Is it my Starter?

[Guest]

1980 GS550E

First off, I have searched and looked through threads to try and sort my problem out but have had no luck in finding threads that actually relate to my problem...

So, I have rebuilt my carbs, replaced O-rings, intake boots and gaskets... the bike is stripped down and I am trying to dial-in the carbs while its running and trying to get it to run without the choke lever on (thats another issue i cant solve)...

I'll start it, try and tune it, eventually choke's out while I try to lower the choke lever while tuning and I'll start it back up. Done it about 8 times in a row by now... WELL, this last time I hit the starter button and *CLICK*. The solenoid is clicking but no starter action...

I have the battery charging just in case, but I left it on the charger overnight last night so I feel like it shouldn't be dead already. So I wanted to ask, Do you think my starter went out?

[chuck hahn]

8 starts in a short time?? And no recharging from the bike or a charger?? Yeah its that low and you need to recharge it. Its doesnt have the storage or cranking amps like a car battery. In fact, you can hook a car up with jumper cables as long as the car is not running. Many many many recranks with that.

[Bustedknuckles]

well i already have an unfortunate update. Now i cant even get the solenoid to click. I turn the ignition and hit the start button and nothing. not even a click. Even worse, when i connect the two main posts on the solenoid (bypass everything) it still doesn't work, not even a spark...

[chuck hahn]

If theres any charge at all in the battery it should at least make a spark. Hook up a car battery then report back. Riding lawn mower battery works well too.

[Bustedknuckles]

Alrighty, so i hooked up my truck battery to the bike and the bike has gone back to just clicking when i hit the starter button. Still no starter action.

8 starts in a short time?? And no recharging from the bike or a charger?? Yeah its that low and you need to recharge it. Its doesnt have the storage or cranking amps like a car battery. In fact, you can hook a car up with jumper cables as long as the car is not running. Many many many recranks with that.

[chuck hahn]

OK..so we have established the battery is way run down and the selinoid is good. Now take off the starter cover and check the connection there. And also give it a few decent knocks with your favorite hammer to see if its stuck. may be stuck and need to be opened up and get all the carbon fouling from the worn brushes out of the casing and bushings.

[BillGS550LZ]

Once I had my starter motor quit suddenly. Turned out the lead wire rubber boot at the starter connection broke and the wire shorted out against the cover. So check for shorts.

Also, measure voltage at relay, if good before pullling the motor you may try bypassing the relay.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

[Bustedknuckles]

Heck yea! so I popped the starter cover off and tapped it a couple times with my tac hammer. Tried it again and VROOM!

now I'm still dealing with the carb tuning issue though. I'm not sure if i have some issues I don't know about but I cant seem to get it to run consistently... I'll get it started, let it warm up for a second, then get it all the way off the choke and it SLOWLY reduces in RPM's all the way down to the point that it stalls.

I have adjusted the idle screw outside of normal parameters so I know that's not it. If i give it some throttle it livens back up but then slowly dies back down in RPM's until it stalls. I have the fuel screws turned out about 1-1.25 turns and the air screws out 1.25-1.75 turns... advice?

PS: I know it sounds similar to the classic "hanging Idle" due to intake leaks, but i have new intake boots, o rings and firmly clamped pod filters... So everything should be nice and tight...

OK..so we have established the battery is way run down and the selinoid is good. Now take off the starter cover and check the connection there. And also give it a few decent knocks with your favorite hammer to see if its stuck. may be stuck and need to be opened up and get all the carbon fouling from the worn brushes out of the casing and bushings.

[chuck hahn]

On a 1000, the bottom pilots react best at around 7/8 turns out..3/4 is a tad lean for my liking. Side mixture screws at 1 1/2 to 2 out as a start point. Basically she is way to rich and choking herself to death till you open the throttle so theres more air getting into the cylinders to make it a explosionable mixture again.

onve capable mixture.

On bikes with CV carbs, the mixture screw is at about 2 to 2 1/2 out as a good base point.

[chuck hahn]

Once you set the bottom ones leave them alone. fine tune from up top side.

[Bustedknuckles]

On a 1000, the bottom pilots react best at around 7/8 turns out..3/4 is a tad lean for my liking. Side mixture screws at 1 1/2 to 2 out as a start point.

On bikes with CV carbs, the mixture screw is at about 2 to 2 1/2 out as a good base point.

Something important I may have left out, I have old VM carbs put on my bike with the help of some intake boot adapters. the bike is supposed to have CV's so that may be one of the reasons I'm having such issues tuning...

[chuck hahn]

So we are talking about the 550 then?? Still at the 7/8 you should have enough fuel in the pilot circuit to make it run.and the 2 out on the mixtures should be about ok too. If not too happy, then try the bottoms at 3/4.but I think youll find 7/8 more likeable.

And then fine tun with the mixture screws up top. Turning them IN will RICHEN the mix and out will lean it out.

[Bustedknuckles]

Yes the 550.

So, I have the fuel screws set to about 7/8 of a turn out. and the air screws set to about 2 turns out. I started the bike up with full choke and it will idle decently. but even after warming up It will stall out and die if I try to take the choke off.

Soooo, too lean right? so i dialed the air screws in about 1/2 a turn but same thing, It wont run without having the choke on all the way, even after warming up. I've played around even more from there trying different air screw settings but same thing every time. There is frequent popping coming from some of the carbs but i cant remember what that means... any advice?

[chuck hahn]

Popping is usally a lean situation and its periodically igniting the fuel that is getting there.

Have you rebuilt these carbs fully? I dont recall the specifics off hand. And when adjusting the mixture screws do little increments at a time..like 1/8 turns. You can very easily skip over that sweet spot and go from too ruich to too lean and get the same results. And also you have to give it a few seconds for the cylinders to restabalise from the setting changes. Work slow and in small bites.

When it dies, have you check the bowls to see how much fuel flows..decent amounts or just a trickle??? Are you positive the float hts are right...measured from the carb body WITHOUT a gasket in place? Roughly 26MM if I remember the VM settings right.

Will it stay running indefinitely with the choke out? If so, its at least getting "some " fuel to the bowls. But the question then is how much and at what levels???

Seems to me that if It was my bike, I would be pulling the carbs and rechecking everything again...float hts, piilot jets and emulsion tubes to see that no junk has reclogged something..especially the tiny hole at the very tip of the pilots. takes nect to nothing to clog that hole. A wire from a hand held wire brush works well to poke it out.

[Bustedknuckles]

Carbs are fully rebuilt, Clean as heck, and everything has been checked and double checked, the floats are set correctly and all bowls are filling quickly with fuel.

As far as adjusting the screws, I have moved them all over the freakin place using small increments and its the same dang thing every single time... It wont run without having the choke on all the way...

Are my jets wrong? I bought new jets under several peoples recommendation but have now been told by a different GS'er that i should have kept the originals that were already in it. (wonderful, I already tossed them)

I cant think of anything else to try...