Question about Carb-kit

[The Road Warrior]

Hello all!

I recently picked up a 79 GS550E for my first bike. I bought it from a friend of the family for only $100 so the price was right.

It ran when I got it but only with full choke on. I have spent the last few months tinkering with it and decided to pull the carbs and clean them out (Chem-dip) and buy carb kits for them.

I did all the cleaning already and the carbs are actually back together but the kits came with these little rubber plugs, one each per kit. I don't really know what they are for. The write ups I have found online and the book I have don't mention them. I also didn't remove any when I took them apart.

Any ideas? I'm just curious to know what they're for or if they're nothing.

Looks like they might be about the size that could fit in the bowl drain screw holes but not sure why you'd put them there...

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. The Road Warrior,

Have a look at the VM carb reubild guide on my little website. Did you get the right kit? I didn't think the VM carbs used rubber plugs over the pilot jet. Generally, the aftermarket "carb kits" contain inferior parts. All you need is an O-ring kit and a gallon of carb dip. Use all of the existing metal bits after cleaning and reassemble with a new O-ring kit. Replace only what's damaged or worn with Suzuki OEM parts. See below.

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Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

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Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[tkent02]

Those might be the plugs for the CV carburetors, which you don't have. Are you sure the kits are the correct ones for your model? Usually the kits are not needed, and don't have the right parts in them anyway. Mostly just a good cleaning in the dip and new O rings is all that is needed.

[The Road Warrior]

Those might be the plugs for the CV carburetors, which you don't have. Are you sure the kits are the correct ones for your model? Usually the kits are not needed, and don't have the right parts in them anyway. Mostly just a good cleaning in the dip and new O rings is all that is needed.

I see. It says that they are the ones that fit the VM carbs (77-79) and all the stuff I took off, looked just like what I put back in so I'm pretty sure they were the right kits.

The stuff I removed wasn't in terrible shape but I just wanted to be sure.

The kits that I bought l look just like this one You can see the plug in that picture.

I read that there are some variances in what the kits include, and I saw that as well when I was looking for a set to buy.

The only weird thing I noticed though was that when I was reading the write up on the VM carb rebuild on BassCliff's site, what's marked as the Bleeder/Pilot Jet in his picture, is actually two separate pieces in my kit, whereas in the write up it looks like all one piece, (or at least two that screw into eachother like in the main jet). The two piece set, actually screws down separately and there is a gap between them in the hole. It's also the same as what I pulled out of it. So who knows...

[Nessism]

Including those plugs in a VM "carb kit" is case in point of you should NEVER trust aftermarket parts like those. Those plugs are for a completely different type of carburetor and the people assembling the kit doesn't know what they are doing. There is a very good chance the jets are wrong as well.

cycleorings.com sells an O-ring kit that's mandatory for every rebuild. Of course you need to fully break down the carbs and soak the bodies in carb dip first. Please don't short cut the process by trying to do a quick spritz out with cleaner spray. Oh, and replace the intake boot O-rings while you are at it since they are sure to leak.

BTW, please check the link in my signature for the Top Newbie Mistakes. Worthwhile reading for people new to GS bikes.

[The Road Warrior]

Including those plugs in a VM "carb kit" is case in point of you should NEVER trust aftermarket parts like those. Those plugs are for a completely different type of carburetor and the people assembling the kit doesn't know what they are doing. There is a very good chance the jets are wrong as well.

cycleorings.com sells an O-ring kit that's mandatory for every rebuild. Of course you need to fully break down the carbs and soak the bodies in carb dip first. Please don't short cut the process by trying to do a quick spritz out with cleaner spray. Oh, and replace the intake boot O-rings while you are at it since they are sure to leak.

BTW, please check the link in my signature for the Top Newbie Mistakes. Worthwhile reading for people new to GS bikes.

Carbs have been soaked, I have a pail of Berryman's.

Like I said, it's all the same stuff I removed from the carb originally (minus the rubber plug).

Now, it's entirely possible that the guy that had this before me bought a similar kit and that's what I removed but the stuff looked pretty warn...

[MisterCinders]

Carbs have been soaked, I have a pail of Berryman's.

Like I said, it's all the same stuff I removed from the carb originally (minus the rubber plug).

Now, it's entirely possible that the guy that had this before me bought a similar kit and that's what I removed but the stuff looked pretty warn...

Despite appearances, those parts are not the same.

The brass jets in those kits are flimsy and prone to breaking in the carbs. Especially the fuel pilot screws (the sharp pointed one).

The only useful bits in those kits are the bowl and top gaskets. Not worth the price of the kit though.

[tkent02]

The brass jets in those kits are flimsy and prone to breaking in the carbs. Especially the fuel pilot screws (the sharp pointed one).

There is no pilot fuel screw in that kit.
Are they even Mikuni jets? Are the numbers on the jets the same?

Keep the old parts, when it doesn't run correctly you can put them back in.

[MisterCinders]

There is no pilot fuel screw in that kit.
Are they even Mikuni jets? Are the numbers on the jets the same?

Keep the old parts, when it doesn't run correctly you can put them back in.

You are correct. I didn't even look at the link.

The kits I had (because I am a n00b too) had pilot fuel screws. They were cast in cheese.

Ditched everything from the kits except the gaskets.