You are right! Good reminder!

at 3:50 in the video you can see the spot where the dowel goes on the oil pump gear right between the 6 and 7 o clock position its real small and will fall out if the bearing it sits between and the gear is removed

@@matthewdeltoro1021 That is a great comment and something I totally missed to cover in the video. I find it hard finding any recent information on this, most images on the forums have been deleted due to age, and the manuals just mentions it briefly. Do you have any more info about it? I might actually have to get back in there, mostly to ensure I still got the pin but maybe also to do a video about it, just to make sure the info is easily reachable for people.

For anyone reading this, I actually made a video about this little dowel. You can check it out here. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kLiJi7WCuradoJs.html

Thank you so much my friend! ✌ I really felt there wasn't enough information about this around here and I really hope this will help someone in the future. And thank you for sticking around for the whole journey. Your support means a lot! 🤘 Take care! 🍻

You're welcome! Yes, please keep me posted. Would be interesting to know what's wrong with it! Good luck!

Hey! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

Thank you very much!

Thanks for watching! ✌️

No worries! I hope you found the video helpful and good luck! Let me know how it goes!

Yeah! ✌️

Thank you very much! I never thought of that, that's a great idea! Will see if I can find another location for it, I would like it to be a bit more hidden as well.

You're welcome! ✌️

Awesome! Thank you very much! ✌️🤘

Thank you very much! 🙏 Not my first time in an engine, but first time in this one. So the initial fear of "oh shit I will ruin everything" wasn't there. But it kind of came creeping back since all the work with getting everything in TDC and stuff. Yeah, now I feel like opening up all my bikes just to make sure everything is ok in there. 😅

That's actually really amazing! Really show that they can run for a really long time as long as you look after them. Enjoy the ride! ✌️

Thanks! Not sure what you are referring to as pots?

I've never one of these bikes in a "normal" condition, but you might be right. I didn't change the chain guide and looking back I kind of regret that. I should have done that while I was in there, but I just didn't know about it. Thanks for pointing that out to anyone reading this that are about to do this job!

You're welcome! ✌️

Thank you very much! As far as I know there are no Savages with an oil level wire, but I might be wrong. If you are thinking about the wire coming out of the oil pan that is the neutral switch.

I thank you very much for your fast answer You must be right for the neutral position light, this wire is damaged just outside the pan, I will try to weld it without open opening the engine first. Right now I have troubles starting the engine and awaiting a new starting motor relay, all was fine until some electric parts failed? Thx again for your knowledge I think my 650 is from 1987/1989 not sure even with the chassis number I also have a youtube channel, if you are interested in flying airplanes and other contents www.youtube.com/@silkytreat

@@silkytreat All that wire is doing is turning on the neutral light on the dash. Even though that is a nice feature for the rider, it's not crucial for the bike to run. You should be fine fixing the cable without opening the engine, if the neutral light is working it works. 🙂 I hope you get your bike up and running again! I prefer vehicles that stays on the ground, but I will check out your channel! ✌

Hi! It's the previous owner who did the tensioner mod, so I don't know when it was done or what the state of the chain was by then. My bike was almost at 50 000 km when I did the chain change. But then again, I have no service history of this bike. It might be able to last longer with proper service.

Thank you so much! 🙏 You will be able to find the service manual online. I can't link it, but search for "suzuki ls650 service manual" or something along those lines and you will find it for download. I hope you find it! Have a great day! ✌️

I might do that in the future. Until then, I think the service manual does a pretty good job at explaining what needs to be done prior to taking it out. Then it's just a matter of lifting and yanking to get it out. Might be good to have a friend help you as well, as it can be kind of heavy and also hard to grip since there's only one cylinder. If you want to take it out to do this job, there are people that say they are able to get this done without removing the engine, so you might want to look into that.

Wow, sounds like you've got your work cut out for you! Sounds like the head is in good shape? If you can get the transmission sorted it might be worth saving? Great to follow your journey and I really hope you manage to get your bike fixed!

