|
The
Suzuki Cavalcade Newsletter
Issue
#20 ~ March, 2002
Jay
D. Johnson, Editor
Emailed to you at No Charge.
Available by snail-mail for $36.00 a year ($3 per month).
To unsubscribe, reply to this email with “unsubscribe” in the
Subject field.
CADE
RAID ~ 2002
The
International Rally for Cavalcades
CADE RAID 2002 is set for September 16-18, 2002 at the Honeysuckle Inn
Resort in Branson,
Missouri
. You can visit their web site at www.honeysucklebranson.com.
Plans include exhibits and displays by suppliers; classes and workshops;
rides through the scenic Ozarks; evening entertainment packages; an awards
dinner and other surprises. Our goal is to gather at least 100 Cavalcades in one
location.
You should get your reservation in early. You must identify yourself as
attending the Suzuki Cavalcade Owner’s Group meeting (“CADE RAID 2002”) to
get our group room rate. The
Inn
is giving us a rate of $55.00 per night. We suggest you book NOW to hold your
room. ~ The room rate includes free continental breakfast, or you can opt for a
full breakfast with a discount coupon instead. You can also book extra days at
the same rate if you wish to arrive early or stay longer. The toll-free phone
number for reservations is 1-800-942-3553. Those who wait until the last minute
may have a difficult time finding lodging.
A
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS & REGISTRATION FORM ARE AT THE END OF THIS NEWSLETTER
European
Cade Raid 2002
June
1st to June 8th. at:
Campingsite-Café in
den
HOF
Sleepingspot the Hayloft.
(
Holland
near border to
Germany
and
Belgium
)
Contacts email addresses: B. J. Linbeman lindeman5@zonnet.nl
for
Holland
/
Belgium
Tommy
Karlsen tomboy@enitel.no
for Norway/Sweden and
Finland
David
Hebblethwaite david.hebblethwaite@btinternet.com
for
United Kingdom
and rest of
Europe
AMERICADE
2002
Lake George
,
New York
~ June 3-8th
Cavalcade Riders
will meet Friday,
9:00 a.m.
at the "OLD" Dairy Queen. It was a batting cage last year. It's right
next to the road going up
Prospect
Mountain
. You can start signing up for Americade on line at Tourexpo.com now. We hope to
see a lot of you up there. It is one of the highlights of our summer. Good
company.... beautiful scenery and lake and great riding. Get your hotel or
camping reservations in now... each year this is getting bigger and bigger.
For details contact
Nancy
at this E-mail address: motherwind@aol.com
WEST
COAST
CADE RAID
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
~
JULY 21, 2002
West Coast Caders
will gather for a day of riding and admiring each other’s Cavalcades. Everyone
should plan to arrive at Tahoe on Saturday evening July 20th. We will have a
breakfast meeting from
8
to
10 o’clock
on Sunday, July 21st at Mulligan’s restaurant. From
10:00 a.m.
to
5:00 p.m.
, we will take a scenic ride. Spies are in the Tahoe area now who are planning
the ride’s route. Everyone will be provided a map just so no one gets lost. We
will have a social hour from
6:00
to
7:00
and then dinner. Next morning (Monday) we will head for home.
There is NO cost
for this gathering other than the normal cost of gas, lodging and meals. We have
a group rate for the breakfast and dinner on Sunday at Mulligan’s restaurant.
If you think you will come to the West Coast Cade Raid at
South Lake Tahoe
, please send me an email (jay@treefarmtapes.com)
and give your name(s) and your location. If you want, I’ll see if I can match
up riders so you can share the road together. This information will also help me
judge how many people we will need to feed at these two meals and how many bikes
we will need to plan for the ride.
Riders from
Western
Washington
State
and
British Columbia
will meet at
10:00 a.m.
on Friday at the McDonald’s in
Fife
,
Washington
. (Take Exit #137 off I-5).
Email: jay@treefarmtapes.com
TEXAS
CADE RAID
Here are the dates
for the Texas Cade Raid; the weekend of May 4th if that’s rained out then May
18th. Locations are still pending and I'm still open for any suggestions. ~
Roy
in TX
~
CAVALCADE 101 ~
VIN
LIST
After reviewing the
new VIN list, I thought I’d put together a few interesting facts from it. Of
course this is determined by the figures on the VIN list.
Lowest miles on a
Cade...Richard Gray...3290 miles
Most miles on a
Cade...Wolf...116000 miles
Most miles put on a
Cade by single owner...Ray LeTourneau...96825
Least miles put on
by owner...Don Dorion...0 miles
# of 86 Cades
made...6863
# of 87 Cades
made...1136
# of 88 Cades
made...416
State with most
Cades...3 way tie with
California
,
Washington
, and good ole
Indiana
all having 6
Oh heck...just saw
Spike's from Taxifornia, which puts them in the lead at 7
Most common
problems with the Cade...radio buttons, secondary seals, secondary plug, and
speedo cable. ~ Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
CAVALCADE
CD-ROM UPDATE
Due to the kindness
and unending patience of Virgil Flaherty, there is yet another publication that
has been added to the Cavalcade CD-ROM. ~ It is a Technical Seminar Manual. And
is about 40 pages of info that appears to have been the training guide for
mechanics/sales persons when the Cav first came out. While it doesn't contain
any earth shattering surprises, it does have some interesting info on the
differences between the Madura and Cav engines. It has general information about
the creature comfort accessories that where new with the Cav. ~ As always, I am
putting the new file on my download page (it's about 3.9 megs) and you are
welcome to download it at http://www.billydump.com/cav/download.htm.
~ It will be added to all new CD orders and the new current CD date will now be
March of 2002 (last update was January 2002). For those of you that ordered a CD
in the last week, yours will be current with the new file. ~ I want to thank
Virgil and all of the Cade owners for their continued support of the CD-ROM
project as the most complete resource of information for the Cavalcade. ~
Tracy
MEMBER’S
WEB SITE
In case anyone is
interested, I have just started updating my site again. Of particular note is
the Cavalcade Section... Simply go to www.ogrisek.com ~ Brian ‘87LXE in CT
THE
CENTER STAND OLYMPICS
I just can't seem
to do it! I am no lightweight but I cannot seem to get my Cade on the center
stand without help. I know I am missing some trick. There has got to be a way
for one man to get that baby on that stand. Anybody have an idea? ~
I had the same
problem. I got a piece of 2x6 about a foot long and cut one end at about a 30
degree angle, then put it in front of the rear tire and while sitting on the
bike pushed it up onto the 2x6. Once on the 2x6 I get off the bike while holding
it up (don't put the bike down the side stand) and then I can easily put it on
the center stand. ~ Phil ‘86 LX
I put my left hand
on the left grip facing slightly rearward. I then grab the bar just under the
back seat where the trigger is that lowers the back step. And then put my right
foot on the center stand's pedal. I give it a little push off the kick stand and
pull the bar up and push my right foot down real hard and most of the time it
jumps right up on the center stand---I push hard and pull hard up ~ Richie
I weigh about 180
and I've always put mine on the center stand, even with a loaded trailer
attached. Granted it takes an effort but can be accomplished. I first pull the
center stand down with my foot and feel (by rocking the bike from side to side a
little bit) to make sure that both spurs on the stand are on the ground. Then as
someone stated before, I pull on the arm rest bar and push on the stand with my
foot. A bit like spreading it apart. Have confidence when attempting. ~ Clair,
Cade 1987
Two by four about
six inches long cut the end at a sixty-degree angle and keep it in the trunk.
Place it in front of the back wheel or front wheel drive up on it and bingo it's
a snap to engage the center stand. Heard about this from one of the gang. ~
Grandpa86
Keep trying guys, I
had the same problem but now I'm an expert! Make sure both feet of the center
stand are in the ground, stand on the leg and give one, two and three! Also make
sure your front tire is straight or a little to the opposite side of where
you’re standing. Make sense? ~ Tony in LA LXE ‘86
Maybe there is a
difference between the early 86's and the rest of the bikes. There's a doctor in
Naples
and I can put his up with little trouble. It's an ‘87. Mine, an early ‘86,
needs a bit of help. It could be the extra weight of the add-ons and the hitch,
(solid steel plate). It could also be that the center stand is maybe a half or
quarter inch longer. Facing up hill it's a bit easier. I'm six-foot and 195. So
I should be able to lift this monster without creating a hernia the size of
Grand Canyon
. Mine weighs in at a bit over 819, so it's a bit over stock weight. ~ So how do
the smaller guys get it up so easy. Now, don't say it's just because I'm an old
geezer and old geezers can't get it up anyway. ~
Granpa86
I had the same
problem to pick my bike up. The trick I was giving was to make shore the center
stand is on flat ground and to have stand sitting on the two legs. I though I
would loose the bike because you have to tip it to the right side to sit on the
two legs of the stand. Standing on left of bike, tilt to right until it sits by
itself. Right hand on saddlebag bar and left hand on handle bar. As you pull up
with the right hand, pull back with left hand. It may take a couple of try, but
it worked for me. ~ Don in
Mass.
