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GS 550E Underpowered!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter roadrunner
  • Start date Start date
R

roadrunner

Guest
Hi there all,
My gs550e has a wee problem, mainly, when i try to open her up, she refuses to do so and then starts to slow down. I have had the bike into a suzuki dealers but they say that it could be an electrical fault as they have already stripped down the carbs.
This girl has been lying for a wee while but when she eventually starts she stutters alot. When i sit and rev her up and keep it there she starts to slow down as if the carbs are being starved of fuel or there is to much fuel getting in and flodding the engine!!!
Could anyone oot there help to resolve this what i think is a wee minor problem.

Cheers.

roadrunner
:-?
 
try it with the gas cap open a bit==what color are your spark plugs--buy an 1100 model
 
roadrunner said:
Hi there all,
My gs550e has a wee problem, mainly, when i try to open her up, she refuses to do so and then starts to slow down. I have had the bike into a suzuki dealers but they say that it could be an electrical fault as they have already stripped down the carbs.
This girl has been lying for a wee while but when she eventually starts she stutters alot. When i sit and rev her up and keep it there she starts to slow down as if the carbs are being starved of fuel or there is to much fuel getting in and flodding the engine!!!
Could anyone oot there help to resolve this what i think is a wee minor problem.

Cheers.

roadrunner
:-?
Click to expand...

They said it could be an electrical fault??? Why didn't they check for an electrical fault? Doesn't sound like a verry copetent mechanic to me.

First thing you need to find out if it is a fuel, or electrical problem. After the bike has been running for a little wile, see if all four header pipes are hot. If one is colder than the rest then you have a dead cylinder, and you can narrow you search down to that cylinder.

You can also carefully pull 1 spark plug wire at a time and listen to the engine wile its running. Disconecting 1 wire will make the engine run rough. If disconectiong 1 of the wires doesn't make any difference, then you have a dead cylinder.

Check your plugs. I had a dead cylinder once, and a couldn't believe the bike ran as well as it did on 3 cylinders, it was gutless, but ran not to bad. In my case I had a fouled plug, wich looked ok to the eye, but when I replaced it the bike ran like new again. DO NOT TRY TO CLEAN THE PLUGS, get new ones of the correct heat range, they are cheep.

If you have a 1977 - 1979 model, check and adjust/replace the points and condenser, and adjust the ignition timing. On these bikes it makes a difference of night and day. And if you do have a points ignition, make sure your plugs are gapped correctly, closer to the minimum gap. I'm converting to a Dyna ignition myself because the points on my 1978 are so finnicky, and go out of adjustment often.

Go through all of your electrical connectors, and clean up the terminals, add a touch of die-electric grease and put them back together. Go though all of your grounds, clean off any corrosion with sandpaper, and put them back together with some die-electric grease. Make sure the coils are grounded well, and for extra insurance run a new ground wire from your battery - post to the Regulator.

If the carbs are ok, and the cas cap vent isnt plugged, make sure the petcock isn't plugged.
 
roadrunner said:
Hi there all,
My gs550e has a wee problem, mainly, when i try to open her up, she refuses to do so and then starts to slow down. I have had the bike into a suzuki dealers but they say that it could be an electrical fault as they have already stripped down the carbs.
This girl has been lying for a wee while but when she eventually starts she stutters alot. When i sit and rev her up and keep it there she starts to slow down as if the carbs are being starved of fuel or there is to much fuel getting in and flodding the engine!!!
Could anyone oot there help to resolve this what i think is a wee minor problem.

Cheers.

roadrunner
:-?
Click to expand...

I'm betting fuel starvation here. Put the bike onthe main stand. Remove the gas tank and remove the petcock. Drain the tank and flush out good. Disassemble the fuel petcock and screen and inspect and clean as required. Remove the fuel bowl drain plugs on the bottom and drain carbs. Each carb should have about the same amount of fuel come out. Reassemble and ensure good fuel flow from the fuel hose before connecting to the carbs. Post results so we can all learn.

Get a new mechanic! He sounds a wee bit useless.
 
Last edited:
GS 550E Underpowered!!!

Hi there all gang,
Just a quick reply here.

The bike seams to run ok when i turn the fuel cock onto reserve, but when i turn it back on to ON!!! it starts to run rough as it is fuel starvation.
I put on another tank complete with fuel cock but the same thing happens again.
So i am now in the process of completly stripping down the carbs just to see if maybe blocked jets etc.

