• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

550 carb rebuild questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Guest
My bike (77 550 with the non-CV carbs) was badly in need of carb work so I took the plunge and pulled the carbs yesterday. I've got them all apart now ready for cleaning. I have a couple of questions for you carb experts:

There's rubber tubes connecting the #1 and #2 carbs, and also connecting the #3 and #4. Nothing between 2 and 3. Should there be?

Should I remove the fuel adjusting screws on the carb bottoms when I dunk the carbs? They definitely no longer have their factory seal so disturbing their position is not an issue. Looks like they've been leaking too.

I need new orings for the fuel connector tubes between the carbs. They're also leaking. Where can I find them? That cycleorings.com guy has kits for the newer carbs but not mine. Would the fuel line orings in his kit fit my carbs?

thanks,
Debby
 
Re: 550 carb rebuild questions

debby said:
My bike (77 550 with the non-CV carbs) was badly in need of carb work so I took the plunge and pulled the carbs yesterday. I've got them all apart now ready for cleaning. I have a couple of questions for you carb experts:

There's rubber tubes connecting the #1 and #2 carbs, and also connecting the #3 and #4. Nothing between 2 and 3. Should there be?

Should I remove the fuel adjusting screws on the carb bottoms when I dunk the carbs? They definitely no longer have their factory seal so disturbing their position is not an issue. Looks like they've been leaking too.

I need new orings for the fuel connector tubes between the carbs. They're also leaking. Where can I find them? That cycleorings.com guy has kits for the newer carbs but not mine. Would the fuel line orings in his kit fit my carbs?

thanks,
Debby
Click to expand...

debby, I just finished doing this to my 550 Saturday night. The tubes you refer to are the same on mine. The one in the middle is not there. It is right according to the manual and my bike is running great so i would say it is right.

As for your adjustment screws leaking I would go ahead and pull them out then to clean yes. Since you need new o-rings on them most likely there is no reason not to. I haven't needed any o-rings but I know a good old hardware store is your friend when it comes to things like that.

I can tell you it is worth the pain. My 550 never ran this good before!
Good luck.
 
I wasn't aware that any VM carbs used O-rings in the fuel tubes; I thought they all used what appear to be short lengths of fuel hose to interconnect the carbs.

Would you happen to know the exact I.D. of the ringland for those tubes? Maybe I can help, maybe not, but if you pursue these locally, be sure they're fuel resistant! Hardware stores are likely to carry plumbing supplies, which work great for water, but not so great for petro based stuff.
 
I'll measure one tonight. Good point about getting fuel-resistant ones. I have a feeling that fuel-resistant o-rings might be very hard to find locally. Best price I've found for OEM o-rings is ronayers.com, who wants $3 ea. I need 12 (3 tubes, 2 orings on each end). Ouch!

Debby
 
Couple of things.

Check out this thread it may help http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=19145&highlight=definitive+vm+carb

I did this a couple of weeks ago.

Make sure you take out the air screw and fuel screws, both have o-rings on them that will need to be replaced.

No there are no rubber links between carb 2 and 3. The fuel intake hose should join bodies 2 and 3, but there are no other links like between 1-2 and 3-4.

The keyster kits available on ebay have all the o-rings and other crap if you want to do a true rebuild. If you only need the o-rings then the hardware store it is. Take a set from a carb you've broken down - in order to get the sizing, and make sure they're fuel resistant.

Hope this helps.

Satch
 
debby, I didn't think to mention that the o-rings should be fuel resistant, I figured that was a given, sorry about that. I am good at making assumptions. But as for getting them at a "good (old) hardware store" like I said it should not be a problem. The one we have here... I would seriously doubt you could need an o-ring that they do not have. Needs to be a real hardware/appliance/repair type place like we have. They have everything. Literally. I don't even go to an auto parts store for most of my auto needs. I just put new seat hinge pins on my Kawasaki for 1.98 for both. Dealer wanted 16.00

o-rings I have bought there all my life, they have them for any application you can imagine. You just need to tell them what your looking for and your on your way to saving large dollars. An o-ring should cost you no more than 30 cents tops.

Hope you have one in your area and I hope that helps :) I know they are a life saver for me.
 
We do have a good old hw store here in Boulder - McGuckins. They have everything. Hopefully that includes *fuel resistant* orings. And hopefully the helpful hw guy will know what I'm talking about when I ask for them. I am going to need the air screw and fuel screw orings too. And a new t-connector. The old one is cracked on the bottom. This is getting discouraging - everytime I look at the bike I find more things wrong :(

BTW Suzuki doesn't even list a p/n for the fuel screw oring on their parts fiche. I guess they don't want us messing with it.

Robert, I have some measurements, taken with my uncalibrated craftsman vernier calipers and bleary eyesight :)

oring landing on fuel tube: 8.0 mm
oring thickness: 1.8 mm
od of fuel tube: 10.6 mm
id of fuel inlet on carb: 10.9 mm

Oh, and it turns out I only need 8 of the fuel line orings. The t-connector has a molder rubber exterior and doesn't use them.

Debby
 
They'll fix you up debby :)

At the worst then your back to eBay until you find a rebuild kit that has what you need. I hope it doesn't come to that. It's a pain.
 
Satch,

Lots of great info on that thread. Thanks!

