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Fuel problem help ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bearrocco
  • Start date Start date
B

bearrocco

Guest
I have an 82 gs 550 L with 4200 miles everything is good , compression 120 psi , now good spark , carbs were done by shop for last owner. Drained tank noticed when draining through pet cock with vacuum hooked up fuel flow would stop , is this normal ? Fuel was dark replaced fuel and added sea foam . Thanks for any help :confused:
 
fuel will only flow from the petcock freely when it is set to PRIme position. ON and REServe will only flow when the engine is running and the vacuum pipe is connected from the petcock to the carbs
 
If the petcock was turned to ON or RES instead of PRIME when you were draining, yes, that would be normal behaviour
 
I always had Kawasaki's . I miss read the pet cock , I thought down was off and pri was primary . If I was running it on prim would the bike run bad , and should the fuel stop flowing on reserve with the bike running with vacuum hooked up ?
 
It sounds like both your petcock and your carbs need attention.
Probably a lot of other things too, unless you have maintenance records.
 
bearrocco said:
I always had Kawasaki's . I miss read the pet cock , I thought down was off and pri was primary . If I was running it on prim would the bike run bad , and should the fuel stop flowing on reserve with the bike running with vacuum hooked up ?
Click to expand...

read my first post....... the fuel will flow on REServe if the engine is running, and stop flowing when the engine stops.

DO NOT leave the petcock on PRIme unless you are filling the carbs after a rebuild or you have drained them. the bike will run ok but if left on when the engine has stopped you risk flooding the engine with fuel, or dumping the entire contents of the tank on the floor!
 
Agemax said:
read my first post....... the fuel will flow on REServe if the engine is running, and stop flowing when the engine stops.

DO NOT leave the petcock on PRIme unless you are filling the carbs after a rebuild or you have drained them. the bike will run ok but if left on when the engine has stopped you risk flooding the engine with fuel, or dumping the entire contents of the tank on the floor!
Click to expand...

If I can hijack for a moment, is there a rule of thumb for how long to leave on prime with freshly rebuilt carbs? IE prime for ten seconds the switch to on?
 
Ten seconds, a minute, does not really matter but do not leave it there.

I turn it on until it starts or the first time I think to turn it off. Minute or less for sure. I ride a lot of dirt bikes so I won't forget the petcock
 
ThrottleBack said:
If I can hijack for a moment, is there a rule of thumb for how long to leave on prime with freshly rebuilt carbs? IE prime for ten seconds the switch to on?
Click to expand...

30 seconds is plenty to get enough fuel into the bowls to allow it to start up. the vacuum will then take over when switched to ON.
 
Thanks , I'm going to drain carb bowls see what comes out , are those screws on the bottom of the bowls drains ? sorry about all the questions ,my z1r1000 had drains with hoses :o
 
Yes, the large brass screws are drains. Just crack them, you don't have to take them out unless they are clogged up.
 
This bike is goofy . Let is sit over night , just started it up with fuel in the on position , all cylinders hitting , idled down running great. restarted fine Guess that sea foam is working:confused::-s
 
Yeah, Seafoam will adjust the valves, fix any electrical issues, and keep air in the twenty year old tires, too.
 
bearrocco said:
This bike is goofy . Let is sit over night , just started it up with fuel in the on position , all cylinders hitting , idled down running great.
Click to expand...
Absolutely nothing "goofy" about that.

That's the way it's supposed to work. :o

.
 
Greetings and Salutations!!

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. bearrocco,

I can almost guarantee you the shop that "did the carbs" did NOT do you any great service. If they installed aftermarket carb kits you may have issues down the road. The carbs work best with original Suzuki parts. And I'll also wager they did not clean the carbs properly or replace all of the necessary O-rings. Aftermarket "carb kits" do not come with all the parts necessary. Do yourself a favor. At the first hint of fueling problems clean the carbs properly. Go through the maintenance lists in your "mega-welcome" and address each and every issue. You'll find "how to" guides on my little website to help you with the maintenance tasks. Skipping steps or taking shortcuts will be frustrating at best, dangerous at worst.

Start here: Where Do These Hoses Go?, and continue through all the carb cleaning, airbox sealing, valve adjusting, and charging system fun. Don't forget brakes and tires too! Get rid of the cruddy brake fluid and 30 year old rubber seals in the calipers and master cylinders. Make sure the tires are less than 5 years old. You have to show a 30 year old bike a LOT of love. :)

If you are here you probably have a 30 year old motorcycle that needs about 20 years worth of maintenance. In the links below you'll find maintenance lists, documentation, wiring diagrams, "how to" guides, vendor links, tips, tricks, and a whole lot of GS goodness. This is your "mega-welcome". Let's get started. :)

Let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'. :D

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.
big_hi.gif


If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....
hat1.gif


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...

carpet.jpg


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! :D

More links to helpful threads in the forum:
Help! Your Bike Won't Start
DON'T DO THESE THINGS
Help! Your Bike Won't Run Well
Oh God! Pods!


Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Last edited:
tkent02 said:
Yeah, Seafoam will adjust the valves, fix any electrical issues, and keep air in the twenty year old tires, too.
Click to expand...

Yeah yeah , I get it mechanic in a can. ;) Think it will really adjust the valves:p Thanks guys.
 
Yep, it will keep birds from ****ting on your gas tank and seat, too.

It even keeps the spokes tight and keeps the tires from wearing...
 
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