D.R.S.
OK here is my
experience with the center stand. The first time I managed to get the bike on
the stand it took several attempts. When my right elbow and shoulder were well
enough for another try I had no problem. I thought I had really built up some
strength with the first try. Then someone suggested the 2X6 under the wheel. Got
me to thinking.... My theory is that if I had been riding solo the shocks had no
air in them ... if however I had been riding 2 up the shocks held the bike up a
lot higher, thus making it "easy"
~ Jim Robe
It's not the
Cavalcade that's hard to get up on the center stand. It's the 500 pounds of gear
in the trunk and saddlebags plus the 700 pounds of chrome, extra lights and
teddy bear hanging on the back end. ~ Jay
For those of you
having trouble getting your Cades on the center stand, remember one thing. If
you have little or no air in your shocks your bike rides lower so your angle of
attack from your center stand is too high making it harder to get the stand
underneath the bike. I am 5'9" 195. I get my bike on center every time, and
it is usually loaded with junk and accessories. I will admit that sometimes it
is harder than other times. ~ Dick Carter,
Bay City
,
Texas
Dear Group, It was
the air in the shocks. The sensor was dirty and the pump never came on. Over
time the shocks must have lowered a lot as I can easily put the thing on the
center stand now. All it took was a bit of a wash job on the lower parts of the
bike. Now the bike is so high my girl friend has a hard time climbing up. Gotta
get a taller girl friend. Thanks to everyone for the help. ~ Grandpa86
CHAT
ROOM
Hi Everyone, I just
took a peek at our membership roster. As of today we are 530 members strong.
That is a lot of people! I’m guessing only about 5-10% of us are actually
talking back and forth in our e-mail exchange and in our weekly live chat room.
That’s OK because not everyone feels like contributing all the time but most
may enjoy reading what the rest of us are chatting about. Even so, I have an
idea which might give those of you who are the silent readers a chance to speak
up a little bit. So here is a suggestion I’d like to toss to the group and
I’d like everyone who reads this to reply with a response, even if it’s just
to say “Yay” or “Nay.”
My suggestion is to
schedule times in the live chat room for the various regions of
North America
to get together. Currently we have set
8:00 p.m.
Mondays (Eastern USA Time) for our chat time. Because of the four time zones
across the continent, it’s not always easy for those of us in the West to jump
into the chat room at
5:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time) Mondays. But if we establish set times for various regions to
chat it would give more people an opportunity to interact. Here is a sample
schedule I dreamed up.
LIVE CHAT ROOM
SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(
Eastern USA
Time) World-Wide Chat
TUESDAY
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Southeastern States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Central Time)
Texas
& the Southwest
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time)
California
WEDNESDAY
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Canadian (In French)
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Eastern
Canada
(In English)
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time)
Western Canada
(In English)
THURSDAY
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time)
New England
and
East Coast
States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Central Time) Mountain & Midwest States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time) Northwest States
EUROPEAN CHAT: From
18:00
to
20:00 GMT
MONDAY: English
~ TUESDAY: Dutch
~ WEDNESDAY: Norwegian
& Swedish
Of course, everyone
is welcome to go into the chat room at any time. But the established times
should encourage members from specific regions to get together and chat.
HOW
LOW CAN YOU GO?
I’m just
wondering who has the lowest miles on their Cade? Mine is only 9,000 on it,
I’ve had her since March 2001, and it had 7,000 then. ~ Tony in LA LXE 86
Well, from the VIN
list, Richie from
Mississippi
only has 3,290 miles on his. ~ Spike
~ MAINTENANCE
& REPAIRS ~
DRIVE
SHAFT SPLINE ALIGNMENT
Hi folks, What am I
missing with regard to the fella who was having trouble with the secondary
seals/driveshaft splines after he went in to have a rear tire replaced? I've
replaced my rear tire four times (pull it myself and take the wheel to the
dealer for mounting). How would removing the rear wheel dislodge the drive shaft
splines? Are we talking about the final pinion gear that mate to the rear wheel
pulling out of the shaft? Just wanted to understand this fully. Thanks, Bob L.
Howdy Bob L, The
answer to your question is that the drive shaft only comes completely out when
you pull it out toward the front of the bike. But it will pull out of the
gearbox far enough to come out of the splines and then you have to carefully put
it back in while holding the boot back. Obviously someone wasn't very gentle
with mine and seal damage did occur. Hope this helps. (I know clear as mud) ~
Frank in Indy
I just finished
replacing the seals on my secondary drive unit and I wished that someone had
told me how to line up the universal unit on the drive line to get it back into
the drive unit. It took me over an hour just to realize that I was doing it all
wrong. I finally tried this and it worked for me. Stick two fingers between the
boot and the back of the secondary unit. Line up the tip of the spline into the
hole where it goes. Then go to the rear of the bike and stick the differential
into the back spline and push it up into place while turning the drive gear.
What this does is get the driveline in a parallel position with the housing and
allows you to push the spline into place. I hope I described this accurately
enough. I worked for me when everything else failed. By the way I also bought
the Suzuki sealer as described in the manual. It was $18 a tube but I think it
was almost worth it. The stuff is actually a silicone gasket maker and the
petroleum lubricants don't effect it. I hope this suggestion helps others. I
wished someone had told me. ~ Dick Carter,
Bay City
,
TX
.
LOOSE
HANDLING
Group, I've just
owned my Cade for one year and haven't gotten to ride near as much as I like.
Most of my bike experience was years ago on dirt bikes. This is my first Big
Bike! I've noticed that the bike has a tendency to wander slightly from side to
side on the open road at highway speeds. I don't believe it's caused by the tire
tread since it's a herring bone pattern. The bike does not have a super brace,
and I was wondering if that might help the issue. The wandering is not serious
and doesn't present a problem riding. I just don't know if this is expected of
this size bike. Any comments appreciated. ~ Dwayne 86LX
Under-inflated
tires will have a huge effect on the Cade's stability. Make sure you have 32psi
in the front and 40 in the back. I don’t have a Superbrace and don’t have
any problems like you mention. Hope this helps. ~ Brian in IN 87 tt Gray LX
You
need to check the tightness/condition of the steering head bearings. If you
tighten them and they get a "notchy" feel to them, they should be
replaced. Also check the tightness of all front-end bolts and for any free-play
in the front wheel bearings. A Superbrace can help and sometimes the
stock wimpy-gimpy brace will crack making it fairly useless. Tire pressures
(both) will also have an affect. ~
Tracy
Dwayne, If the air
pressure is OK and the tires are one of the approved kind with not too many
miles on them, the alignment is correct and everything is tight on front end,
the bike should ride without wondering. The brace helps, but will not cure the
problem, in fact it may just hide it. Read some of the monthly newsletters and
search for tires. There is a lot of info about that problem. It has many cures.
~ I had a similar problem and changed to the Dunlop tires. It went away. I'll
probably order the brace later for more stability in turns as soon as I get the
funds. ~ Grandpa86
I do not have a
Super Brace on my ‘87 LXE; however it wandered until I put Dunlop Elete II's
on it and it has not wandered since. Tires and tire pressure are important. ~
David Williams
Evansville
,
Indiana
87 LXE
The wandering
problem could be due to dented races in the steering crown bearings. The
previous owner could have caused that if the front wheel tapped something at
about walking speed (or slightly higher). That could dent the races without
destroying the forks. Center-stand, then hoist the front wheel and see if there
are any catches as you turn left and right. ~ Spike
REBUILD
OR REPLACE?
I would like to
know some opinions on another problem.... I have an '86 GT bought it about a
year or so ago mileage unknown.... It has run pretty good after carb rebuild and
boots replaced.... Also the stator and r/r recently...am now having some valve
or lifter noise and smoke on the down rev..... My question is that it sounds
like a valve job is in order? What about pistons and rings? The next question:
parts availability? And....is this something I can reasonably do myself? I love
this bike and hate to lay her to rest but I don't want to be bent over by a
shop.... I haven’t done a compression check yet.... Does anybody have
suggestions or advice it would be greatly appreciated...hate like hell to go buy
a HD.... thanks, ~ Nick
Well, as far as
doing it yourself.... Most of it you can with a reasonable amount of mechanical
experience.
But, you most
likely will be sending out cylinders for boring and heads for valve replacement.
In theory if the valves are in decent shape you may be able to lap them
yourself...but that may not be the best way to go. OTOH: boring cylinders and
valve jobs are not usually very expensive...if parts are available.
If it were me, I'd
tear down the top end of the motor and inspect it. Perhaps take the heads in and
have a pro checkout the valves if you don't know what to look for. As far as
pistons and cylinder, you may not have the proper tools for checking the bore.
