It runs, yay!!! But wait...

[Adler]

So today my GS550L turned on (stable) for the first time! it rooooars!

However.... after sitting idling for about 40 seconds I started to see smoke rising from what appears to be the left headers, is this a normal thing for a motorcycle that hasnt gotten hot in 3 years? maybe just cobwebs?

second issue, the right headers weren't smoking... the reason, they weren't hot.... its obviously not the coils. Am I going to have to take off the carbs... AGAIN! or maybe a plug switcheroo... perhaps the coil wires...? ideas?

 

[Guest]

Did you do a valve adjustment?

 

[Guest]

Yup, they'll smoke.
Check for compression, wet plugs and spark before tearing things apart.

 

[Adler]

Did you do a valve adjustment?

I was afraid someone would ask that... its on my short list of things to do. You think that could be it?

Yup, they'll smoke.
Check for compression, wet plugs and spark before tearing things apart.

I havent done a formal compression test but it pushes my thumb off the spark hole. I have spark. One sec... Ill get back to you on the wet plugs...

 

[Guest]

I was having the same problem with my pipes not getting hot on my 450. I did a valve adjustment and all the other fun stuff like dipping the carbs and it cleared the problem up.

 

[Adler]

alrighty... plugs are dampish... i guess. Not wet.

Is it possible that all 4 cylinders are firing but the left 2 are getting much hotter much faster? How fast should the headers get uncomfortable to touch?


EDIT: perhaps i should mention that initially it only started with quick start... Only had to do that once though...

 

[Adler]

More important info I forgot to mention,

All this is happening with the choke fully on.
any throttle kills it.

I figured those would go away when it gets properly hot...

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

It really sounds like you need to properly clean and rebuild the carbs and use an O-ring kit from http://cycleorings.com when you reassemble.

CLICK HERE for the Carb Rebuild Series guide.

Is the airbox in good repair?

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Adler]

Hi,

It really sounds like you need to properly clean and rebuild the carbs and use an O-ring kit from http://cycleorings.com when you reassemble.

CLICK HERE for the Carb Rebuild Series guide.

Is the airbox in good repair?

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I just finished completely taking apart the carbs and making sure every passageway was clear. I suppose I could do it again... All the O-rings LOOKED like they were in good condition... does that mean anything?

 

[shibby_cbs]

the exhaust should be too hot to touch pretty much right away...also do not touch the throttle when starting...opening the throttle cancels out the work that the choke is doing...hence it dies

 

[Guest]

Believe me if you dip each carb over night in carb dip and change all the orings you will be amazed at how much of a difference it makes in the way your bike runs. Refer to the guide that basscliff gave you. It helps.

 

[Adler]

Ok, so soon I will order that O-ring kit, but until then I have an update...

It started recently without the choke and then proceeded to rev unprecedentedly high, around 5 i think... freaked me out so i turned it off.

Then I checked the header again, this time they were all warm, some more then others.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Here's all you have to do to get your bike to run perfectly. Really.

***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 [and most other models] has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.

What I have noticed at the rallies is that very, very few 850Gs are actually running right. Make VERY sure it's actually running the way it's supposed to before busting out the modifications.

Brian's E-Z and fun plan for GS850 happiness:

1) Seal the airbox and air filter with weatherstripping.

2) Ensure no intake leaks. Spraying WD-40 or water doesn't tell you much, since very small air leaks can cause problems even though they won't suck in enough WD-40 to make a difference. Replace your intake boot o-rings and boots if needed, and seriously consider spending the lousy $28 for new airbox/carb boots.

3) Ensure clean carbs with correct settings, new o-rings, and original OEM jets. No, not just squirted with something. I mean completely disassembled.

4) Check/adjust valve clearances (Manual calls for every 4,000 miles. This is not optional.)

5) Ensure healthy electrical system.

6) Seriously consider upgrading coils and plug wires.

7) Install new, stock NGK B8-ES plugs gapped to .031".

8 ) Fine-tune float height and idle mixture screw to ensure best off-idle transition.

