Hot hot hot!!!

[knight_rider]

So I fired my bike up the other day and let it ran for about 5 minutes because I had fuel injector cleaner in it, I come back out side and find my left side exhaust pipe is PURPLE, AND BLUE, AND VERY, VERY HOT!!! While the right side exhaust pipe is not discolored and not very hot! CRAP!!! I was letting the bike run a bit to let the cleaner get in the engine and the carbs because it idles very rough and high. WHAT TO DO!? I check the spark plugs and they are just fine. (I did this by taking one at a time out and resting them on one of the fins of the engine while watching for a spark.) Any ideas??? I'm at a loss of what to do and I don't want to take it in somewhere.

Thanks!!

 

[Charlie G]

You need to let us know what bike you have. Add it to your signiture. I'm guessing you have air leaking and causing it to run lean on one cylinder. What condition is the bike in? Cleaned and dipped carbs? Valves adjusted? These are a must for a "new" old bike. Check out Basscliffs site for things to check.

Charlie G.

 

[knight_rider]

Oh yeah, fail on that one. I have a 1981 GS 450L. The bike is in immaculate condition, as for the outside at least. Carbs are cleaned, but not dipped or flushed. And I want to adjust the valves but I'm waiting for my Haynes manual.

 

[Big T]

Head on over to the O'Reilly's on Hwy 29 and see if they have the big can of carb dip.

Then, try www.cycleorings for new O rings for the carbs and intakes.

Then, read the Basscliff tutorial on how to clean your carbs

Your methodology is faulty, you about ruined your bike there

 

[jbs80106]

High idle usually = air leak, and typical location are the carb boots/o-rings which dry out and get hard. You could try testing by starting her up and spraying some lube around that area, see if the idle changes tone. If the rest of the bike is immaculate, then there are only a few things to check..

Carb boots.
Is your air filter foam clean and oiled?

First places to start IMO.

 

[Charlie G]

Nate,

Adjusting the valves and addressing any air leaks need to be top priority. You can really burn the valves and ruin the compression. I assumed the previous owner kept the valves adjusted on my 450 cause it ran fine. I rode it for 2500 miles that way. It seemed not to have as much power as the GS400 I bought new in 1977, but thirty years made unsure of what I remembered. When I did adjust the valves........Dang!!! What a difference I could pop wheelies again. The problem was the exhaust valves were so tight they probally weren't sealing and was close to ruining their ability to hold compression.

There is a manual on Basscliff's site for the 450. It's written for Brit's so you need to translate a bit and beware they include the GSX version of our bike in the manual. Good luck and PM me if I can help.

Charlie G.

 

[knight_rider]

Carb boots.
Is your air filter foam clean and oiled?

I really hate to break it to ya, but I don't have an air filter... It's currently on order and on it's way to my front door.

Nate,

Adjusting the valves and addressing any air leaks need to be top priority. You can really burn the valves and ruin the compression. I assumed the previous owner kept the valves adjusted on my 450 cause it ran fine. I rode it for 2500 miles that way. It seemed not to have as much power as the GS400 I bought new in 1977, but thirty years made unsure of what I remembered. When I did adjust the valves........Dang!!! What a difference I could pop wheelies again. The problem was the exhaust valves were so tight they probally weren't sealing and was close to ruining their ability to hold compression.

There is a manual on Basscliff's site for the 450. It's written for Brit's so you need to translate a bit and beware they include the GSX version of our bike in the manual. Good luck and PM me if I can help.

Charlie G.

I really need to adjust them and want to do it myself so I know how and so I don't have to take it in... I hate taking stuff in and having other people work on it.

Another thing, I put new spark plugs in the other day as I said before and took them out. The right one had oil on and inside of it... Now what?

Thanks Charlie G and jbs80106, I appreciate it!

 

[knight_rider]

Head on over to the O'Reilly's on Hwy 29 and see if they have the big can of carb dip.

Then, try www.cycleorings for new O rings for the carbs and intakes.

Then, read the Basscliff tutorial on how to clean your carbs

Your methodology is faulty, you about ruined your bike there

I'll see if they have that Carb Dip, what do you do? Or does it explain what to do in the bottle?

 

[Big T]

Then, read the Basscliff tutorial on how to clean your carbs/QUOTE]

Did this slip by you somehow?

Edit: I see you only have 5 posts, you may not have directed here

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

The valve adjustment method is the same for all 8V bikes.

Get a spreadsheet from Steve for continued valve tracking

 

[Steve]

Carbs are cleaned, but not dipped or flushed.

Sorry, but if the carbs are not dipped, they are NOT cleaned.

And I want to adjust the valves but I'm waiting for my Haynes manual.