So you might wanna take that in to. Least of all you can invest some personal
sweat equity and get an estimate on the things you can't or do not want to do. ~
Brenden
Nick, Couple of
things you might try before you haul off and so something rash. Try changing to
a little heavier oil like, a 20-50. That might help quiet down the lifters as
they are hydraulic. Also, try a little Marvel Mystery oil in the gas for awhile.
It doesn't work magic, but it might help lubricate the top-end and keep the
rings and valve stems sealed up a little better to cut down on the smoking.
Since it smokes on the down rev, it's probably valve stems. I would also check
the crankcase breather hose to make sure it isn't plugged or kinked. Pressure
buildup in the crankcase could force oil past the rings and valve stems. ~
Tracy
How much Mystery
oil are you guys using to a tank of gas? ~ Virgil
The amount
specified in the directions on the bottle. I drop a couple ounces in about every
third gas fill up. I also put a couple ounces in the crankcase with an oil
change. ~ Brian
Try
a quart of Lucas Oil Stabilizer with your next oil change. The stuff is thick as
molasses but works wonders on engines that have "loosened up" over the
years, particularly with suspect maintenance. It also swells valve seals, which
may be how the oil is getting into the cylinders. If the bike smokes fairly
excessively right after starting and tends to taper off after it hits normal
operating temp, I'd replace the valve seals only. If the smoke is pretty steady,
more than likely a bad cylinder. Of course, your compression test would find
that. Good luck, ~ Bob L
UPGRADING
MIRRORS FOR AN ’86 LX
I ordered the later
model mirrors for my 86 LX (dressed out as LXE) Cade. The mirrors did not come
with the two bolts to bolt into the Cade. The dealer had the top bolts but not
the bottom bolts. This is #14 on the drawing of handlebars. (Another thanks to
Tracy
) Part # 07110-06205 I had to purchase longer bolts. These bolts should be
shorter than #13 on the drawing. Therefore I am going to have to cut the two
bolts to the correct length. Question -- Does anyone know the length of the
bolt? I ask this because I am not good at eyeballing sizes. I cannot look at a
nut or bolt and guess the correct size. Anyone's help would be appreciated. ~
Harlan Speidel 86 LX Gold
Wharton
,
TX
Harlan, There are 2
spacers that the bolts must pass through. The longer spacer appears to be on the
top and the shorter spacer appears to be on the bottom. Slip the new TOP bolts
through the mirror and the TOP spacer, slip the too-long bottom bolts through
the bottom hole and the BOTTOM spacer, make the bottom bolts stick out the same
amount as the top bolts. Or, call the dealer and simply ASK HIM what the length
of a #07110-06203 bolt is. Hey, here's something even easier. Measure the length
of the new TOP bolts (from under the head to the end of the thread). If they are
just about 1 3/8" then the bottom bolts need to be about 13/16" in
length. How does he know all this shit? Well...look at the part number...the
digits after the dash. 06 = 6 mm, 20 = 20 mm length, 3 = head style. I think
that's right.
Tracy
Another
old Indian trick is to put a nut on the bolt before you cut it. Then after the
cut, backing the nut off will straighten out any threads you might have damaged
in the cut and grind-smooth process. ~ Spike
On my bike, it does
hit something after the hole. The bolt has to be cut. Thanks for the info and
about the nuts. Been thinking about putting hex head instead of the Phillips
head... This one is a hex cap and no room for a socket. Again, thanks for the
information.
WATER PUMP
CHAIN
OK yall' I got my
new water pump chain and measured it to give us something to compare to when we
are checking the ones on our bikes to see if they need replaced. I measured from
inside pin to inside pin to get all the "slope" out, (at maximum
stretch) and then added the width of one pin to come up with a center to center
measurement to compare to the limit listed in the manual. The new chain measured
2.416" plus the width of a pin, .088" = 2.504". The limit is
2.540" before it HAS to be replaced, meaning the chain can stretch
.036" in 10 links before it needs replaced. The chain that was on my bike
when I got it measured the same as the new one. I'm not for sure if it is the
original or not, but the bike has 47,000 miles on it. So if anyone needs a water
pump chain, I have one that is like new. Save this message for future reference,
because the manual wasn’t much help for me, but this message says it all. ~
Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
FRONT
FORKS
I know there was
some debate on re-finishing the front forks. Mine was in desperate need of
re-finishing, so I decided to see what I could do. And I am quite satisfied with
the results. I started by taking the front wheel, fender, brace, and calipers
off. Took about 1/2 hour. I then sprayed on some paint remover, let sit for 5-10
mins. Then cleaned it off. That took off the clear coat and took about 20 mins.
I then used 320 grit sandpaper and sanded pitted areas till the pits were gone,
followed by wet sanding with 600 grit to remove scratches made by 320 grit.
Total time sanding was about 15-20 mins. for 1 fork. I then used polishing
compound and a polishing pad in my cordless drill on high speed to polish the
sanded area back to a "stainless steel" shine. This took about 10 mins.
I will then put on a clear coat to protect it for another 15 years I hope. If
you follow these steps, you will be amazed at the difference it makes. So in a
day’s time, you can have front forks that look like brand new. I was surprised
at how little sanding it took, and how quick I was able to do it all. Hope you
find this informative. Oh, BTW, Now would be a good time to lube the speedo
cable to assure it don’t break on ya too. ~ Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
Great job Brian! I
had to take mine off to have them rebuild. To take off the remaining clear coat
I used a fine de-burring wheel mounted on pedestal grinder. Then I installed on
that grinder a 5" buffing wheel and buffed them out. It took me about an
hour to do both of them. I am pretty sure your use of fine grit sandpapers
helped to polish them out quicker, and give you much nicer shine. Let me tell
you, after that ugly, pitting surface I was very happy with my results too!
Thanks for sharing your experience. ~
Wojo
,
Kent
WA
The clear coat,
what is it? Is it just lacquer? ~ Grandpa86
Brian, Good update
on the fork polishing. I think I will do the same thing. Only I have never
before removed the front wheel. I did my stator a few years ago and this group
and
Eugene
got me through that. I want to change my break pads, lube the speedo cable and
clean and polish every thing. I'm afraid of screwing up my front wheel causing
it to come off while riding it, YIKES! ~ Michael
Michael, The front
wheel is not difficult to remove and put back on... As I stated, it took me
about a half an hour to remove wheel, brakes, fender, and brace. With all that
out of the way, it's a piece of cake doing the rest. Don’t under estimate
yourself, especially with the power of this group on your side. Besides, if you
want to do all the things you say, you’re almost there anyway. ~ Brian in IN
87 tt Gray LX
I completed
refinishing the forks. I believe they turned out fantastic. We used a urethane
clear coat like that used on today’s cars. I believe they should be good for
another 15 years. If you want to do this to yours, remember that the surface
needs to be extremely clean of oxidation, dirt, oils, polish, etc. for the clear
coat to stay stuck to the forks. For a photo via e-mail contact Brian at shermanp@netnitco.net
REMOVING
THE FRONT WHEEL
Hey Brian Good
up-date on the fork polishing. I think I will do the same thing. Only I have
never removed the front wheel. I did my stator a few years ago and this group
and
Eugene
got me through that. I want to change my break pads, lube the speedo cable and
clean and polish everything. But, I'm afraid of screwing up my front wheel
causing it to come off while riding it, YIKES! Michael
I want to try some
of the tasks discussed regarding front wheel removal, polishing and speedo parts
check and lube, etc. I think I need some way to raise the front wheel to remove
it. I don't own any jacks. Perhaps there are some ideas out there for getting
the front wheel off without spending a lot of money for a jack? Michael (
La Mesa
)
Michael, A jack
will be the easiest way. That’s what I did anyhow. You might want to check
your vehicles; they sometimes have a scissors jack or screw jack that will
work.... Or you can buy a bottle jack for little money. The best place I found
to put it is under the engine by the drain plug. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
When I pull my
front wheel, I use a small bottle jack, and block of wood, placed centered of
the front crash bars. Jack it up just enough to allow the front fork struts to
fully extend. If you gauge this right you can pull the axle shaft and almost
roll the front wheel forward out of the struts. The bike is on its center stand.
