The hoses are open at the end, but air does`nt actually blow out when the engine is running. All the breather pipes do is vent the carbs, to allow fuel to flow into the float chamber. Basically the float chamber is sealed, except for the very small outlets of the jets. The float needle inlet where the fuel enters the carb is bigger than the jet outlets, so if the carbs were not vented, the air in the float chamber would have nowhere to go and the resulting pressure would prevent the bowl from filling with fuel. So air does may exit the tubes, but at such a slow rate you would not be able to tell. If you do try this starting tip, put the choke lever on then blow two or three times into each vent hose.
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Poor starting tip for GS550 & 750`s
- Thread starter tomo
- Start date
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ShirleySerious
Guest
So all I gotta do is find where the hoses end and blow into it with the choke on? Sounds simple enough, I think I'll try that.
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ShirleySerious
Guest
I went there to look for it and I was under the impression that one end of the tube was open. I couldn't find it. A combination of no light in the storage area (they turned off the power to the light bulbs 'for safety reasons'), the 0 degree weather, numb fingers, big hands, and a tight space led me to give up. I tried cranking it but I don't think air cooled, carbed engines were meant to start in that kind of cold. I say carbed because my fuel injected car starts up right away.
Oh well, maybe when it gets warmer I'll see if it starts up without having to blow into the tubes.
Oh well, maybe when it gets warmer I'll see if it starts up without having to blow into the tubes.
It works fine if it's working fine...
It works fine if it's working fine...
If it won't start something is amiss.
It works fine if it's working fine...
If it won't start something is amiss.
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ShirleySerious
Guest
When it's above 50 degrees outside, my engine starts fine. Leads me to believe it wasn't meant to run in such frigid temps.
It won`t help if they turned off your power and you`ve got no light, but I still think its worth a try in the daylight. You may have to pull the end of the breather pipes up from where they drop down the back of the engine. The pipes are not clipped in place so you should be able to pull em up and out to the sides of the bike. I don`t think the cold is a problem, in fact it`s usually been in winter when I`ve had to do this or if the bikes been stood a while. Still worth trying. Shame I`m a few thousand miles away or I would give it a crack myself !.
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ShirleySerious
Guest
I would do that except the temperatures I'm working with numb all feeling in my fingers. It's around -3*F here (about -20*C) and at that temperature, your hands WILL freeze in less than a minute.
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ShirleySerious
Guest
It was finally "warm" enough to see if I could start my bike today. After cranking the starter for a few minutes with the choke both on and off, it wouldn't start, so I wanted to try the trick. I undid the tube, but wasn't sure which end to blow into, so I blew into the part that went toward the carbs. I didn't actually put my mouth on it, I just blew into it. I went to start the bike with the choke on and it ran for a whole 3 seconds before I heard a small explosion.
The engine stopped and I was looking for that would've made that explosion. The baffle in the exhaust was sticking out, so that makes two (the other baffle came out a couple weeks ago while riding.) After trying desperately to start it for 20 minutes, I gave up. I drained the battery trying to bring it to life, and the kick start did jack. I'm convinced it will take a miracle to get this bike started, and I have till the end of the month to leave the storage area.
Any tips on how I can get it started in under 20 minutes? Choke on or off?
The engine stopped and I was looking for that would've made that explosion. The baffle in the exhaust was sticking out, so that makes two (the other baffle came out a couple weeks ago while riding.) After trying desperately to start it for 20 minutes, I gave up. I drained the battery trying to bring it to life, and the kick start did jack. I'm convinced it will take a miracle to get this bike started, and I have till the end of the month to leave the storage area.
Any tips on how I can get it started in under 20 minutes? Choke on or off?
Nerobro
Forum Mentor
blowing into the tubes forces gas out of the carbs and into the intakes. That's what it does, and why it "works". It's priming the engine.
Shirley, if a bike doesn't start in a few secconds, it's time to quit. take the battery home, charge it. you have till march 1st to get it running right? Have you ever cleaned your pilot jets?
Shirley, if a bike doesn't start in a few secconds, it's time to quit. take the battery home, charge it. you have till march 1st to get it running right? Have you ever cleaned your pilot jets?
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ShirleySerious
Guest
The bike's been like that all winter, not starting up easily. The battery is charging as we speak, and I will have to pay another visit tomorrow. Thing is, I've tried to get it started earlier this winter, and even though it took a while, it ran.
As for cleaning the jets, the PO did it but I don't have the knowledge and probably the equipment to do so. The last thing I need is for my bike to go from gas-saving fun warm weather ride to a money pit.
As for cleaning the jets, the PO did it but I don't have the knowledge and probably the equipment to do so. The last thing I need is for my bike to go from gas-saving fun warm weather ride to a money pit.
Nerobro
Forum Mentor
Never. Ever. Ever. trust anything the PO said they did.
Given all the starting problems you've had, my money is that your pilot jets and or mixture screws are all clogged to hell. And all the time the bike has NOT been starting has just been making the collection of varnish worse.
There is no solution other than cleaning the carbs. They are a royal pain in the butt to get out, but they're simple to clean.
Have your pilot screw caps been drilled out yet?
Given all the starting problems you've had, my money is that your pilot jets and or mixture screws are all clogged to hell. And all the time the bike has NOT been starting has just been making the collection of varnish worse.
There is no solution other than cleaning the carbs. They are a royal pain in the butt to get out, but they're simple to clean.
Have your pilot screw caps been drilled out yet?
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ShirleySerious
Guest
I'm willing to try to start it a few more times, since I've had this trouble before. Once it gets warmer it'll be easier to start, and I'll just give it an Italian tune-up (if you don't know what that is, look it up) and good as new.