Will keep you all posted asap

Roadrunner
 
Sounds like you don't have good vacuum to the petcock. Did the mechanic get the vacuum line mixed up with a vent line? Possibly plugged line? Both petcocks bad? Not likely. Good luck, Ray
 
If it runs OK on reserve why would you go to the carbs? As noted above it sounds like a petcock or vacume line issue.
 
Mmmm
All i can think of is that there may be a blocked jet, so hence stripping down the carbs.
Do you think that i am giving myself a lot of hard work for nothing?

roadrunner:?
 
Does your bike have the stock air box or pod filters? Pods will need the vent lines removed.
 
This is a gs550e 1980 model on the V plate.
The air box is under the seat, i don't know what the pod filters are!
There are 2 hoses coming from the petcock, 1 line goes to the rear of the carbs and the 2nd line goes to the front of the carbs.
2 hoses come from the carbs and go down below to waste!
 
I suspect a clogged fuel line in the carburators...even betting the service shop never pulled them out the bike to clean them.

~Adam
 
Try this

Try this

I had a fuel starvation issue. Kept going back to the carbs but they were fine. I put more oil on the air filter and it runs like new now. They have to have a certain amount of restriction to keep it from running too lean. This is easy to try. Good luck.
Tom
 
roadrunner said:
Mmmm
All i can think of is that there may be a blocked jet, so hence stripping down the carbs.
Do you think that i am giving myself a lot of hard work for nothing?

roadrunner:?
Click to expand...


YES.

If the bike runs OK in the reserve position then that proves the carbs are fine. You need to disassemble the fuel petcock and clean and inspect. There is a filter in there and a diaphram and some little passage ways. Inspect all and clean as required. Hold the diaphram up to the light or use a torch from underneath and check for pin holes.
 
Hi there all,

I have stripped down the petcocks from both tanks and everything there seems fine. Tried sucking and blowing through the petcock also and found resistance from the diaphram so no leaks there.

How do you put oil on the air filter?

Stripped down 2 carbs and there were nice and clean so i didn't bother the other 2. Also when they were rebiult i blew down the hoses and there was no obstructions at all.

Everything seems ok but still fuel starvation when tap is on the ON position.

What is involved in the vacuum side of things?

Awaiting for any info to assist.

Thanks.
 
There's a fuel line that runs from the petcock to the carbs...and then there's fuel passages connecting each of the carbs. I have found those can clog up...but you can't really see it easily.

~Adam
 
If this is the same fuel line to the carbs that when it runs ok on reserve then why doesn't it run ok on 'ON'?
I will just have to take oot the carbs next week and strip them right doon separating all 4 carbs just for my own satisfaction.
Will let you know how i got on.
 
You may be on to something... the small orings that attach to the cylinder connection pipes might be starting to leak... if it is running okay in reserve then the bike is pulling vacuum ok... my 78 won't flow gas out of reserve or run (on) without vacuum. The filter on the petcock or the fuel port for run on the petcock pipe in the tank may be slightly clogged.. This pipe has two fuel ports... one for run and one for reserve.. and both pipes may be clogged the same way..
anyway that's my $.02(us) worth..
 
Fuel Route!!!

Fuel Route!!!

Hi there,
Can anyone explain the route that the fuel takes from the tank to the engine!
GS550E 1980 (V) plate.

The reason i am asking is that i am having trouble running the old girl when the fuel is turned to the ON position, but seems to run ok when it is turned on to the RESERVE.

I have stripped down the petcock and cleaned it out etc etc, no blockages fuel runs ok when it is turn on to PRIME.

Pictures would be nice if possible.
PS
See GS550E Underpowered on page 11
Regards
:)
 
Hi there all,
Latest news update.
I have stripped down the carbs and put in new 'O' rings throughout, which i bought from http://www.cycleorings.com/ (excellent service there). Fitted them back on and the old girl seams to run ok until i try to open her up but no joy there. Bottom end takes off "Like a bat out of hell" until about 5000revs then dies out, going up the gears no joy over 5000 revs but seams to pull all the way up.
Whilst in neutral she will rev up to about 6000 revs and then dies out again.

Checked and stripped down the petcock checked all fuel lines, good flow (see previous Posts).

I have read about moving the needles up or down one notch! at a lost end there.
Also how do you put some oil on the air filter?


Looking for any ideas that may offer great assistance in getting the old girl running.
 
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