Remember this as you could possibly force it off if not careful. If you don't
have a bottle jack, place the bike on its center stand and pick the front wheel
up while an assistant places blocks under crash bar. You might have to pick up
slightly to remove and reinsert the axle shaft. Follow your manual directions on
removal of calipers, fender, and any accessories you might have on the front
forks. Once you have the calipers off, hanging in a wire (to take weight off
brake hoses). Do not squeeze the front brake lever, unless you plan on
rebuilding them. You can do all the work you mentioned earlier, and replace the
pads without completely removing the calipers, and having to completely re bleed
the front brakes. ~ Walter n
Maryland
Center stand the
bike. Tip it over a little on the right side; slide a 2 by 4 under the left
center stand leg. Tip it back to the center; put a 2 by 4 under the left leg of
the center stand. Put something heavy in the trunk. Now she'll pivot back onto
the back wheel and the front wheel is about 4 inches off the floor. If that
isn’t high enough, repeat the trick with a couple of 4 by 4s. I’m an expert
at finding cheapy-assed ways of getting things done. ~ Spike
Don't
"pick" the bike up. Just have one sit in the passenger seat and the
other put the blocks under the front of the bike, much easier. ~ Skippy
Alright guys and
girls... I am about to try my hand at changing the rear tire on my 86 Cade LX. I
got the Suzuki CD and I think I know what to do. But is there anything
maintenance wise you experienced hands can advise me to do while I have the
wheel off. Someone last week was talking about greasing a needle bearing or
something! Did not find it on the CD. Also I am pretty good at electrical
troubleshooting and soldering and such. I ordered new switches for my radio that
refuses to switch between AM and FM and stays on 102.5 FM all time. Anyone have
any suggestions before I start this? My cassette does not work either but I was
thinking it might be because the radio switches will not change. The CD is
great! If you do not have one you ought to get it. The beveled 2x6 for the center stand
works great. I am working on plans for an economical Cade Lift that will support
lifting it by the underside of the frame. Will publish as soon as I complete and
perfect it. ~ Joe in
Central Texas
What difference
does it make? They go into thru-holes. The bolt can be any length it wants,
within reason of course. Something you might wanna consider is swapping out
those Phillips screws for socket head cap screws. Makes them a lot easier to get
back out if you ever have to do that. I have been systematically replacing
Phillips screws with socket head cap screws pretty much anywhere they are
applicable. ~ Spike
MOTORCYCLE LIFT
FYI... I was
walking through the local Sear tool dept today and noticed the new Craftsman
motorcycle lift. It features swivel locking casters and T - bar to move it and
it can lift 1500 lbs. up to 17 inches with safety stops at 11 3/4, 14 3/4 &
16 1/2. The best part was the special price of $ 99.00 and there is a 10 % off
sale, which makes it $89.00. I sure this will make spring cleaning (especially
the rear wheel) a bit easier.
All of the
motorcycle lifts that I have seen currently on the market would have to be
modified to lift the Cade, as the exhaust system is lower than the frame, would
need some sort of flip-up device added. I purchased one at a garage close out
sale and ran into this problem, and haven't modified it yet, when I do I will
post modification. ~ Walter
N Maryland
Bought a new motorcycle lift.
With no surprise the pipes are lower than the frame. Does anyone have a
suggestion or comments on how to make a bracket or something to properly lift my
Cavalcade? ~
I used blocks of
wood screwed together, a 2x6 for the base then a 1x2 at the rear then a 2x2 on
top of the 1x. Hey, it was quick, handy and it works for me. ~
Roy
in TX
BARNETT
SPRINGS
Bad thing about
shimming up springs is that you don't really get an increase in the available
load on the discs, only a little higher pre-load. The Barnett springs are wound
with a slightly thicker wire and/or a higher tensile strength wire that actually
increases the available load to improve engagement. You also have to be careful
about bottoming the springs out if you get too thick a shim. Also, springs lose
tension over time and they probably needed to be replaced anyway. For the price
of Barnett springs, it was probably well worth it. ~
Tracy
Your right Tracy,
for the price of $10 it's better to replace the springs. The Barnett springs
were the same thickness, so I assume they have more strength than stock as they
had one less winding than stock and were a little taller. I had taken the used
and the new stock springs to a machine shop to test for strength, they measured
the same. That’s why I ordered the Barnett springs. By the way, there's only
25,000 miles on the clutch plates, they measured out to be the same as the new
ones I bought, thetas on automotive 10 W 40 oil. $200 for clutch discs when all
I needed were $10 springs. Well, at least I have an extra set of discs. ~ Clair
Cade 1987
Yes,
I purchased the bike new. We had gone riding on day and came to an intersection
where we had to stop, I mentioned to my wife that someone must have lost oil
somewhere because I could smell it. After we pulled out and stopped at the next
red light I smelled it again, "Gee, that must be us." Luckily it had
only leaked enough to get into the driveshaft boot and slightly drip on the
exhaust. (Thank goodness it dripped on the exhaust that we could smell it).
Drove it about 40 miles to home. This all happened before I found the Cavalcade
group so figured all it needed was gaskets. When we asked the Suzuki dealer
about it they said it would cost about $500 or $600 and never said anything
about a recall. Well, I had a shop manual and figured I could try to do it
myself. Purchased oil seals and gaskets, cost $40. After taking everything apart
I started to put the secondary gear box back in and this rubber/metal plug fell
out, it had been stuck fast to the bottom of the case with the gear lube. Under
close inspection the plug had 3 or 4 teeth marks that matched the bevel gears,
it must have come out, hit the gears once and fell to bottom of the
case, luckily for
me. Well, after making another trip to the Suzuki dealer and purchasing a new
plug for $7.75 I just pressed it back in. Know that I know better, I should have
put some sort of sealer on it. It has worked OK ever since. The total cost was
under $50, that sure beats $500. Was sure worth all the work and time it took.
Suzuki has NEVER contacted me as to ANY recalls or fixes except shortly after
purchase the sent me a letter regarding the battery going dead after a short
storage and suggested turning off CB Memory and trickle charging the battery. ~
Clair Cade 1987
Clair, Well, that
missing winding is a big part of it. When you take out a winding you spread the
deflection over fewer windings which stiffens up the spring. The down side to
that is that the steel is being stressed to a higher level and the type and
temper of the metal can get pretty critical if you want them to last. That's why
a $10 set of Barnett springs also buys a whole slew of R&D. A nice bargain.
As for the plates not wearing, I would say that most of the Caders have
experienced very little physical wear in the clutch plates and the real culprit
is glazing due to too soft of springs and a heavy-ass bike. Almost all the
clutch plates will glaze to some degree and many can be brought back to like by
just sanding them a little. If you've seen new fiber clutch discs, then you know
that they aren't smooth but have some "tooth" to the surface. Over
time that tooth gets worn off and sanding with some medium to course paper can
revive the plates. Downside to that is that you will eventually have to do it
again unless you replace the springs with ones that probably should have been in
the motor to begin with (AKA: Barnetts). The clutch engages more positively,
there is less if any slippage at speed (or getting to speed) which helps stave
off glazing. Now, if we could get those Suzuki engineers in a headlock and
convince them to. ~
Tracy
SPEEDOMETER
MAINTENANCE
Hey Guys, I sure
feel bad about bothering ya for things like this, but I just can’t seem to
find this on the CD. Probably not looking in the right place. I have the speedo
gear box off and was planning on checking it over, but can't figure out how it
comes apart or if it needs to for some preventive maintenance. Thought I would
clean the gears and give it some fresh lube, but just can't find a break down on
the CD. Can someone steer me in the right direction or tell me what I need to do
to make sure the gearbox doesn’t wear out prematurely. I sure do appreciate
having 500 Cade owners/mechanics at my disposal. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
Hello Brian, I just
took mine apart and discovered after the snap ring and the "C" clip on
the back I couldn't get it down any further to lube it or even to inspect the
gears. It had the appearance of a rubber sealed bearing. It wasn't all that
smooth inside of its movement so I took my grease gun and attempted to force
some grease down in the cable hole...no luck. I brought out my compressor hose
and forced some grease down inside it. The real discovery was the condition of
the two "dogs" that engage the wheel to rotate the gears. They were
about shot so I straightened them out a little and insured they mated up with
the wheel OK and with the new wheel bearings installed (another matter for some
gnashing of teeth) I gave it a trial. GREAT! In my opinion the speedo gear box
is a piece of (work) and if in doubt, get a replacement while you still
can...(there exclusive to the Cade'). The job was an all-day sucker for an
arthritic old fart but perfectly do-able if your ol' L---- (whoops)
"Bride" is able to help with some of the "hand-me's" and
"just push a little harder's". ~ Bill the Fish Guy
Bill, Well I found
out the same thing that you did as far as trying to take it apart. My
"dogs" where in good shape thou. So did you fill the cable hole with
grease, then follow with compressed air to get it into the gears? Did that seem
to work? Does the air escape around the seal? Mine seem a little stiff, but
seems to rotate smoothly. Thanks for you input. ~ Brian in IN 87 tt Gray LX
REPLACING CLUTCH
SPRINGS
Some time ago
someone posted the procedure for replacing the clutch springs. I couldn't find
it in the archives, so could you re-post them for me? Phil
Take off the right
side engine cover. Take one bolt out of the clutch hub. Replace the spring on
that bolt. Reinstall that bolt and tighten. Repeat 3 more times. Bolt the side
cover back on. That's it. Oh, you should probably have a new gasket for the side
