Sanity check...GS650G won't start after stator cover replacement

[BigD_83]

Quick sanity check here please:

The bike (my 650G) started up fine and ran for awhile when I first tried after replacing the stator cover. Now it just chugs once, and then nada. The starter continues to turn, but the engine won't fire. Pretty sure it's not flooded as the plug #4 I pulled was dry. Of course, I pulled the carbs to get at the starter cover, so there could be other things happening but:

Using the electric start, I am getting compression in the 175PSI range; the starter MUST be turning the engine over, correct?

I realize I'm rambling a bit, but could someone please tell me I'm not crazy for thinking the engine must be turning over before I pull the cover off again and have a look to see what is happening with the idler gear shaft (if that's the right term for it). I know there should be some sort of spacer in there, as I can see it in the old cover, but I didn't look to see if it was there in the new cover.

[Nessism]

Did you prime the carbs?

[BigD_83]

Hi Ed,

Primed, have spark (bright white and very visible with the lights on. Was running phenomenally well before changing the cover over.

I was originally thinking the idler gear had slipped out of position, and wasn't engaging. I'm leaning away from that at the moment as I am still getting compression (this time checking on #1), so the starter gear must be engaging, right?

The cylinders smell of fuel and there was a touch of gas on the #1 plug.

The plug leads are hooked up properly...

Guess it's just p-o'd with me for tearing it apart

[BigD_83]

Checked the resistance between the three legs from the stator...all at 0.6 Ohm
The resistance from each leg back to the engine case is OL.

This pretty much says the stator is okay, right?

Enough for tonight. I'll pick it up again in the morning.

[tom203]

Starter turns, you got spark and signs of fuel, check "choke" linkage to make sure it's fully operating at carbs' end. Mine likes full "choke" briefly at cold start up.

[850 Combat]

Checked the resistance between the three legs from the stator...all at 0.6 Ohm
The resistance from each leg back to the engine case is OL.

This pretty much says the stator is okay, right?

Enough for tonight. I'll pick it up again in the morning.

The stator is unrelated to starting. It provides power to charge the battery after the engine is started. If you have spark, the engine is turning over. It sounds like a fuel problem. What else have you been working on besides the carbs and the cover?

[BigD_83]

What else have you been working on besides the carbs and the cover?

That's it on the 650. Nothing more. The bike has been running great.

I was pretty confident the stator couldn't be the issue, but I was checking on it as I thought it might give me an indication if something had happened inside the case, like the starter gear had started shearing teeth and throwing metal around, causing it to slip and...on my, I certainly seem to be slipping into insanity.

Someone else had the same thought about the choke. The choke arm looked fully actuated to me last night, but it's easy enough to bend that bracket putting the carbs on and off. I'll be looking into it some more today.

Thanks for the sanity check!

[BigD_83]

And it runs. Didn't do anything to it, but it wanted to start up right away anyhow...go figure.

Thanks for the suggestion on the choke, Tom. Didn't think that would be it, but the choke cable is NOT fully actuating the choke rod anymore, probably contributing to the non-start issue last night. I tweaked the main idle adjustment, and now it is starting up just as before. I will have to replace the choke cable if I want the convenience of the handlebar mounter lever.

The choke bracket itself does not look bent.