Suzuki LT500R ATV Service Manual, 1987–1990

Suzuki factory service manual for the 1987–1990 LT500R ATV, covering the LT500RH base model and the LT500RJ, LT500RK, and LT500RL updates. It documents maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of the water-cooled two-stroke engine, drivetrain, electrical system, and chassis.

PDF Search, Bookmarks and Page Details

Finding procedures and reading diagrams: Embedded bookmarks organize the main chapters and model-year updates. Text search works across most sections, but OCR errors and individual pages without searchable text can prevent matches. Small wire-color labels on the full wiring diagrams require enlargement for comfortable reading.

One printable English PDF contains 248 pages, including the cover, one vehicle illustration page, and seven blank pages. The rear-sprocket appendix and model-year update chapters are also included in this total.

Two-Stroke Rebuilds, Electrical Diagnosis and Chassis Service

These selected repair topics outline the manual’s coverage rather than reproduce its full contents. Additional subjects include break-in guidance and tire replacement.

• Engine and transmission: Step-by-step instructions for engine removal, crankcase separation, crankshaft inspection, clutch repair, and transmission disassembly and reassembly.

• SAEC exhaust control: Exhaust valve inspection, actuator servicing, governor removal and installation, and opening/closing-speed checks.

• Fuel system: MIKUNI TM38SS disassembly, needle-valve inspection, float-height adjustment, fuel-cock servicing, and carburetor setting tables.

• Cooling system: Radiator and cap pressure tests, coolant replacement and bleeding, and water-pump disassembly with mechanical-seal inspection.

• Electrical diagnosis: PEI/CDI ignition tests, magneto and ignition-coil checks, lighting-system diagnosis, switch continuity charts, and wiring diagrams.

• Brakes and chassis: Front and rear caliper and master-cylinder overhaul, brake bleeding, steering-knuckle service, toe-in adjustment, and suspension-bearing replacement.

Written primarily for experienced mechanics, this manual also supports apprentices and experienced DIY owners who have the measuring equipment and special tools required by the procedures.

Engine Inspection and Reassembly

Factory wear limits and clearances support inspection decisions during a rebuild. The engine chapter covers piston and cylinder measurements, connecting-rod and crankshaft checks, reed-valve inspection, and gearshift-fork wear assessment.

Exploded transmission views show gear, washer, and circlip placement. Reassembly illustrations also document balancer alignment, kick-starter components, and exhaust-valve assembly. The special-tool list identifies equipment such as crankcase separator 09920-13120 and crankshaft installer 09910-32812.

The primary-drive gear nut has a left-hand thread, making thread direction an important teardown precaution. The manual also warns that driving the crankshaft into the crankcase with a hammer can disturb its alignment.

Governor limitation: The exhaust-valve governor is identified as nonserviceable; its removal and installation are covered, but internal disassembly is expressly prohibited.

Carburetor Settings and Cooling-System Tests

The fuel chapter explains the carburetor’s slow, main, starter, and float systems with circuit illustrations. Its troubleshooting tables distinguish starting, low-speed, high-speed, and overflow complaints, while the setting chart relates jet selection to temperature and altitude.

Cooling-system documentation includes the coolant density–boiling point curve, pressure-test procedures, and a water-pump exploded view. Mechanical-seal reassembly specifies Suzuki Bond No. 1207B/1215 at the designated sealing surface.

Ignition and Lighting Fault Finding

The ignition-system diagram and resistance tables support checks of the pickup coil, power-source coil, ignition coil, and CDI unit. The CDI resistance test specifies the Suzuki pocket tester and warns that other meters can produce different readings.

Lighting-system checks address regulator voltage and lighting-coil output. Full wiring diagrams and wire, cable, and hose routing views show circuit connections and physical routing after component removal.

Brakes, Steering and Full-Floating Suspension

Brake coverage extends to piston, seal, and bore inspection, parking-brake linkage service, and hydraulic-circuit bleeding. Steering procedures include shaft and tie-rod inspection alongside the toe-in adjustment.

The chassis chapter details wishbone-arm bearings, the full-floating rear suspension’s cushion lever and swingarm pivots, and rear axle housing service. Suspension setting tables distinguish spring preload from damping adjustments.

Brake work and servicing around hot coolant involve safety-critical procedures; consult a qualified technician if the required work exceeds your experience.

Model Updates and Revised Components

The LT500RJ chapter compares the earlier piston, piston pin, balancer-shaft seal, cylinder head, reed valve, and exhaust-valve retainer with the revised components. It also documents carburetor changes, engine-mount shimming, and revised wiring.

The LT500RK and LT500RL chapters provide their own service data, including ignition and suspension specifications. These distinctions help match inspection values and component configurations to the ATV being serviced.

The rear-sprocket bulletin identifies revised mounting hardware and its applicable engine/frame-number threshold. Its early/late parts information matters when selecting the corresponding torque specification.

Preview of Piston, Shift-Fork and Spark-Plug Data

The piston-pin inspection data give an outside-diameter service limit of 17.980 mm (0.7079 in). Transmission inspection specifies a standard shift-fork groove width of 5.0–5.1 mm (0.197–0.201 in).

Spark-plug specifications distinguish the NGK B8EGV gap of 0.55–0.65 mm (0.022–0.026 in) from the BR8EV gap of 0.5–0.6 mm (0.020–0.024 in). The electrical tables assign these plugs by market and model, rather than treating one gap as universal.