Rebuilding 1979 GS850 Carb

[Guest]

Hey guys

new to the whole rebuilding scene in general. I may have bit more off than I care to admit. But it?s more of a passion project than anything else.

I purchased this 1979 GS850 project locally. https://imgur.com/gallery/84nEdMw The previous owner bought it as a project himself but didn?t have the time or resources. She?s seen better days but I want to bring her back to her former glory. I?m going to rewire her then try and get her started.

My question is are the carb cleaning kits interchangeable between 1980 and 1979? Everywhere I?ve looked there isn?t 1979 listed. Only 1980-1983.

I appreciate the help and if you have any other recommendations I?ll be more than glad to here it out!!

 

[rphillips]

Sorry, "79" slide carbs are totally different from the "80" CV carbs. I don't know how to do it, but someone here will soon give you a link to a great carb cleaning thing done by one of the members here. I see it here every couple of days.

 

[Guest]

Awesome. Glad I asked before I jumped on it. I?ll wait patiently thank you!!

 

[hannibal]

Pretty sure the 1979 GS850 uses VM carbs. You can find a rebuild guide here: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/vm_carb_rebuild.pdf

The guide comes from Bikecliff's site which has tons of info: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

The usual advice is to avoid a rebuild kit and just replace the O rings. You can find the right O rings at cycleorings.com. You'll need to separate and strip the carbs to clean them properly. Clean and reuse the jets.

 

[Nessism]

cycleorings.com

The owner is a member here. You will need a full O-ring kit for VM carbs + carb boot O-rings too. And if the boots are original consider getting new ones unless they feel soft and pliable.

Be careful of the pilot fuel screws which come in on the bottom. They have sharp points so make sure you don't screw them in too hard or the tip can break off in the carb body.

If the float valves are worn get new OEM Mikuni brand type. Dennis Kirk and others sell them for fair prices. Most of the other jets should be reusable, but check the numbers against those in the book to make sure they are the correct sizes.

 

[Guest]

Appreciate it boss. I just purchased the kit and the intake o-rings

 

[eil]

When you say "former glory", do you mean getting it back to stock? If so, I don't mean to dissuade you but that's quite a lot of work and expense on what is basically a rolling chassis at this point. In parts alone, I think you would spend more than what you could buy a a close-to-stock bike for.

Anyway, more power to you, whatever direction you go in. I have a '79 850 myself, although it has had so many upgrades, there's almost nothing '79 about it anymore except for the gas tank and side covers. Happy to answer any questions.