cover Part #11482-05A01. You may want to drain the oil first or at least tilt
the bike to the left on the side stand. ~
Tracy
Both of these are
pretty important... my gasket was brittle and had to be replaced... the oil for
some reason likes to come out when the side covers removed too... but I thought
ahead and drain mine first.... You might want to check some other things while
your in there, water pump seal and chain, clutch plates... but then you have to
take all 4 clutch spring bolts out, but that's no problem... I just did it, no
need for any special tools or skills... It’s a pretty easy job. ~ Brian
The Barnett number
is MT-9-4. www.accwhse.com has them
for $11.95 a set. www.bikebandit.com
has EBC replacement springs (#2001-EBC spring kit) for $9.99. They say they are
10% stiffer than stock. www.motodepot.com
has Premier Braking Limited replacement springs for $9.99 (#328-0026). www.barnettclutches.com
has a dealer locator that can find you a dealer. ~
Tracy
The Barnett springs
were the right choice. I had 24,000 miles on my ‘87 and it began to slip when
on a full throttle, low speed and in high gear. I ordered new springs and
clutches from Suzuki and measured the new springs. They measured the same as the
old ones. Took them to a machine shop and had them tested and the spring tension
measured the same. That's when I ordered Barnett springs, they are taller and
had one less winding. I'm sure the length will keep a little more pressure on
the clutches when lever is released. I thought about placing thin washers under
original springs to increase length, but why do that when a new set of Barnett
springs cost only $10.00. Measured the clutch plates they also measured the same
as old ones (now that was money I could have saved). The moral of the story is,
If your clutch is slipping just try replacing the springs before ordering clutch
discs. ~ Clair in PA, Cade1987
Here is a tip for
anyone who wants it. I changed the clutch springs in my Cavalcade today. It's an
‘87 with 48k miles. When I was tightening the bolts, I had the torque wrench
set to 9 ft. lbs. and the first one torqued down fine. The second one felt a
little mushy like it didn't want to tighten down and just as I was ready to stop
to see what was wrong, it snapped off just below the washer. Luckily I was able
to spin it out of the hole with a dental pick until I could grab it with a pair
of needle nose vice grips and get it out. The last two did the same thing, but I
stopped before they snapped. When I took the one out it was already cracked so
it was close to breaking too. My advice is to be very careful when putting them
back in and if they don't tighten to spec as soon as you feel them getting
tight, just stop right there and get a new one or save yourself some grief and
just go buy four more. I matched them up at my local hardware store and they
were 50¢ a piece. I'm not sure whether the heat just got to them or what, but I
just wanted to advise anyone who might be changing them. ~ Rick
I looked at the
service manual and I believe it is wrong in the section that describes the
clutch install. If you look to section 10 and the tightening torque of a 6 mm
bolt, it should only be 3-5 ft/lb. for low grade (which I believe is what is in
the clutch) and 6-8.5 lb./ft for high grade bolts. ~
Tracy
OIL
LEAK
I have a small oil
leak that seems to be coming from a hose that comes down the right front frame
rail. It is tie wrapped there with what I believe to be the battery over flow
hose. Can anyone tell me where this hose comes from and why I am seeing oil leak
from it? ~ Bob Morse '86 LX
One
of those hoses is the air cleaner drain hose. Some blowback into the air cleaner
box could be producing a little oil there, but it should be an itsy bitsy
amount. The only reason there should be any more than that would be if you
accidentally poured some oil into the air cleaner box or it could be draining
moisture from a recent washing or rain storm ride. ~ That's not to say that the
oil is coming from somewhere else (like a valve cover) and following the hose
down. ~
Tracy
It may also be
coming from the primary or secondary coolant bottle...mine looked like a head
gasket leak till I checked it out. ~ Dan in TX
BLEEDING
THE FRONT BRAKE
I have rebuilt my
front calipers. I bled the brakes but there’s no stopping power. Since only
one bleeder is provided on the front calipers, how does the air get out on the
side without the bleeder? Does anyone have a bleed method? ~ Mud
Mud, Are you sure
there isn’t a bleeder on the other caliper? Maybe its snapped off even with
the caliper and only looks like it don’t have one. I just looked at mine and I
have a bleeder on each caliper. ~ Ichaboney
Bleeding bike
brakes is a major pain in the ass. And, there is only one bleeder on each
caliper. The two sides are tied together at the
high point
. Some find it easier to pump the fluid in from the bottom by using a turkey
baster or other suitable pump since air wants to naturally gravitate to the top
anyway. You have to be real careful in doing this since you can overflow the
reservoir and the fluid will destroy any plastic or paint that it comes in
contact with. Sometimes, it just takes pumping a lot of fluid through the system
to get all the air out. ~
Tracy
Someone suggested a
small pump oil can that you can attach a hose to be able to pump fluid in
reverse, too. I tried it and was quite happy.... less mess, too. I think it also
pushed something back out the way it came in (via the reservoir) ~ HeyJerr
FRONT
BRAKE SWITCH
I know this is a
simple thing and probably a stupid question. But, before I take it apart I
wanted to check. My front brake switch is sticking. I can’t remember if there
are any tiny springs or bearings that could fall out when I take it loose. Also
should I lubricate it with anything or just clean it real good? ~
Roy
in TX
Spring. If you lube
it, do it with something that conducts. ~
Tracy
Roy
: Yes, there is a small sliding contact that can/will fall out. I am on my
second switch, less than $20 from dealer. I replaced the switch ass’y, lubed
it lightly in the contacts with dielectric grease, no more problems (for now). I
am still trying to figure out how to adapt the brake switch like I did the
clutch switch with a micro-switch, but there is more room on the clutch lever to
play with. ~ Brian, ‘87LXE in CT
You'll find
both...a tiny spring and a ball. I put a flat case size pop box under mine
before I took it apart and it saved me having to crawl around on the floor
looking for parts. Cleaned mine with a pencil eraser. Put a little dab of grease
on the ball to hold it in place. It's working fine again. ~ KennG
SUPERBRACE
INSTALLATION
The brace went on
with a little nudge and the front end is noticeably tighter. Took out almost all
the wobble. ~ Bosbiker
I've been out of
town for 5 days and got back today. My new tires and brace were waiting for me.
I'm installing the brace tomorrow. I hope to put the tires on in the next few
years. Not really, will start that tomorrow afternoon. Question, can anyone tell
me how much torque to put on the 4 Allen head bolts that hold the Superbrace on?
~ Richie
The service manual
doesn't give the torque value for those specific bolts, however, they are 8mm
and the general torque rules are 7-11.5 ft/lb. for mid strength bolts and 13-20
ft/lb. for high strength bolts. The thing one needs to consider is that the
limiting factor might be the quality of the aluminum that the forks are made
from. I would start at the low numbers and see how that feels. You wouldn't want
to strip anything out. Since the Superbrace is designed to fit very well around
the forks, it shouldn't take overly tight bolts to make it work properly. A
little blue Locktite might make you feel better. ~
Tracy
On my stock brace
its 2 1/16 from center to center of mounting hole, the super brace for 86--87
vin 103765 up is 1 7/8 from centers. My Cade is a 1988 VIN 5j2100029. The people
at super brace are trying to figure this out. ~ Richie
Editor’s Note:
Several Cavalcade Owners measured the bolt spacing on their bikes and sent the
results to
Tracy
.
Well. Okay then,
it's official. Suzuki made a change to the bolt spacing for the front fork brace
after frame #5882 (March '86) and at or before frame #0029 (Jan '88). Al's bike
(#0097 and also Jan '88) also has the larger (2 1/8") spacing. I will call
SuperBrace tomorrow. ~
Tracy
I called them and
told of my problem with the brace. I sent my brace back for a refund. They told
me that they were trying to figure this one out and are trying to find the info
on the ‘88 Cade. ~ Richie
You know, I've been
thinking that maybe Suzuki stopped making new parts after 87 and the 88's were
made from all the leftovers. ~ Brian
in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
Brian, Well, you
might be right. However, that still doesn't explain why the spacing on the '88s
is wider (and possibly some '87s depending on when they changed it). If they
were trying to use up parts, it still should have been the same. ~
Tracy
Okay folks, here's
the skinny on the Superbrace fit issue. ~ According to the parts book
(Cavalcade), Suzuki changed the forks for the GCG, GCH and GCJ (I believe that
stands for '87, '88 and '89). So, even though Superbrace makes 2 models for
early and late frame numbers, that only applies to GTG and GDG models ('85 and
'86 I believe). So, if you have an '87 or later, you need wider spacing for the
brace to fit. ~ I spoke with
Chad
at Superbrace today and he assures me that they are on the project and are
making the molds to fix the issue. I gave him the dimensions that David provided
but, ideally, they would really like a bike to measure. ~ So, if anyone out
there has a GCG, GCH or GCJ and you live near
Huntington Beach
,
CA
, the boys at Superbrace will be happy to treat you right as rain if you are
willing to drag your sorry ass (and your bike) over there. ~ You can contact
them at 800-322-4783 or 714-379-9661 and ask
for
Chad
or Scott. ~
Tracy
SHOT
SHOCKS
I've had inflation
problems with my air shocks. After much scraping, not all of it being the
floorboards, a mechanic got the compressor working but it's now just a very
expensive tire inflater as it still doesn't pump up the shocks. Attempts to
bypass the system by jumping the green wire with the white tracer have also
proven unsuccessful. So it comes to this, I'm either gonna bypass the onboard
system completely and find a way to inflate them from an external source or I'll
replace them with Progressives. Has anyone had Cavalcade experience with the
Progressive 412 gas shocks? I know that Progressive also makes an air shock but
I think I'd prefer a coil over. If I go that route, I also appreciate someone
giving me a shock length measurement, which I don't want to get from my sagging
machine. ~
Roy
from MD
Roy
, Have you checked and/or cleaned the position sensor mounted on the swingarm?