Look on BassCliff's site, he has a manual for your bike. Also feel free to follow the advise at the end of my sig.

I'll see if they have that Carb Dip, what do you do? Or does it explain what to do in the bottle?

The carb dip you are looking for is Berryman's Carb Cleaner Dip, and it comes in a gallon-size can. There is a bit less than a gallon of fluid in there to allow for putting parts in without it overflowing. There is also a basket to hold all the parts as you dip them.

The carb cleaning guides in the Garage section detail what you need to do to clean the carbs, but my general recommendation is to ignore the time suggested on the can, especially since you don't really know the condition of your carbs. The can suggests "15-30 minutes" in the dip, I will suggest "15-30 HOURS" in there, instead. That's right, a full day. Strip the carbs apart, following the guide, dip all the parts for ONE carb at one time (keep the parts separate for each carb). Keep them submerged for a full day. The next day, take out the parts for the first carb, rinse them in hot water, get the parts for the next carb ready to dip and dip them. Use strands of copper wire to poke through all the holes in all the jets, then flush with carb cleaner spray, then use compressed air. Repeat as necessary for each carb. With your bike, you will be done twice as quickly as most of the rest of us.

.

 

[knight_rider]

So the carbs are soaking... Can't wait to put everything back together.. But I'm, still waiting for BikeBandit to send me my stuff...

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. night_rider,

You received your "mega-welcome" back in your first introductory thread. It contains just about all you need to know to get your bike running properly again. Give it a look.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Charlie G]

So the carbs are soaking... Can't wait to put everything back together.. But I'm, still waiting for BikeBandit to send me my stuff...

Good for you! Waiting for parts to arrive is the pits. I figure 2 weeks, unless it's Z1.

cg

 

[knight_rider]

Thanks BassCliff! Believe me, I've used a lot of that information that is contained on that first page.

 

[knight_rider]

Good for you! Waiting for parts to arrive is the pits. I figure 2 weeks, unless it's Z1.

cg

Yeah, it's killer looking at my bike, apart and cold..

But she will soon roar with life! And NOT burn up.

 

[knight_rider]

Here's some pictures to give you an idea of what she looks like:


The day I first got her...

That's 2,000 miles... (it sat for 8 years...)

Cleaning

After it sat for 11 hours in the carb-cleaning solution

And the other carburetor is currently soaking up goodness. It's unbelievable how much cleaner they got after all the work I put into them with just carb cleaner.

 

[Charlie G]

( preceeded by sware word, said loudly, showing extreme surprise) That bike belongs in a museum! I'm really glad you are doing the carbs and adjusting the valves. You should check the date codes on those tires. They could be origional. 25-30 year old tires aren't safe.

From what I have observed herethe last year here is that, 450's aren't as popular as the liter and up bikes, and L models aren't as sought after. Your motorcycle deserves anyones attention, it's in nice shape! Great find and worthy of what ever work you put into it.:clap: I like it and I'm an E & G man.

cg

 

[knight_rider]

( preceeded by sware word, said loudly, showing extreme surprise) That bike belongs in a museum! I'm really glad you are doing the carbs and adjusting the valves. You should check the date codes on those tires. They could be origional. 25-30 year old tires aren't safe.

From what I have observed herethe last year here is that, 450's aren't as popular as the liter and up bikes, and L models aren't as sought after. Your motorcycle deserves anyones attention, it's in nice shape! Great find and worthy of what ever work you put into it.:clap: I like it and I'm an E & G man.

cg

Thanks cg, it was a good find, even though it was my uncles. Oh, and the tires are original... My friend told me that I should be fine on the roads but I beg to differ. 29 year old tires going 65 MPH on the highway.. Yeah, not so much.

 

[Charlie G]

Nate,

Keep us posted as you go along.

cg

 

[ryonker]

So I fired my bike up the other day and let it ran for about 5 minutes because I had fuel injector cleaner in it, I come back out side and find my left side exhaust pipe is PURPLE, AND BLUE, AND VERY, VERY HOT!!! While the right side exhaust pipe is not discolored and not very hot! CRAP!!! I was letting the bike run a bit to let the cleaner get in the engine and the carbs because it idles very rough and high. WHAT TO DO!? I check the spark plugs and they are just fine. (I did this by taking one at a time out and resting them on one of the fins of the engine while watching for a spark.) Any ideas??? I'm at a loss of what to do and I don't want to take it in somewhere.

Thanks!!

Welcome Knightrider!

You probably know this but these bikes are air-cooled. If you plan on letting it run to work on it (more than just a couple of minutes), get a big fan blowing on the engine or it will ALWAYS get really hot.

Rick