New to Suzuki 83 GS550L in Wisconsin, needs some work.

[benaqui24]

Hi everybody! So I bought this bike pretty cheap a local shop and should have known better. The tag said "Runs Great!!!!1!" and they said they just went through the carbs. Has 19K on the cracked open odometer. It was cheap and they said it was laid down or in an accident. It's my first 4cyl bike. It doesn't look bad in a Robocop kinda way and works for me in the city. At least I have some experience and tools. Used to have a POS gen 1 and 2 Mitsubishi Eclipse I guess this bike will just be another notch in the torturing myself belt.

Status:

Instrument cluster held together with zip ties.

Old rusty chain but has a sprocket swap so it does 60mph at like 7k rpm.

Leaking gas. I've gotten about 70 miles out of the 2.5 gal. Leaks gas at air filter to carb boot(was missing clamps but I put some on. Might be a cracked overflow tube).

Squeaky frame sound, which I hope is just the unlubed bushing for the rear end. Comes and goes.

Probably needs new fork oil and seals, missing the top grommets.

Has to idle with choke (pretty sure the shop lied about doing the carbs).

Probably hasn't had valves adjusted in a long time.

Switching to reserve after running out of gas takes about 5 minutes before I can ride to a station... I have the link for buying a new ~$60 petcock. When I disconnected the hoses it only drops gas with suction, but I haven't tried with an empty tank to see if I inhale air. The vac tube seems dry.

The battery is cooking itself off. I will have to clean up the rusted grounds, and maybe get a new R/R. At least I have a good electronics background .

The air filter looked at least 10 years old. The foam seal was falling apart and the element was half black. Might have been pulling crap into the intake. I put a new stock one on.

Spark plugs look both sooty and lean after only one day in. Lots of black then white on the tips.


And so this is how my Suzuki journey is starting. Is the valve seat club still going? I have the motor with duel carbs and 4 valves per cylinder(TSCC?). I have more pics but I am limited to one per post. Also I already have the repair manual downloaded.

Previous bikes were 1986 Honda CX650c and 94 Honda Shadow 600 VLX

 

[Redman]

Welcome to GSR.

THe gas leak you metioned at the carb boots.... ah, that most likley is related to the petcock. ANd you did mention needing to replace it. But, first: Check that THe petcock has notr been left in the the PRIme position (lever pointed back).

Good that you have an electronics background, hopefully that helps you understand electrical systems.
Speaking of rusted grounds: the ground wire on the battery box (solenoid mounting) is important. That wire is not there to ground the wire. That wire IS a ground wire TO ground the battery box (and solenoid and R/R).

 

[benaqui24]

I tested the petcock by taking off the vac and supply houses and using a water bottle to collect the gas. It only flowed(pretty fast) when I sucked on the vac line. I didn't find any gas in the clear vac line like I thought I would. But maybe it is staying open at higher rpms?
Also I noticed another port on the tank itself. What is that one for? It was on the right hand side about half way up.

 

[benaqui24]

It's definitely been neglected.

 

[benaqui24]

Does anyone happen to know if that Black/white stripe wire is supposed to be connected, near that relay looking part?

 

[fbody_mike]

On my 85 GS550E that black and white wire is just like yours, hanging in the wind. The schematic shows that it is a ground wire that goes to the flasher (relay looking thing), however, like yours my flasher is a two wire type, and has no place for the third wire.

 

[benaqui24]

Hmm, well every once in a while, only one left signal will stay lit and won't flash. I'll check the schematic and part number. Thanks

 

[Steve]

You have several questions, so I will just copy your original post and post my answers along with them.

I bought this bike pretty cheap a local shop and should have known better. The tag said "Runs Great!!!!1!" and they said they just went through the carbs.
Just because they "went through" the carbs does not mean they did any cleaning, adjusting or parts replacement.

... they said it was laid down or in an accident. ... Instrument cluster held together with zip ties.
That would be the FIRST red flag for me. Zip ties are great tools, but are no substitute for proper fasteners.
Assuming it <might> have been in an accident, be sure to check the fork tubes for straightness and alignment, as well as the swingarm.

Old rusty chain but has a sprocket swap so it does 60mph at like 7k rpm.
The "old rusty chain" needs to be replaced, along with BOTH sprockets. I don't have a 550, and have not ridden one of that generation, but I think 7k should be getting you about 70-75 MPH. Count the teeth on the sprockets. Stock numbers are 14 in the front and 47 in the rear.

