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Please Listen

  • Thread starter Thread starter old_chopper
  • Start date Start date
O

old_chopper

Guest
I have all the parts to clean and re-jet the carbs on my '80 GS550. I printed off the "how to" and started on them last night. I did a 1 hour job on them before just to ensure the engine would fire up and run on all four. Man was I shocked when I completely tore #1 down last night. Below the needle seat was a load of crud I could have never gotten to without the complete disassembly. I have seen about a million posts on here about "my bike won't run right but I cleaned the carbs, no I didn't dip them but they are clean". You may not have to dip them (I am) but you better tear them all the way down. Thanks to all of you who remind us of that everyday! I'm sure you have saved me a lot of grief.
 
Yep, the voice of experience speaks loudly in here. Plus, once you've torn them apart and put back together the "mystery" is gone. It seems intimidating, but you realize "Ok, it's not THAT hard". Fighting with the circlips on the needles is the biggest PIA of the whole job once you do it once and deal with any stuck screws or jets.
 
Sticky time...

Sticky time...

old_chopper said:
I have all the parts to clean and re-jet the carbs on my '80 GS550. I printed off the "how to" and started on them last night. I did a 1 hour job on them before just to ensure the engine would fire up and run on all four. Man was I shocked when I completely tore #1 down last night. Below the needle seat was a load of crud I could have never gotten to without the complete disassembly. I have seen about a million posts on here about "my bike won't run right but I cleaned the carbs, no I didn't dip them but they are clean". You may not have to dip them (I am) but you better tear them all the way down. Thanks to all of you who remind us of that everyday! I'm sure you have saved me a lot of grief.
Click to expand...


Hey Frank, Can we make a sticky for this? :-\\\ ;)
 
old_chopper said:
I have seen about a million posts on here about "my bike won't run right but I cleaned the carbs, no I didn't dip them but they are clean"......
Click to expand...


Yep!

It is "Taboo" to many who have never done it.

And, it is inevitable that there will be a million more posts in the future on the same thing..

I have come to believe that even though there are 5 threads on Page 1 claiming the same thing on different bikes, the next poster has a different bike, and to be intamate with their specific bike they post the same question worded in a different way.

But, that is okay too. People like helping people usually. :)

In reality, it is the same problems, same reasons, and exactly the same remedies for 99% of the bikes that have sat unattended for any lenght of time. Not just GSs. ;)



I salute those who "Drum the Beat."
 
99% of the bikes that have sat unattended for any lenght of time.

Hell cars too. Friend bought an old Caddy, 68 convertible, wouldn't run worth a damn. First thing I told him "well you're gonna have to pull that carb off and clean it".
 
There is a slight benefit to fuel injection. :o


Hell cars too. Friend bought an old Caddy, 68 convertible, wouldn't run worth a damn. First thing I told him "well you're gonna have to pull that carb off and clean it".
Click to expand...

... lawn mowers, chain saws, blowers, weed whips, wheelers, RC cars, sleds, street rods, tractors, block saws, generators, (my diesel Bobcat always starts:p)

just adding to the list of things that need attention at home. :cool:
 
Steve said:
Yep. You get injectors that plug up instead of jets. :D

.
Click to expand...

Thats true, but in my limited experience with fuel injuction, it is way less likely to foul than a carb is from sitting. I think the key is having 80 psi or more pressure pushing the fuel as opposed to a few inches of water pushing the fuel makes a big difference in my cars. The FI ones can sit all year without grieif. I have not owned a fuel injected motorcycle yet.
 
Well, I have owned an injected bike. Granted, it was an early example ('84 Kawasaki Voyager 1300) and had its own set of problems, but the newer ones are working quite well.

I don't know what pressures the newer bikes are running, but my Kaw and a couple of the cars we have here only run 45-50 psi, but that's still a lot more than just gravity from the tank.

.
 
Reading an article about injectors vs carbs the other day. I think it boils down to, injectors work great, and are low maint, but if something does go wrong you need a computer to fix them. You can fix your carbs on the side of the road with the bike tool kit and a piece of wire.
 
doctorgonzo said:
Reading an article about injectors vs carbs the other day. I think it boils down to, injectors work great, and are low maint, but if something does go wrong you need a computer to fix them. You can fix your carbs on the side of the road with the bike tool kit and a piece of wire.
Click to expand...

You just need to know how they work and how to troubleshoot.
Injection systems are closed from the atmosphere when it's not running, there's no way for fuel to evaporate and leave the residue behind. I have left several injected vehicles for a few years and they fire right up. Most recently a K100 which sat in Scotland nearly two years, it cranked about three seconds and ran perfectly.

Carbs are vented, the fuel goes away and leaves the glue behind. Two months or three, you can have problems already. Four or five it's very likely.
 
Steve said:
I don't know what pressures the newer bikes are running, but my Kaw and a couple of the cars we have here only run 45-50 psi, but that's still a lot more than just gravity from the tank.

.
Click to expand...

Its gravity to the float bowls. Its engine vacuum to get it uphill from there.
 
I finished the carbs and put them on with new boots and o-rings. Due to the type of bike I'm building pod filters were a must, they are also new and installed. I built a wiring harness and cut to fit the new plug wires with the dyna green coils. The new gas tank isn't prepped so the temp tank was hooked up. The motor cranked 3 times for about a second each before it stumbled to life. I quickly realized I forgot to plug the vacuum tube so I plugged it. The idle is awesome and it revs great, plus it's charging great. It's rough and pops at a steady 3000-4000 rpm but I still have to check the valves and synch the carbs. Hopefully that will smooth it out.
 
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