Frustrated - Help!

[Grif]

2 months of work, the 850 is still down, and Im about at my wits end.
Here's the symptoms as I see them, but if you can think of something I'm about ready to try anything.

We rebuilt the carbs. They're spotless clean with 115 mains and 180 air jets. The carbs are podded (previous owner...) if that helps. Diaphragms are all firmly seated, and everything looks good as far as I can tell.

I dissolved a good bit of a bad Kreme job out of the tank and flushed quite a lot of crap out with Berrymans B12. The petcock filter looks clean, but gas is still coming out slower than I think it should. Might be part of the problem?

The bike will grumble a little when the button is pressed, but not actually start without choke. Give it choke and she roars to life. After a bit at full choke, white smoke starts coming out the pipes and the engine gets really warm. Let off the choke and it dies. Restart with choke and it idles fine, give it gas for a while and it seems to run fine. After a certain point though, it sounds like its bogging down and dying, even with choke.

Anyway, any ideas would be great. I'm more than happy to give more thorough descriptions if itll help.

Thanks,

 

[mark]

How many turns out are your pilot mixture and air screws?

 

[Grif]

Well, I adjusted the idle screw and got it idling without choke at about 1500 rpm, which is a definate improvement. She's running rich at this point, and bogs down at any throttle.

I'll double check the air screws here in a second...

 

[Grif]

Air screws are at ~ 1 and 3/4 turns. It idles out at around 1000 rpm, and will take maybe 1/8 throttle to ~3000 rpm, then bogs down.

 

[duaneage]

Did you put the airbox back on? It won't run for beans without it. Float levels adjusted? Are you sure?

 

[Grif]

I bought it with pods already on it, no stock airbox. The float heights are adjusted by the book.

 

[mark]

Its tough without the stock airbox. Without a sealed stock airbox an 850 will barely run at all with stock jetting as posted above (I'm not sure if your jets are stock or not). You air screws are right. Seriously....unless you want to get into the work of re-jetting, resetting your needles and all of that, the stock airbox is the way to go.

 

[rustybronco]

pods on an 82 gs850? too much like grief for me, find an air box (there are lots of them on e-bay) make sure the side seals are in good shape or replace them, and that the the air filter is in place also, and put it on.
there is and air box for a 850g and a 850gl model be careful.

 

[Grif]

Yeah, theyre seeming like too much grief for me too. I'll check the salvage shop up the road tomorrow and see if theyve got one lying around.

How would that cause the engine to bog down above 1/8 throttle though? Or do I have something else set wrong somewhere that I'm forgetting to check?

 

[odl777]

just ajust your needles and get some jets. Leave the pods they make a difference in performence. Ask keith krause about the jets and needle positions, he can help you out. Maybe a dyno jet kit.

 

[Grif]

Before I go chasing after a stock airbox, does anyone have any advice as to what jet sizes to use on a podded 850g?

 

[caberguy]

You should probably buy a stage 3 kit from one of the big distributors DennisKirk, Bike Bandit, Old Bike Barn, etc. the kit is designed for mildly modified intake/exhaust systems... I'm not sure of the jet sizes off hand though.

 

[flyingace]

I'm not sure from your description, but if you were to ride the bike for 10 minutes (with whatever choke was needed), would it then idle and run OK with no choke?

The choke is meant to be used to both start the engine and keep it running until the bike is warmed up. Not necessarily you, but I think some people have the misconception that the choke should only be used to start the bike and that it should be turned off immeditately once started.

 

[Grif]

At this point, I wouldnt be able to ride the bike for 10 minutes. Last night I got it to the point where it would warm up, start without choke, and idle fairly well. Once you get on the throttle though, it bogs down. Seems to be about 1/8 throttle. Also, the bike is getting pretty hot, which I take to mean its running lean.

When I bought the bike, the PO knew less about it than I do. He had the carbs off a 750 (I think...) on it with pods, and it wasnt running worth squat. I replaced the carbs with the correct ones, and the symptoms I'm getting now seem to be a result of those pods. I figure my options now are to buy an airbox or rejet the carbs, but I dont know what to rejet them to...

 

[rustybronco]

We rebuilt the carbs. They're spotless clean with 115 mains and 180 air jets. The carbs are podded (previous owner...) if that helps. Diaphragms are all firmly seated, and everything looks good as far as I can tell.

http://www.alpha-sports.com/suzuki_parts.htm
PILOT 40
MAIN 115
PILOT AIR 180

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=85314&highlight=GS850+SIZES

 

[flyingace]

At this point, I wouldnt be able to ride the bike for 10 minutes. Last night I got it to the point where it would warm up, start without choke, and idle fairly well. Once you get on the throttle though, it bogs down. Seems to be about 1/8 throttle. Also, the bike is getting pretty hot, which I take to mean its running lean.

When I bought the bike, the PO knew less about it than I do. He had the carbs off a 750 (I think...) on it with pods, and it wasnt running worth squat. I replaced the carbs with the correct ones, and the symptoms I'm getting now seem to be a result of those pods. I figure my options now are to buy an airbox or rejet the carbs, but I dont know what to rejet them to...

Those CV carbs are designed to work with the stock airbox. Once you start going down the rejetting path, you are doomed to hours of tuning and retuning and still the bike won't run as well throughout the rev range as stock. Some will disagree, but my 850 is box stock - it idles perfectly and has no flat spots and runs strong to redline.

 

[rustybronco]

1982 GS 850 GZ this morning 10,500 in 1st, 8,500+ (ish) in 2nd not a miss...
oh stock air box.
I'd rather ride it.

 

[BigDaddyKool]

I think your getting too much air with the pods you have. My 850 did the same thing, so i did some experimenting and im in the process of building my own unique setup which will have the rubber stacks from the airbox with some goodies mounted inside and filter capability. The only thing you will be able to see will be the boot stack coming off the back. I'll be done on monday I will post pics. Mine rips to redline like a raped ape and idles perfect with a custom setup I made. Monday it'll be here.

 

[bwringer]

Those CV carbs are designed to work with the stock airbox. Once you start going down the rejetting path, you are doomed to hours of tuning and retuning and still the bike won't run as well throughout the rev range as stock. Some will disagree, but my 850 is box stock - it idles perfectly and has no flat spots and runs strong to redline.

Ditto here!


You are running so lean that it isn't even funny and it certainly isn't good for the bike. Stop overheating the poor thing until you get the correct components to change the current stock jetting or install a stock airbox.

I would highly recommend that you git yerself an airbox and seal its side covers well. Once you experience a well-running 850, you won't want to keep piffling around with pods.

With the stock exhaust, there's little point to trying to use pods anyway. All you'll get is a foul-tempered, anemic beast.

If you must, and if you have an aftermarket exhaust, you'll need to do some experimenting to get the correct jets and shim and/or replace the needles. The kit mentioned is a good starting point IF you have an aftermarket exhaust. You can still plan on taking the carbs off about 278 times.

 

[Grif]

Well, Ive more or less decided I dont want to jack with the pods anymore. I found a decent looking airbox for a GS1100 at the salvage shop up the road, and the guy who runs it seems to think itll work on my 850.

Can anyone confirm, is an 1100 airbox similar to an 850 airbox, or is it designed for more airflow due to the bigger engine?