[SV650] Greetings and questions

[Randy Grein]

Usually, replacing the coolant with water for a track day and  
forgetting to prep it for winter. Or leaving it outside for a midwest  
winter. (I'm told they get cold...) Easy way to tell if it's a freeze  
plug, look in the radiator. If there's a bunch of scummy oil there  
it's a freeze plug. Otherwise your first guess is probably right.

Randy Grein, WMRRA #41

On Jul 6, 2009, at 12:17 AM, John Treadwell wrote:

> What would cause the freeze plug to go?
> --John
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Randy Grein" <randygrein at comcast.net>
> Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 12:56 AM
> To: "Suzuki SV650 Mailing List" <sv650 at micapeak.com>
> Subject: Re: [SV650] Greetings and questions
>
>> Assuming it's a head gasket. Could just be the freeze plugs. A few   
>> years ago I stupidly forgot that my streetbike was a track bike   
>> conversion and hadn't added antifreeze. Pop the valve cover  
>> gaskets  and check; the plugs are right under there.
>> Randy Grein, WMRRA #41
>> On Jul 5, 2009, at 9:24 PM, John Treadwell wrote:
>>> Bigger problem I just noticed. The oil looks like a milkshake.  
>>> And  My coolant is down 1/4th of the way in the radiator, as  
>>> yesterday...  it was almost full.
>>> Blown headgasket.
>>> Does anyone have any idea how much it typically cost to get one   
>>> replaced? I figure it can't be too hard to do on this, if it's  
>>> the  rear cylinder. If it's the front it will be harder. I won't  
>>> be able  to work on it and get the compression test results until  
>>> Wednesday  now, as some things came up. But I'm wondering if I  
>>> could get a good  deal on getting a majority of these things  
>>> fixed... like the  headgasket, some oil leaks... chain and  
>>> sprokets and tires.... I'm  imagining the price list for the parts  
>>> will be something like this...
>>> Sprockets front and back - 60
>>> Chain - 60
>>> Headgasket - 50
>>> Seals - 20
>>> Tires - 260-300 installed from a stealership
>>> (Does anyone know If you can get better deals on tires online?)
>>>
>>> Anyone have any idea what labor might cost me on these things If  
>>> I  have someone else do it?
>>>
>>> Looking at the diagrams, it doesent look too difficult to pull  
>>> the  heads, and I probably need to for valve adjustments anyway,  
>>> But I  just wonder if it would be more worth my time to let  
>>> someone else do  the work instead. But It might cost far too much  
>>> and I need to do it  myself. lol
>>> Looks like the carbs are at least less of a worry than before.
>>> Thanks again,
>>> --John
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Randy Grein" <randygrein at comcast.net>
>>> Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 9:38 PM
>>> To: "Suzuki SV650 Mailing List" <sv650 at micapeak.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [SV650] Greetings and questions
>>>
>>>> Sounds like you still have crud in the gas. If it was sitting  
>>>> that   long you may need to drain the float bowels a few times if  
>>>> any  water  is collecting. Also check the air filter & make sure   
>>>> something isn't  nesting there. The right side cover, if it's  
>>>> from  the outer cover is  an o ring; if the last owner pinched it  
>>>> it will  leak like anything. If  you try to replace it clean the  
>>>> groove of  oil & put a bit of grease in  it - sticky wheel grease  
>>>> is good - to  hold the o ring in place while  installing. You  
>>>> might as well drain  the oil at the same time; that way  you can  
>>>> replace the washer  under the drain plug. I'm guilty as anyone   
>>>> of not replacing it,  but they don't reuse well.
>>>>
>>>> The loud clicking sounds bad - broken wheel bearing maybe? Grab   
>>>> the  wheel & back end and push/pull it hard sideways; if you can   
>>>> feel any  slop don't ride it - at all! A loose chain has nothing  
>>>> to  do with the  general lack of torque, that's still your  
>>>> carburation  problem. At  least it idles but the choke (really  
>>>> it's an  enrichener circuit, not  choke) cable needs to be  
>>>> cleaned. You can  still find a cable lube kit  at some bike  
>>>> shops, the heart of the  system is a blue anodized fixture  with  
>>>> a twist knob to clamp  around a cable end. A hole in the rubber   
>>>> accepts the spray nozzle  of a lubricant can like WD-40 and is  
>>>> great  for cleaning and lubing  cables. You will have to  
>>>> disassemble the left  handlebar switch,  but it's not a big deal.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck...
>>>> Randy Grein, WMRRA #41
>>>>
>>>> On Jul 5, 2009, at 5:36 PM, John Treadwell wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Well, I got the gas in it, and the carbs cleaned, and it runs a   
>>>>> bit better. It will rev past 5/6k now, but sometimes it gets a   
>>>>> little hesitation as it's approaching it. I suppose the gas  
>>>>> needs  to run through it a bit, but I've got an oil leak from  
>>>>> the right  side of  the bike, around the larger engine cover  
>>>>> over there....  Possibly at  one of the plugs on the bottom as  
>>>>> well. I'd like to  fix those, as  theres quite a bit of oil  
>>>>> leaking. I'm going to do  a quick wheel  alignment, and chain  
>>>>> tension, as my brakes on the  back seem to  engage too early,  
>>>>> And I'm getting a loud clicking  from the back as I  take off.  
>>>>> Also, the bike doesent seem to want  to have enough torque  to  
>>>>> take off from the lower rev range, I've  gotta feather the  
>>>>> clutch,  and rev it up too long I think, But I'm  thinking that  
>>>>> could just be  really loose chain tension.
>>>>>
>>>>> The front tire looks cupped from what I can tell. I need to  
>>>>> check   air pressures. I torched and hammered out the kickstand  
>>>>> itself a   little bit, and now I'm thinking about bending the  
>>>>> mounting piece  a  bit, or continuing to whack on the kick stand  
>>>>> itself.... the  bike  will lean now... but it's still leaning a  
>>>>> little too much  for my  comfort. So I'm gonna go throw that  
>>>>> bracket in my vice,  and see if I  can bend it out a little.
>>>>>
>>>>> Also... the bike will idle however I want it to now... The  
>>>>> choke   works now.. it didn't when I got it. The choke is a  
>>>>> little...  hard  to pull though. I am going to check plugs and  
>>>>> compression  here in a  few minutes as well. I'll report back  
>>>>> with those  findings as well.
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> --John
>>>>>
>>>> <snip>