Leaking gas. I've gotten about 70 miles out of the 2.5 gal. Leaks gas at air filter to carb boot(was missing clamps but I put some on. Might be a cracked overflow tube).
Yes, leaking gas might be part of the problem, but looking at the overall picture, I'd say there are plenty of other things that will need your attention, as well.

Squeaky frame sound, which I hope is just the unlubed bushing for the rear end. Comes and goes.
Apparently you come from a more-rustic motorcycle background. Your bike has actual needle bearings, not bushings, in the swingarm pivots. They still need to be lubed, though.

Probably needs new fork oil and seals, missing the top grommets.
Not sure what you are calling "grommets", but it would be VERY prudent to change the fork oil and seals. While you are in there, it would also be good to replace the springs. Sonic Springs is a very good place to shop for springs. When you get your new springs (or even if you stick with your old springs) installed, use 10w fork oil.

Has to idle with choke (pretty sure the shop lied about doing the carbs).
It's not unusual to use the "choke" to start the bike and a little while it's warming up, but it should not be necessary after that. Remember, they did not "do" the carbs, they just "went through" them. PROPER cleaning and adjusting should restore proper function.

Probably hasn't had valves adjusted in a long time.
If you don't know when they were last adjusted, assume they have NOT been done.

Switching to reserve after running out of gas takes about 5 minutes before I can ride to a station... I have the link for buying a new ~$60 petcock. When I disconnected the hoses it only drops gas with suction, but I haven't tried with an empty tank to see if I inhale air. The vac tube seems dry.
It might be good to make SURE you understand how the petcock normally operates. Turning the lever DOWN is the normal RUN position. It requires vacuum applied to the vacuum port to turn the fuel ON. Stopping the engine will turn the petcock OFF. The REServe position is when you rotate the lever clockwise to the RES position. It also requires vacuum for gas to flow, but it now draws fuel from a lower point in the tank. The last position is PRIme, which is reached by turning the lever counter-clockwise so it is pointing rearward. In that position, fuel flows. It does NOT require any vacuum.

The battery is cooking itself off. I will have to clean up the rusted grounds, and maybe get a new R/R. At least I have a good electronics background .
Your battery is "cooking off" because it is being overcharged. Use a voltmeter to determine what your voltage is. Standard reference points are:
Key OFF - 12.6-12.8 volts, depending on battery type
Key ON, engine not running - should stay over 12 volts
Engine running, at idle - could be just about anything between 11.5 and 14.5 volts
Engine speed increasing, about 2000 RPM - if voltage was low, should be over 13 by now
Engine at 5000 RPM - voltage should be stabilized at 14.0-14.5 volts
And when you get around to installing a new R/R, consider the SH775 that is commonly available on Polaris units. Used ones from wrecked vehicles are plentiful on eBay, can usually be had for less than $50

The air filter looked at least 10 years old. The foam seal was falling apart and the element was half black. Might have been pulling crap into the intake. I put a new stock one on.

Spark plugs look both sooty and lean after only one day in. Lots of black then white on the tips.
Two things to verify here.
1. Are they the correct plugs? I believe your bike calls for D8EA plugs. Make sure you have the correct heat range (8)
2. Carb adjustments. Really need to start with clean carbs, THEN adjust them.

... Is the valve seat club still going?
Don't know of any "valve seat club". There is a valve SHIM club, though. Yes, it's still going, but you don't need it, your bike uses threaded adjusters and locknuts to adjust the 16 valves. Supposedly easier, but more time consuming, because there are more of them.

I have the motor with duel carbs and 4 valves per cylinder(TSCC?).
Hopefully your DUAL carbs are not fightin (duelling) with each other, but they really should be cleaned and adjusted properly.
Yes, Suzuki marketed their version of 4 valves per cylinder as "TSCC". It stood for "Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber."

I have more pics but I am limited to one per post.
If you use a photo hosting site, you can copy and paste the links to the pictures there, then you can post up to 10 pictures (links) per post.

Also I already have the repair manual downloaded.
Along with the manual, there are many specialized tutorials on BassCliff's site.

.