If the sensor doesn't send the right signal, the compressor won't inflate the
shocks it will just pump up the bladders and/or external hose (if attached). I
assume that the shocks aren't leaking as fast as they are filled. If they were,
there would be a bunch of oil running out of them as well. ~
Tracy
Roy
, I went to Progressive rear shocks about 6 years ago when my stock ones
wouldn't pump up anymore. They're still working fine. Cost me about $160 back
then. ~ Michael
Roy
, You need to find out if it’s the shocks, the compressor, or just plugged
lines. I would take an air line off, like at the shock and hit the button and
see if you have air coming out. If not, then you need to try some up at the
compressor. You might want to refer to my previous message # 21753 in the
archives at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cavalcade_usa/messages
just type the number in the search box. My shocks were taking a loooong time to
pump up and found plugged lines were the problem. If you have air coming out of
the line, then the shocks must be bad. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
I replaced my stock
shocks with Progressive air shocks had to by an adapter kit to make up the
airline connections. I had them rebuilt one time before by Progressive due to an
air leak in one of them. They are currently in the shop at progressive again for
rebuild due to oil leaking out of one of them. When I pulled it off the bike
found that the shaft on one of them came unscrewed from the inside of the shock,
my local wrench says he has never seen anything like it before. I sent a little
note to Progressive with the shocks to see if they can explain this problem. ~
John in
La.
'86 LXE
I went the 412
route last year and I'm not sorry. The only set back is making the adjustments
for a stiffer ride. You pretty much have to remove the saddlebags to do it. Mine
are adjusted one step below half way and work well one up, two up and two up
with the trailer. I don't think you'll be sorry. One thing about the compressor,
check the banjo fittings on the top hoses. Mine were plugged. Cleaned them out
and opened the hole in the fitting and the pressure is back. ~ KennG
I, too, have the
Progressive 412's on my Cade. Gave up the air suspension but they were the best
choice due to the, er, generous size of myself & wife. I cannot say I regret
it, very nice ride - I can only imagine that that is how a 'normal-sized' guy
feels on a stock Cade. ~ Brian ‘87LXE in CT
Brian, Tracey &
John thanks for your input on my shock problem. I have some line checking to do
over the weekend. To make the problem a little clearer, When I press the
auto-level button - the light works but the compressor does not engage - even
with a passenger on - its like the bike is sensing that it is properly inflated.
Maybe I answered my own question as I know that there is a level sensing device
somewhere that triggers the compressor to inflate or deflate the air shocks. ~
Roy
from MD
Roy
, also check that your side-stand is not down. It will not fill with it down.
The light will come on while you are pressing it. But will go off when you
release it. If that's not the case then it sounds like the height sensor to me.
~
Denny Potoczky
Also check the
center stand switch. They quite often get filled with water and dirt causing
compressor not to engage. ~ Phil R
I have also had
some problems with the auto level system on my bike. I simply put a Schrader
valve in the line just above the left shock and pump it up with external air
supply. Also ran a hose to the coin holder compartment on the left side dash and
installed gauge so I can monitor the shock air pressure and not over-inflate the
air bladders. Generally run about fifty to sixty pounds of air for two-up riding
and trailer towing. Just received my shocks back from progressive today repairs
covered under warranty must be lifetime as shocks are four years old, $25.00
shipping and handling charges. ~ John in
La.
'86 LXE
Before you go and
spend the money on new shocks make sure that the are lines from the compressor
are not corroded shut. My shocks would not pump up even though the air
compressor was working. I removed the seat and disconnected the air lines from
the shocks, then I placed an air pump and gauge to the shocks and pumped them
up, and they held the air. The problem was that the banjo fittings and air line
had corroded shut due to moisture in the lines. Sure was happy not to spend the
big bucks for new shocks. ~ Clair, Cade1987
I installed
Progressive air shocks last year. I've had no problems. Make sure you order the
adapter kit for the Cade. ~ Brenden
Gentleman for the
first time I noticed fine black lines on my front forks (no oil yet), I'm
assuming the seals are starting to breakdown. Am I on the right track? Is there
a special tool needed to take them apart in order to repair the seals? When
should the inner springs be replaced if ever? Are Garters still available to
protect the front forks during long trips? ~ Larry ‘86 LXE, 38,000 miles
Larry, I don't
think that the appearance of fine lines on the upper tubes necessarily indicates
impending seal failure, because those lines are probably coming from the wipers
that sit over the actual oil/air seals. It may be that you have some dirt
collecting in the wipers and they need to be lifted up and cleaned. A little
rubber lubricant on them will help then slide better. ~ As for replacing the
seals, the only "special" item needed is something to hold the inner
tube while you take out the socket-head bolt in the bottom. It is usually
nothing more than a length of tubing or rod with a metric (or
US
quasi-equivalent) welded onto one end. That nut fits into a female recess in
the inner tube ad allows you to keep it from turning whilst you remove the bolt.
~ Other than that, it's a bang-bang, wash-em-up, install new seals, measure out
and put in some new fluid (Dexron tranny fluid is as good as anything) hang-'em-back
and ride. ~ If you feel the springs are too soft for your weight or riding
style, that's when they should be replaced with better springs like
Progressives. Be careful, though, some of the members have received the wrong
springs from Progressive. ~
Tracy
AIR CLEANER BOX
My air cleaner box
is some what out of shape making it difficult to assemble the two halves while
in place. Has anyone had any luck making a seal on a difficult air cleaner box?
Has anyone made any type of strap or hold down brace to hold the two halves of
the air cleaner together instead of relying on the false tank cover? I would
like to thank all the people who respond to my questions. I may be able to get
this Cade on the road one of these days. ~ Mud
There should be two
threaded studs that protrude through the top half on which you thread two wings
nuts. If you ain't got no studs, maybe that's your problem. ~
Tracy
LIQUID
COVER GASKET
Changed my clutch
springs over the weekend. I didn't find a right side cover gasket. So I went to
AutoZone and bought VersaChem, Super Blue II, Type 777. Scraped off old gasket
pieces, cleaned both surfaces, wiped with alcohol, applied blue stuff per
directions. Assembled everything and let it set for a day (24 hrs +) Put oil
back in last night and ran for a little. No drips, no runs, no errors. I'm
happy. Thought I would let you know the blue stuff works. ~ KennG
Kenn, What about
the pull of the new springs?