I'm thinking maybe some starting fluid will at least get it running for longer than 5 seconds. Because unless the bike starts, it's not going anywhere. So if I'm gonna fix anything on it, it's gonna have to start first.
I don't know what pilot screw caps are.
Also, I remember hearing about something called Seafoam. Sounds promising, so I think I'll try it out. If it saves me the hassle of ripping out the carbs, I'm all for it.
I'm thinking maybe some starting fluid will at least get it running for longer than 5 seconds. Because unless the bike starts, it's not going anywhere. So if I'm gonna fix anything on it, it's gonna have to start first.
I don't know what pilot screw caps are.
Also, I remember hearing about something called Seafoam. Sounds promising, so I think I'll try it out. If it saves me the hassle of ripping out the carbs, I'm all for it.
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Shirley, you're not serious about this starting problem.
Bite the bullet and pull the carbs. There is plenty of help available on this forum for you to see this task through. You'll learn heaps about your bike along the way. When it starts and runs sweetly you'll know that it was worth the effort.
Have you sorted out that Yami plug problem yet?
Bite the bullet and pull the carbs. There is plenty of help available on this forum for you to see this task through. You'll learn heaps about your bike along the way. When it starts and runs sweetly you'll know that it was worth the effort.
Have you sorted out that Yami plug problem yet?
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ShirleySerious
Guest
The technical knowledge I have of working with things like that would only serve to make the problem worse. When I mean I don't know how to do that, I mean it. Even if I were to work on my bike, I would have to get it home first (it's in a storage area 2 miles away.) I want to try Seafoam, because if I can get it running with that, I'd have saved myself a whole lot of trouble.
I will only get the carbs taken apart as a last resort. My DIY skill only goes so far. If I can get a mechanic to do the job right at a cost, as opposed to doing it myself blindly, I would.
I bought some starting fluid and will get some Seafoam tomorrow and hope for the best.
Sorry if I come across as an a-hole. I'm stubborn and persistence pays off for me on a regular basis.
I will only get the carbs taken apart as a last resort. My DIY skill only goes so far. If I can get a mechanic to do the job right at a cost, as opposed to doing it myself blindly, I would.
I bought some starting fluid and will get some Seafoam tomorrow and hope for the best.
Sorry if I come across as an a-hole. I'm stubborn and persistence pays off for me on a regular basis.
Nobody thinks you are an a-hole !. If you are`nt comfortable pulling the carbs then it`s best not to. Sorry to hear that the breather trick did`nt work but blew a baffle, wow !. Makes me think something else is amiss as that has never happened to me and I`ve used that trick for years !. Have you checked out if the plugs are sparking ok. If the bike fired a few times before the backfire, makes me wonder if one plug did`nt spark at first. The air fuel mix would get pushed into the exhaust, then probably ignited mixing with the hot gases from the others. I had that happen once with my CX500, turned out to be a duff plug. Might be worth trying new plugs. Think you can get similar problems if the ignition is retarded too but am not 100% sure, maybe someone else will clarify that. Be worth checking it out though, check the points gaps too, as they affect timing & may need setting. Another thing that can cause starting problems is a duff condensor. You can check them out if you open the points a little, with the ignition turned on. You should see a spark/arcing between the point faces. If not then could be a duff condensor. Just some ideas, but worth looking at.
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ShirleySerious
Guest
I posted the result in another related forum but I almost forgot about this one. I tried some starting fluid a couple days ago, but to no avail. I went to U Haul yesterday with my friend to see if we could get a trailer to tow my bike home, but they turned him down because he didn't have the proper equipment on his truck.
So I went to see one last time if it would start before I would have to walk it home. I put the choke on and it fired up for about 10 seconds. I kept coaxing it and finally got it to stay on without the choke. I ended up riding it home. It's a good thing too because it started snowing last night and the roads all suck now.
I guess the message here is perseverance pays off. That and some Seafoam.
So I went to see one last time if it would start before I would have to walk it home. I put the choke on and it fired up for about 10 seconds. I kept coaxing it and finally got it to stay on without the choke. I ended up riding it home. It's a good thing too because it started snowing last night and the roads all suck now.
I guess the message here is perseverance pays off. That and some Seafoam.
Great news !. Yep, bikes can be funny things. My old CX can be running fine, but park her up a couple of days and she is a pig to start, always used to flatten the battery trying. Once going, she runs fine. Fortunately, I found that breather trick works for CX`s too, so don`t usually have any trouble now, but I gather all CX`s are like that !. Anyway, glad to hear you got the GS running and got back home before the snow. It will be interesting to see how she fires up now, would`nt be surprised if it does now. All the best.
K
kramer
Guest
Just curious...would turning the fuel...hmm, I don't know the proper term for this, so, I'll describe it.
That little lever you turn when you're riding on the highway and the engine starts dying, so you switch the lever from "on" to "res" to tap into the "reserve fuel"...whatever the name of that thing is...
My '81 GS750E has a "pri" position, or priming per owner's manual. Is this effectively the same as blowing into the carb tubes?
This is all kinda funny to me...I'm a whiz at fixing computers but still a complete noob at understanding the nitty gritties of my beloved motorcycle.
That little lever you turn when you're riding on the highway and the engine starts dying, so you switch the lever from "on" to "res" to tap into the "reserve fuel"...whatever the name of that thing is...
My '81 GS750E has a "pri" position, or priming per owner's manual. Is this effectively the same as blowing into the carb tubes?
This is all kinda funny to me...I'm a whiz at fixing computers but still a complete noob at understanding the nitty gritties of my beloved motorcycle.