9) Clean air filter and reinstall with only the lightest oil mist -- over-oiling and/or letting the filter get dirty is a common and critical mistake, and will make the bike run funny at low speeds and run rich. This may take a few tries.

10) Make sure the exhaust seals are sealing.

11) Ooh, much better now, huh? You're gonna need upgraded suspension - Progressive or better fork springs and shocks. Set suspension sag appropriately.

12) Upgrade brakes with new pads and stainless lines to deal with all that extra speed.

13) Install new petcock, since I'm going to head to the roof with a rifle if I have to read about yet another #2 plug fouling and failed hillbilly attempts to rebuild the petcock and/or deny there's a problem.

14) Oh yeah -- check compression somewhere in there to ensure the valves and rings are reasonably healthy.

15) You'll probably need new OEM clutch springs -- the clutches last forever, but the springs get tired after 20 years or so under pressure. E-Z and cheap.
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html
Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html
You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com
Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm




Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Steve]

I just finished completely taking apart the carbs and making sure every passageway was clear. I suppose I could do it again... All the O-rings LOOKED like they were in good condition... does that mean anything?

How did you clear the passageways that you couldn't see? :-k

There are many of them.

The only way to do it is to do it RIGHT, or you will be doing it again (and again, and again).

Although the o-rings look good, I can guarantee that new ones will look better.

When you order your o-rings, don't forget to get the ones for your intake tubes (if your bike uses them) and the stainless hardware that holds the tubes.

And, ... whatever you do, THROW THAT CAN OF "QUICK-START" AWAY!!!
It is far too easy to get carried away with that stuff, usually with disasterous results.

To wake up any engine that has been "sleeping" for three years, there are certain steps that need to be taken to have any hope for success. BassCliff gave you a quote from bwringer that shows the list of what to do to the whole bike, but the basic stuff to wake up the engine will include:
- oiling the cylinders before rotating the crank (too late for that, now)
- adjusting the valves (verify cam timing while the cover is off)
- clean the carbs by dipping (not just spraying)
- checking ignition timing (in your case, replace points and condensors, too)
- install new spark plugs
- verify airbox integrity

Then, when the engine is about ready to run, prime the float bowls in the carbs, apply some "choke" (it's actually an "enrichment" system, not a "choke", start the bike. When the bike is warm, synchronize the carbs and fine-tune the mixture screws.

Before you go out for a celebration ride, make sure all the other stuff in BassCliff/bwringer's list is done, to ensure that the bike is safe.

.

 

[Adler]

I know this is all meaningless until I do all the things mentioned but I thought i'd update on some new weird symptoms.

If I start on full choke, it idles nicely at around 1.5, but if i take off the choke, it dies...

If I start it with no choke, it starts up and idles at around 3 (thats crazy high right?) and I can use the throttle to make it go vroom more.

Im thinking one of my major issue here is carb balancing, I dont have the correct tools to do it right so I bet my carbs are totally off. Anyhow, I'm off to find a source for intake o-rings.

 

[Steve]

Yeah, your carb sync could be off, but also remember that there are more than two positions for the "choke".

You do not have to pull it all the way to engage it, you can place it anywhere in the middle, too.

Have you verified yet that your bike does, indeed, have o-rings in the intake tubes?

.

 

[Adler]

Yeah, your carb sync could be off, but also remember that there are more than two positions for the "choke".

You do not have to pull it all the way to engage it, you can place it anywhere in the middle, too.

Have you verified yet that your bike does, indeed, have o-rings in the intake tubes?

.

Yup, I responded in the other thread, http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=163488

 

[Adler]

Probably related to carb synch being off, for some reason my throttle rocker (or whatever its called) doesnt contact the idle adjust screw, it goes above it and will not go lower.

It was damn hard to get a picture of that...

 

[Ola]

Looks like the throttle cable is binding or the adjustment screw is too tight. The adjustment screw is not on the throttle, but where you attach the throttle cable to the rack. It is quite fiddly to get right.

 

[Adler]

Looks like the throttle cable is binding or the adjustment screw is too tight. The adjustment screw is not on the throttle, but where you attach the throttle cable to the rack. It is quite fiddly to get right.

But that picture is with it off the bike!