You can definitely
tell you're grabbing on to more. It's not an overwhelming pull, but a bit
stronger than the stock springs. I think I'm gonna be real happy with the new
springs. Thanks to all of you who have made the swap before and shared the info
with us. ~ KennG
WHEEL
LOCK-UP
Last Sun. my group
& I were riding on the I-540 Interstate (AR). We were doing 70 or 75mi. When
my ‘86 Cade back wheel locked up. I left a black mark for 78 long yards. I
kept both wheels on the road. But, What A Wild Ride! Any ideas what made the
back wheel lock up? After the bike was off the road we started it up & it
fired. We put it on the center stand & put it in gear back wheel turned for
a little. But it locked up. ~ Dennis
Khrom, Don't tell
me, let me guess. Your bike was built in either March or April of 1985 and the
last 4 digits of your VIN are somewhere between 0500 and 3100. Likely the bevel
plug came out of your secondary and wedged itself in the bevel gears. Pull off
the secondary case and I'll buy you a tall cold beer if you don’t find a
chewed up oil plug in there. And I will even if you do, just for holding it
rubber-side down through that experience. ~ Spike
Could be one of the
following (or maybe something else)
1)
Needle bearing in rear wheel (recall for that)
2) U-joint at front
of driveshaft (was too small on early units)
3) Loss of lube in
secondary box due to faulty plug issue (was also a common issue)
~
Tracy
I am unaware of the
"faulty plug" issue in the secondary box. How does one check for a
potential problem with this? ~
Alan-Daytona
Beach
Alan, It probably
only applies if your date of manufacture is between March and about May of
‘85. After that we think they fixed the problem. Check your date on your VIN
tag. If it is in that window, that is if your VIN last 4 digits is between 0500
and about 3200 and your bike is an ‘86, then get back here and lets talk. You
might have a little job ahead of ya. ~ Spike
Oops, never mind
Alan you already sent me your VIN. The bevel plug problem doesn’t apply to
you. Now, since you live in
Florida
, go out, get on your bike, ride your brains out, have a great time. ~ Spike
Alan, Usually,
there will be a tell-tale sign like the appearance of hypoid lube in the
driveshaft tube. This will show up at the front rubber flex joint and will make
a general mess of the left rear of the bike. BUT, in some cases, the lube simply
drains into the driveshaft tube and never really lets you know that it's there
unless you check for it by removing one end of the rubber boot. Walter in
Maryland
had a similar leakage problem and to prevent it from happening again he
constructed this complex array of tubes and warning buzzers to let him know that
there was fluid in the driveshaft tube. If you can get past the ultra-technical
maze of clear plastic tubing and all of the connecting wiring (I think there is
somewhere about 2 miles of additional tubing and wiring that Walter has attached
to the left rear of his Cade), it's really not that obtrusive. And the main
thing is that it WORKS! Walter, please don't hate me...I was only joking because
I respect you. :-) Actually, you can find the plans for Walter’s very simple
and effective device at www.suzukicavalvade.com. ~
Tracy
Alan, Well, if you
really want to be on the safe side, you will check those things that cause
rear-wheel lockup. It's a pain to do since you have to take the back wheel off,
but the needle bearing was a known problem. The problem is, you don't know if
someone has gone in there and grease it properly. Or, if they did, when it was
done. The u-joint will usually start making a clank noise on takeoff and during
throttle off throttle on. It may be a little hard to hear but you may be able to
feel it. If it's only in one gear, it's probably just the lash in that gear set
in the tranny. But if it's in all gears, it could very well be the u-joint. This
was another known problem that was fixed sometime during production of the bike.
The keeper of the stats (Spiker) may have the info on the VIN number when it was
fixed. As for the grease in the secondary drive, Spike is right, there is a hole
in the driveshaft tube that you can check for signs of leakage. However if the
pervious owner has kept the bike really clean, any leakage at that hole could
have been cleaned off regularly and you wouldn't know what the level is unless
you check it. Also, there are seals in the secondary that eventually start to
leak, beyond the problem of the infamous plug. Anyway, checking and/or replacing
the lube in the secondary is easy. Hope some of this helps. ~
Tracy
As for loosing the
ground to the rectifier, you need to check the double plug just below the
battery. There are two wires. A black one and a black/white striped one that
come off the ground terminal at the battery. Follow them down from the battery
check that plug if any battery acid has gotten into it it's building up
resistance in the ground to the rectifier, your readings were the same as mine
when I had the same problem. Cut that plug out and either solder those wires
together or put in new butt connectors, cover the repair with shrink tube. I was
looking at my manual as to the needle bearings in the rear wheel. I see
three/between the drive break down and the rear wheel breakdown. It looks like
the drive ones should be in hypoid, however it looks like the one in the rear
wheel hub needs grease. As to the plug failure, it's anyone’s guess, I have my
theories on that. I lean more to the bevel gear box locking up, due to lube
loss, through the plug or rear seal at the drive shaft.
Tracy
, the catch tubes do work and it isn’t really miles of tubing, and bells and
whistles. I figured if Spike could use 18 feet of tubing to bleed his front
brake and clutch. A little tubing wouldn't hurt to fore warn me of a major
catastrophe. I know you are kidding. Like you said the bevel gear box could lose
all of it's oil into the driveshaft/left swing arm and not even show up on the
bike. ~ Walter
Ever
since I've owned my Cade (my first drive shaft bike) I have placed it on the
center stand periodically to spun the rear wheel and listen for any unusual
noises. I placed the bike in gear (not running) and rocked the wheel back and
forth to see how much slack/play was in the drive system. I know it's not a
measured inspection, but it gives you an idea as to just what is there. And you
might just be able to hear any slack. Then I start the bike up, and gently go
through all the gears, again listening for any grundling, grinding, whining, and
zinging. I generally take it up to about 40 miles per hour, gently applying the
brakes now and then. Sort of like a DRY RIDE, (know what mean?) FOR this test I
make sure the bike can't come off the center stand. It's an easy way to let you
know whatzzzup in the drive line area. Last summer after some long riding in the
rain TO LAKE GERORE. I left the morning coffee stop and noticed the bike wanted
to slow down seemed as though the rear brake was binding up, I pulled the lever
back up with my toe and sure enough it was. It seems as though my riding habits
applied just enough pressure on the rear brake to bring the pad in contact with
the rotor. As I rode, the heat expanded the pads/rotor and fluid to keep
applying the brakes, until I manually returned the brake lever to allow the
fluid to reenter the master cylinder. FOUND RUST IN PIVOT of brake lever. LUBE
my friends is the answer. ~ Walter n
Maryland
MORE
ON WHEEL LOCK-UP
Alan, Save yourself
some grief and check the VIN # on your registration or title against Spike's
list, "last four digits between 0500 an 3100" seems to have the
problem. When Spike et. al. started this VIN # research, "I thought why
bother!" just to see who’s Cade was oldest? But now I ride a little more
confidently knowing mine is 4768. THANKS
SPIKE, a slam dunk idea ~ Larry in
Dayton
Ok, now that most
everyone, including me is paranoid after reading these rear wheel lockup
messages, I need some clarification. Supposedly the bad ones were in early model
Cavalcades with the last four digits 0500 to 3100. By early model, is this only
the 1986 models? The last four digits of my VIN are 0888, but it's an '87. I
don't see any signs of leakage, but should I be doing some work on my bike
anyway? Thanks to anyone who knows the answer to this. ~ Rick
Larry, I just got
my Cade. I know what you mean about feeling better about having a bike out of
the range on spikes list. Mine is 4884, pretty close to yours. It only has
18,000 on her, so would hate to be taking a "wild" ride all of a
sudden. I agree with everyone...THANKS Spike! ~ Maury, in
Auburn
,
WA
Okay Spike,
interesting concept... I have mine apart and by looking down the secondary
output shaft (where the drive shaft connects) I see a metal disc that would look
like the "bottom" of a bottle cap. I also looked on the CD and found
the section that tells you to install the "plug" but this does not
show you what it looks like or if there is any different way to install it
(section 4 page 15). In fact, I don't see any mention on how to install the new
one once it has been removed. As with most of the CD it tells you, that you need
special tools to do most of the work but none for this "plug". ~ Terry
‘86LX frame #5882
Terry, I don't
think that what you are seeing is the "plug". If you look on page 4-2
and then on page 4-1, the plug is at the driven-gear end of the arrangement that
sits inside the gearbox. From what members have described that have replaced it,
it is a rubber-metal composite that presses into the inside of the gear. I
assume that since it doesn't state which direction it is installed, and that it
doesn't require a special tool, then it is obvious as to how it goes in and that
a big plate or punch is all that's required to install it. ~
Tracy
Yep, I've seen the
plug that is shown on those pages. What I don't understand is that what is it
that I see when I look up the end of the shaft. Is this the fix that Suzuki made
so that we don't have to fill with epoxy to seal this off? I don't need to take
mine completely apart to find this out. Have you or anyone taken this drive
apart to see exactly what this is? Is the there a hole completely through to the
shaft if the plug is removed on the early ones? ~ Terry 86LX
Terry, Yes the
shaft has a hole through it. It's the way it was machined. And to close that
hole they added a plug. When you look into it from the drive shaft end you are
seeing the back (inside) of the plug. It isn't covered with rubber/plastic on
the back. I did all this research, on a spare gear box I purchased just in case.