BTW was wondering how long (days?) you soaked the carb parts in the cleaner? My bike wasn't running too bad, the funky idle and gas leaks were the main problems...

debby
 
Does Robert's o-ring kit not fit your bike? The rebuild kits do not have fuel tube orings, but his kit does.
As for the time in the dip can. So far on my extremely dirty carbs, 2 days soaking has been required. After 1 day there was still a lot of oil/dirty/grime caked on the outside. But they are shiny now! I am dipping carb #4 tonight. Also, so far I have only lost 2 parts and ruined 1!
Patrick
 
Don't expose any o-rings to cleaner. This will make them brittle. There are other o-rings in the carbs, not just on the pilot screws. If you don't have replacements, be sure to remove all the o-rings inside. I recommend replacing the o-rings that go in the rubber manifolds too. Apply some hi-temp bearing grease to them to help them last and torque at 6ft/lb.
Be careful when seating the sharp tipped pilot screws (underneath). The tip can break off in the carb body. Count the amount each screw goes in and write it down. They are commonly set differently from the factory. This is OK, just be sure to set them back as closely as you can to avoid mixture problems.
The carbs use rubber fuel line between carbs 1 and 2, and 3 and 4 for the floatbowl vents. Then of course you have the fuel "T" and other connectors for the fuel delivery. Be sure to keep each float valve with its seat. Do not mix them up. They wear as a "matched set".
 
Thanks. I already have a set of manifold o rings and am planning to replace them. If I can get the screws out that is. They are WAY tighter than 6 ft-lbs. My only hope is to get an impact wrench in there. Never having used one before I'm a little nervous about breaking something. Oh and that brings up a dumb question: what kind of hammer are you supposed to use to smack the impact wrench with? Do I need some special heavy hammer? The only thing I have is a plain old claw hammer. I use it now and then to bend nails :/

debby
 
Debby, as far as the hammer goes, I might try to get a rubber mallet if you have one, or put a piece of wood between the hammer and impact drive(this of course could be a pain if you only have two hands). Unless the impact driver has a head of rubber or something, mine's metal, and I'm just not a big fan of metal to metal hammering. If you don't have a rubber mallet, and don't want to buy one, I wouldn't worry too much about it, just try to hit the impact driver square on the head. Best of luck, going to do my carbs sometime, or so I say, we'll see.
 
I've always used a regular hammer with my impact driver. Just give it a solid hit, always worked for me. Make sure your driver is "twisted" in the direction you want to turn first. Pick the tightest bit you can find. Put some weight into the head of the screw and turn the driver at the same time as you hit it with the hammer. Replace them with allens.
 
I'm with Keith: metal hammer. I use my 16oz claw hammer most of the time.
 
Not having much luck finding orings at the hw store. All they have are non-fuel-resistant ones that are the wrong size :(

Does the keyster kit include orings for the fuel screw? Those aren't available from suzuki and mine are shot. I don't need the brass but would be worth buying the kits just to get a *full* set of orings.

debby
 
I hope you can find a kit with what you need debby. Sorry about the hw store advice not panning out for you. Ours is truly an extraordinary old hw store here in Manheim and is large! They have them here because they do small motor repair. Chainsaws, weedtrimmers, lawn tractors etc... That's another place to try, lawn mower shops that do repair.

Another place you may have luck is a motorcycle shop. Take your old rings into them and see if they have some they could sell you. Or even a garage. I know the auto garage I use has loads of odds and ends parts for all kinds of stuff from over the years. They may have some that will match.

Seems a shame to have to hunt so hard for such a small rubber part huh? I am sure you will find some though, just hope they don't over charge for them. never let onto how long or hard you have been looking when you ask :) he he he
 
I am working on a kit for the VM's as we speak (or type...) but I'd doubt if the kit will be ready on time for your particular needs. There aren't ANY from the CV kit that will match the VM's. You can see, though, why I invested the effort the first time around, for the CV style carbs.

It's a shame to have an otherwise functional bike tied up waiting for a quarter gram of rubber -- particularly for folks in the northern states with limited riding seasons.

It's possible you'll find an auto parts outfit that can match the fuel tube O-rings. I've found three very small O-rings in the VM's, though, and the odds of finding those off-the-shelf are pretty slim. With the tiny ones, it's not difficult to find an I.D. that matches just fine; however, the cross section winds up being much too large (too fat) for the application. (Using the aviation 'dash' standard sizes, which is what almost all outfits in the US will carry). It'll almost certainly wind up being an oddball metric size.

The folks at motorcyclecarbs have a blowup of the VM 29's -- and their blowup is oddly missing a necessary O-ring. You could try them, though. An email is worth a shot.

Meanwhile, I'll update the group when I have any progress to report on the new kit. I might get lucky and find in-stock sizes, but I wouldn't bet on it.

So -- I don't have any great news at present, but the best thing about a forum like this is that there are many sources of information and many different backgrounds to pose questions to, with mine being just one of them.
 
I emailed the keyster carb people and that oring is not included in their kit. Robert, you got it exactly right when you said the orings available locally would all be too fat. That is indeed what I'm finding. I suppose I'll get the other orings from ron ayers or maybe the local dealer, reuse the old fuel screw orings, and just let them drip. Don't see what else I can do :(

Debby
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top