 

[benaqui24]

Thanks for the info dump and answers. Yes, there were some red flags, but I'm still hopeful... The zip ties are just on the cluster housing, the speedo is cracked. I haven't found any others.

Judging by just the air filter, I'm expecting to do a lot of work. I have replaced that already. Valves are going to be the next step. I have a compression gauge I need to get back from my parents place. That should be able to tell me if im just wasting time at least.

The chain did feel tight when I first looked at it, and doesn't make any noise when moving. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I'm still not sure if it's worth replacing if the whole bike is scrap...

I already did some messing aroundwith the petcock, by pulling the lines, and it seems to be functioning correctly. But I think the bottom of the screen is clogged. And it looks different than this one...
http://www.georgefixs.com/brand-new...s550-gs650-gs750-gs850-gs1000-gs1100-petcock/
Mine has the ports facing opposite. But it has 44mm spacing. Maybe it wasn't put back together right?

By grommets, I mean the rubber covers where the 2 halves meet, to keep dirt out of the seal. Suspension seems to work normal right now.

The voltage is definitely off. Like 10v - key on. Low 12v at idle. So I'll do grounds/wires, new battery and probably R/R after I check out the engine and carbs.

I have ordered new carb o-rings from Robert, the site linked here. I saw some people use Pine-Sol, but that seems weird. Does it actually work or should I keep looking for carb dip?
I couldn't find any in any hardware store around here, and amazon was out.

Spark plugs were DR8EA gapped to about 0.027"ish. The plug boots are pretty old too, so I'll try to put new ones after the other work. I read the wires can't be changed? And that they are part of the coils?

As for choke and idle, well it seems to depend on the weather, and in southern Wisconsin it kind of changes by the hour... Also that cable is a little loose from the handle housing

Basscliffs files seem to be hosted on a college website, which has since been deleted or moved.

 

[cowboyup3371]

OReillys, Autozone, or Walmart will carry the carb dip in the gallon can which is the right thing you will want as it has a basket to hold the parts in.

I'm not sure why you Basscliff's site isn't working as I just clicked on several with no issues. Are you using IE11? If so, you'll want to add his site to your compatibility view settings.

Replace your chain anyway even if you don't think you can rescue the bike. You'll be surprised at how well you can get through things

 

[cowboyup3371]

I can barely tell what link you clicked on but what are you trying to find? If it's the carb cleaning tutorial, you'll want to click on the link with Nessism's name on it

 

[benaqui24]

Cool, I actually just checked amazon again too and it's back on there. I just liked the idea of Pine-sol being a little less toxic too.

I have chrome, the site works fine but I think half the files moved since I get this page...

 

[benaqui24]

It's just the links on mtsac.edu are down. But I would like another tear down guide of the dual carbs, the manual I found(for 550E) says I have Mikuni BSW30SS. But I couldn't find any stamp on my carbs without pulling them.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Try clicking this link as it's working for me on IE11

http://zeus.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/BS32SS_Carbs.pdf

 

[benaqui24]

Thanks, that link worked but I have the siamese carbs. I'll poke around the forum and links to get some stuff ordered tonight. I have a weird work schedule so I want to get spare parts figured out before I start fixing up the bike. I'm just going to order that $60 petcock and hopefully at least the screen will transfer to mine.

 

[Steve]

I have done a couple sets of BSW30 carbs. Yeah, they are a little different, but the o-ring kit will work just fine.

With just a little time and effort, they can look like this:

.

 

[LAB3]

Some people prefer to use carb dip, I've been using Pine-Sol for literally decades, two parts Pine-Sol to one part water. Granted, your carbs will darken just a bit especially after rinsing them with straight water afterwards, if that's an issue for you then go with the carb dip. After you've used the dip it's still plenty good as an all around cleaner and degreaser for your other parts, you might want to try soaking that chain in it, then some oil for a few hours after that.

 

[Wingsconsin]

I am not far away from you -
Madison is about 50 miles - I own an ultrasonic cleaner that those carbs will do well to visit.
I use Simple Green and water and can get those carbs fairly clean -
I have not done a set of those like yours are -- but once they are apart we can clean the heck out of them .
I also have some carb jet files (needles) to poke through each jet hole and be sure they are open.
Just reach out if you want a little help -- I can provide a work space and some tools -
Just the GSR thing to do.