~ Walter n
Maryland
What year was the
unit you are using from? When I look down mine it is metal and is hard, don't
see any rubber from the shaft end. ~ Terry 86LX
Mine is one of the
early ones. It has a hole through the center of the driven bevel. The plug can
go in two ways but seems to have a directional preference, i.e. if it is
oriented top forward, it goes in easy and comes out hard. What I am hoping is
that someone with an early bird will decide to take the secondary case off to
see which way the plug is oriented as built. I couldn't tell you as mine had
already fallen out when I took it apart. Since so many Cades were built in
spring of 85, it is possible that they had more than one parallel assembly line,
in which case we could have a mixed bag: some could have plugs top forward and
some with plugs top aft. ~ Spike
I can't see us
getting paranoid over the plug. There can be many scenarios that could cause
plug failure. I have an 86 Cade with 48.000 miles on it. I know for a fact the
seals between the engine and bevel gear box are transferring oil into the gear
box from the engine. I also know the rear seal has just started to leak into the
drive shaft (left swing arm) as my catch tubes signify. I also have an extra
bevel gear box from an 87 Cade and the flat (top) of the bottle cap is facing
the inner portion of the bevel gear. This I can see if I look into the splined
(driveshaft end) of the gear box. I truly don't feel as though that little non
ferrous plastic/rubber covered plug is going to lock a rear wheel up with the
rpm's those gears are turning and the weight of the bike. It'll grind it up or
either it will fall harmlessly into the bottom of the gear box. However if
you're the "start and ride" rider, your gear box has become low on oil
and you ride it this way long enough for the gear that has the plug to become
hot enough, the plug will fall out. And also the gear bearings will start to
seize. I also don't think that the needle bearings in the rear wheel would cause
this without some prior noise. Let me shed a little light. Remember the guy that
was selling parts on e-bay "Sealskinner"? I ask quite a few questions
before I bought any parts. He stated that the parts bike had suffered a rear
wheel lock up. Due to that, the bevel gear box needed bearings. Also the rear
tire had a flat spot. For anyone that purchased rear drive parts from him
consider this. It is imperative with these things are now known that you take
the time to look for any oil leaks, in the drive section of your bike,
before>diring and after a trip. And to remember to keep those areas clean of
road dirt so you can see any change in the collection of oily residue. I hope
the fellow that suffered this harrowing experience posts his findings on the web
site. I haven't gotten around to replacing the seals in mine yet, when I do I
will post it here. ~ Walter n
Maryland
Rick, yours is
likely OK. I think after May of 85 they realized there was a problem and
straightened it out. We haven’t heard of any bevel plug failures on any bikes
made after May of 85. Anyone with a later bike care to comment? Your 0888 H
model was made after they made the suspicious recall notice. I'm sorry to scare
you Rick. If you have a low mileage early Cade, then we need to get your
attention. ~ Spike
As I stated before
I have an extra complete bevel (intermediate) gear box, by complete I mean the
large spring and cam dog that actually drives the bevel gears. With the spring
in place there is no way the plug can fall out of the end of the bevel gear. It
can come loose but the spring keeps it from falling down. However when the gear
box is removed and the spring is removed it will allow it to fall into the gear
area. If it should become dislodged it will or could dance around on that area
until it wore thin enough to pass by the spring? The cavalcade's rear drive is
driven by the cam dog, which is splined directly off the main shaft from the
transmission, and held into its position by the large spring. For the non
mechanically inclined this may be confusing. If you want to see the spring and
cam dog it's page 4-4 in the manual. This spring goes into the bevel gear box
and pushes the cam dog into outer bevel gear, which transfers the rotation
motion to the aft bevel gear. Further checking I found the plug to be a ferrous
metal, which still doesn't change my way of thinking, as to grinding it up, I
know this isn't good either but I’m really not worried about this plug locking
up the rear wheel. It has to be a more severe problem as low gear oil locking up
the bevel gear. I feel that if we are careful and conscious of this problem and
keep a normal look out for oil leaks in the drive area, every thing will be ok.
The plug isn't hard at all to remove. I pushed it out with very little force,
one might also say if you were to grease the drive shaft splines and push it
quickly into the rear splines of the bevel there may be enough compression for
the plug to become dislodged. When I do repair mine I will fill the rear gear
with about 2" of epoxy or rubber curing agent. As has been stated before it
is possible for the rear swing arm to fill with gear oil and there be no signs
on the bike, if the drain hole in the driveshaft has become plugged, or rotated.
~ Walter n
Maryland
I just finished
replacing all of the seals (clutch included) in my secondary drive unit. The one
thing I did notice was that the new plug was deeper than the original unit. The
old one was about 3/8" deep while the new one was about 1/2" deep. ~
Dick Carter,
Bay City
Tex.
86 lx #1669
NEEDLE
BEARINGS IN REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Tracy
: re: sect 4 page 18 items 13 and 21; you are right. However item 21 is a needle
bearing also for the driveshaft splines. These two in relation to their seals
appear to be running in hypoid gear oil to me. However if you go to section 9
page 68, it shows a needle bearing (item 10) in the rear wheel on the inner
side. I think with the wheel removed one could possibly grease this one and
possibly see item 10 needle bearing as well as maybe item 13 by looking into the
axle shaft hole. You might possibly grease this one as well. Anyway, there are
two needle bearings. One is located just inside the inner rear wheel axle hole
and one is just inside the axle hole of the drive itself. Before installing the
rear wheel I think I would look for these bearings and if at all possible place
my finger in the axle hole and see if I could distinguish a needle bearing if so
make sure it has plenty grease. Make sure the axle itself is clean before
reinserting it into the wheel on assembly. These references as to section page
and item were taken from the manual. ~ Walter
Good call Walter, I
hadn't looked at the rear wheel assembly (I found it on page 53 of Section 9)
but that is probably the bearing that needs to be greased since it clearly does
NOT run in hypoid. I believe that the only bearing that can be greased is item
10 on page 53 of section 9 (or page 68 as the case may be). After looking back
at item 13 on page 18 of section 4, that needle bearing clearly carries the
outboard end of the ring gear carrier and does in fact run in hypoid. ~
Tracy
You are right!
Section 4, pg18, item 13 is a needle bearing, as is item 21. And with their
relation to the seals and hypoid oil section of the rear drive I see them as
running in hypoid rear oil. However in section 9 pg63 there is also a needle
bearing located in the wheel. It would probably need to be greased as it appears
to be isolated from the gear oil section of the drive it's self. If you look at
sect 9, pg. 56, fig#1, you will see the installation process for this bearing.
Which also states to apply grease. I feel this is the bearing. They are
referring to. You might possibly see the other needle bearing if you looked into
the axle shaft hole of the drive. You will definitely see the needle bearing on
the inside of the wheel once it is removed. These references were made from the
manual, as I haven't purchased the CD as of yet. When I install the rear wheel I
would place grease in the axle shaft hole in both the inner wheel bearing and
the drive. These are the only ones you can get to with just the wheel off. And
make sure the shaft is clean before reinserting it into the wheel. ~ Walter n
Maryland
RUNNING TOO HOT
Would some of
y’all help double check my trouble-shooting here? I've only had this beast
about a year (about 9,000 miles). She's got 72,000 on her. Last summer with
temps 90 to 100 (
Texas
) the temp gauge showed a little to the left of straight up. Now, with temps of
70 to 80, I'm running a good bit to the right of straight up and almost to the
point of hot if I sit and idle (even a short time). Noticed this afternoon at 80
mph she cooled off. Thought.. “Air flow, dummy." But slowed to 60 and she
heated up. Shifted to 4th and she cooled. Went to 45 and 3rd. Stayed cool. Is my
water pump not moving enough water except at higher rpm? Or, am I missing
something obvious? ~ Mark
Mark, You didn't
mention when, or if, the fan was coming on. The fan should be coming on when
you're running slowly (and when you're running fast if the temp gets up). That
would the first thing I would check. If the fan's not coming on, there's a fuse
in the circuit and the thermostatic switch in the radiator. Both of these will
need to be checked (starting with the most obvious). Fluid level is also an
issue. If you've changed the coolant, you may not have gotten all of the air
out, as it is a pain to do so. Check the fluid level and make sure the lower
tank is up to level. There was also another post that mentioned the gauge
sending unit and corroded connections leading to a false reading at the gauge. I
would check that too. The water pump generally doesn't fail in a manner that
would prevent it from pumping sufficient water. The common failure is either the
bearing or seal but generally not the impeller. Could it happen? Probably has
and probably will again but is unlikely the cause of your problem. I would check
the other things first. ~
Tracy
Yes, the fan is
running. It seems to start at the same point on the temp gauge as last summer.
Don't believe it's a flaky indication either, it feels hot too. Air might be the
problem. I've cracked the radiator cap and filled from the top tank. Did get
some air through the cap before fluid arrived. Is there some other trick to
purging the system? I've been through all the normal kind of troubleshooting and
can't solve it. That's why I'm grasping for the not-so-obvious.
Tracy
, I bought your CD when I first got the ol' gal and it has been a wonderful
resource. Thanks. Lurking in this group has also been a great learning
experience. It's funny to see how much we all love these beasts. How come most
of us seem to be old and gray though? Again, thanks to all, ~ Mark
Probably the
secondary coolant bottle is leaking since it's right over top of the engine. I
wish I knew how to get to the blasted thing. I tore all the plastic off mine 3
weeks ago to check it out but seemed to be encased in a ton of stuff. ~ Dan in
D/FW TX. March 85 VIN |