I'm not sure, but if I'm rotating using the generator rotor, it's a 36 mm. The other nut that goes outside of that I'm pretty sure is 17 mm. I hope I understod your question correctly and that the answer helped!

Yes, no gears changed.

Hi, that's actually a great question and it forced me to do a bit of research. That bolt is for the exhaust rocker arm shaft. It's ok to remove, but you're only supposed to do it if you want to disassemble the cylinder head. I think you, I mean your friend, should be fine. But when you put it back, make sure that you have all the washers and nuts in place, so that they don't end up down in your cylinder. The Clymer manual actually shows you what parts goes where. This is the best answer I'm able to give you right now, maybe someone else comes around with more knowledge? I hope you and your friend gets this sorted. Let me know how it goes! ✌

It had almost 50 000 km when I changed the chain. It it isn't the chain it might be the valves. I also had a hard time finding any videos when I was about to do this.

@@HeavyMetalParkingSpot thanks for the reply, it seems the cam chain isn't a wearing item, as the DR forums haven't replaced one. The only time I've seen one have a problem and be replaced was at 180,000km on an XF 650. But tensioner is different on the DR XF engine... BYW I saw a turbo Savage online during my searches...

@@mattjacomos2795 I see. I hope you get your bike sorted! Not sure I would want to turbo charge one of these bikes, they are sketchy enough as is. 😅

I wouldn't actually say that the cam chain is weak. The cam chain adjuster has what you might call a strange design, but it's an easy fix. Other than that I haven't actually heard anything else being a widespread issue.

@@HeavyMetalParkingSpot Thanks a lot

Hey! They call for a torque of only 11-13 Nm, so not much!

@HeavyMetalParkingSpot are you able to simplify for a noob also I tighten my one all the way up and I heard a bit of a crack?

@@memphisskipper9277 The only way to be really sure you don't over tighten bolts is getting a torque wrench. But do a bit of research on what 11 Nm should feel like, that might help. Did you tighten only one until you heard a crack? You are supposed to tighten those spring bolts in a star pattern. I think you should take the clutch basket apart again and make sure that crack didn't actually ruin anything.

You might be right and you're not the first one to point that out. I'm actually feeling the urge to get back in there and replace the guides as well, to see if it would make any difference. I never measured the old chain either, that would also be interesting.

I will check mine too 😀 I just saw a video off a guy removing the head with the engine still in the frame ... Just a tip 😀😀

@@DrDnepr If you have a link to that video it would be really interesting to watch! 😀

Thank you! 🙏 Yeah, I try to get everything to run as smoothly as possible.

Das ist anzunehmen!🤘🏻

​@@HeavyMetalParkingSpot👸🙏🏻

also i never take rhe whole engine off doing this. just remove all te bolts (also the ones under the small valve covers). Keep the middle bolt on the top in and you can pull the top out on the left side of the frame.

Your very correct! Clymers manual says clockwise but Suzukis own manual says counterclockwise. I think I didn't really think about in the video and turned it clockwise. Thanks for correcting me! And thanks for the tip on not having to remove the engine. I couldn't for the life of me get the top off. But if I have to do this again, I would try a bit harder.

Hey! I'm not sure if Suzuki still makes the piston rings. But a search on Google for "Suzuki LS650 piston rings" gave me lots of results where you can buy them, both as old stock and new. It might be that you have to buy a kit with a new piston as well. It definitely think it should be possible to get your bike back on the road! Good luck!

I feel you! It is a bit scary. But really rewarding once you're done!

That seems plausible!

I'm sorry you didn't find the video helpful. At 3:10 and 6:13 you can see the two places you need to check for TDC. Getting the two to align I would say is trial and error. Get one of them to align, check the other one. If they don't align, adjust the chain and check again. If they align, turn the motor around a few turns and make sure they still align. There are probably other videos out there that has more tricks about getting the timing right, it should be pretty much the same procedure on any bike.