gammaboy]

14 hours ago, fab said:

what problems does it cause lowering the oil pick up?

 

On 3/24/2021 at 10:23 AM, Gixer1460 said:

Generally only a problem with bikes used for 'competition' - drag racing or road racing (heavy accell and braking) where oil surge can occur or engine run with low oil levels. Its is 'rarely' an issue with normally used / maintained road bikes. Repositioning the pick-up tubes and/or lowering the unit does cause their own problems so not a 'fix all' solution.

Its still a problem on a road bike that's used hard. I suspect it's part of what lead to the death of my crank/cams and rockers.

I modified mine to take a gasket and a modified gs1000 screen (to allow easy cleaning of the screen), blanked the tubes off and cut a new pickup hole in the bottom. Only issue I saw from doing that is that it picked up any sealant scraps on the screen instead of them lying on the bottom of sump. Funnily enough, GSX750ES and oily GSXRs used a pickup that did away with the shit tubes and pulled from the bottom of the pan (uses the same bolt pattern too, can be fitted to GSX with a ~20mm spacer).

I know some drag guys re-clock the pick up, block one tube and extend the other so it pulls oil from the bank of the sump, but that only works under acceleration.

[Not_so_Evil_Lloyd]

Interesting info. I'm waiting on parts for my slingshit and once thats done i'll get the ET in the workshop and have a good inspection before i start it. Its been laid up for 11 years now. (Time flies when you make consistently poor life choices haha)