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it won't run anymore!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jbeaber
  • Start date Start date
J

Jbeaber

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I am totally confused. I had my 85 GS550ES running after a lot of carb work. So, I put the carb-airbox and battery case assembly back together. I do an oil change. I want to run it for a bit to check the oil level. It starts getting cranky. Now I can't get the bike to idle at all. I've gotten it to start up for about 5 seconds, then die. Otherwise it just makes the starter noise, no thumps of it trying to turn over.
I took the carbs off, checked them and they look fine. I checked the spark plugs. One looked a little oily, but the rest were fine. One a weird whim, I put the bike in first them tried to spin the rear wheel manually. It resisted pretty well for a while, then started moving easier. I tried to start the bike, got it to run for 5 seconds, then died. I checked the wheel again in 1st gear. It was tough to move again, then loosened up. Ideas? I just don't know what to check....
 
Jbeaber said:
I am totally confused. I had my 85 GS550ES running after a lot of carb work. So, I put the carb-airbox and battery case assembly back together. I do an oil change. I want to run it for a bit to check the oil level. It starts getting cranky. Now I can't get the bike to idle at all. I've gotten it to start up for about 5 seconds, then die. Otherwise it just makes the starter noise, no thumps of it trying to turn over.
I took the carbs off, checked them and they look fine. I checked the spark plugs. One looked a little oily, but the rest were fine. One a weird whim, I put the bike in first them tried to spin the rear wheel manually. It resisted pretty well for a while, then started moving easier. I tried to start the bike, got it to run for 5 seconds, then died. I checked the wheel again in 1st gear. It was tough to move again, then loosened up. Ideas? I just don't know what to check....
Click to expand...

Your description makes me wonder if you've got one cylinder (the one with the "oily" plug), that has fuel pouring into it, hydraulically locking the piston. When you force the engine over with the wheel, you might be dumping some of that into the exhaust and crankcase - relieving the lockup temporarily.

With only your description as a guide, I'd be interested in removing the plugs, shutting off the fuel (pinch the line from the petcock even), crank it over to verify and relieve fuel accumulation, squirt a little oil into any suspect cylinder (to help the rings regain compression) and see if it'll run longer than 5 seconds with the plugs back in and wired (check that this is correct!). Do this with the fuel shut off........there'll be enough in the carbs normally to run for quite a period........IF this seems to confirm the the above, then at least you know where to start once again ;) Note also that IF the above seems to have happened, then check the oil to see how much fuel seems to be in it - or just change the oil again (once the problem is cured!).
 
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Another note..if you DO have fuel in your oil..recheck your float levels..this i say from experience...if they are too high, it may very well allow fuel to pour into your cylinders like he said. I had this problem, thought it may have been my float valves, but i then double and tripple checked my float levels (with a PROPER set of calipers this time:oops:) and sure enough the two cylinders i had richness from, had low float levels (or high depending on how you look at it) and were allowing WAY to much fuel into the bowls and hence the cylinders.
 
So, one thing I didn't mention.... The bike does not have a fuel tank attached right now. I have been Por-15ing it. The petcock is also shot, a new one is coming in the mail. I have just connected a funnel to the fuel line and am just pouring gas in. It wouldn't surprise me if, for some reason, gas got into the cylinder. If there is gas in the oil, how do you get rid of it? I'm looking forward to finally having the fuel system sorted. The tank is nearly past the four days of drying, but i'm not sure when the new petcock is coming in.
 
Change the oil and filter...dont get anymore gas in it...and id still check those float levels.
 
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