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Rough idle followed by no start after oil change.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zack
  • Start date Start date
Z

Zack

Guest
Hello, so after a lot of work I was down to my last few things that my 1980 GS850 needed.
I drained the horrible oil last night and let the loctite for the drain plug to set overnight. I also changed the oil filter.
This afternoon I put new oil in ( a little over 3 and a half quarts of 20w50 valvoline) and a new choke and clutch cable.
After everything was back together and tight I started the bike, and it would not stay on without some choke or throttle and then proceeded to die after a few minutes.
It wont start for anything now and makes a noise I haven't heard before..
The bike was NOT started before I had the new oil in.
I'm at wits end here, after everything the last thing to do before I could ride it and now it wont start!
It started fine with the old nasty oil, sheesh..(wasnt ridden but would start and idle fine)
I'm hoping it's something stupid but I haven't figured it out yet. Please help :(
 
May be you've dislodged a cable or connector when you put the new cables on, do you have a spark at all plugs?
 
Chris G said:
May be you've dislodged a cable or connector when you put the new cables on, do you have a spark at all plugs?
Click to expand...
I looked and didnt see anything, but that is possible. I should probably take the tank back off and look around.
As for sparks, I really have no clue. As I said it started right up before oil change so its so confusing :(
 
Looking at connectors won't reliably give you much info to assess if they're OK. You won't know you still have spark until you've seen the spark when testing it.

If the new clutch cable isn't adjusted exactly like the old one, you may simply need a different amount of choke from what you were used to before. Or maybe the choke cable was adjusted tight to compensate for clogged idle circuits in the carbs. Either way, new oil and cables can't cause these symptoms. Something else is in need of attention.
 
I actually didn't need any choke before for it to start.
So the clutch cable can affect the engine starting from neutral?
 
I think he meant to say choke cable. That what I was thinking too. If it would start without choke before and now it wants to die, maybe it is being heavily choked. Barring something accidentally dislodged, the changing of the choke cable is probably the only thing you have done that would cause these symptoms.
 
The choke cable was broke so it was relaxed. So nothing has changed in the amount of choke.
 
I just took the tank off and checked stuff, everything looked solid.
All I get is one small sputter sometimes if im lucky with or without varying amounts of choke, on prime or regular.
Im out of daylight to work on it but I really would like to have some stuff I can try for early tomorrow morning.
 
I would check for spark on both 1&2 cylinders that way you know both coils are firing. If that is good then you need to make sure fuel is getting to the carbs. Pull the drain plugs and make sure fuel is getting to all of them. Maybe the fuel line got pinched somehow in the process of monkeying with it. You can give it a LITTLE ether and see if it will crack off on that. If it will fire on ether then you are sure to have a fuel issue. Im sure you are right. It probably is something easy you just need to go through the process of elimination and start checking things off the list. Fuel, air, spark, compression.
 
Loctite ???

Loctite ???

You put loctite on your drain plug??? Usually a new crush washer will work for several changes before they start weaping.
 
Zack said:
Plugs are very black, going to test for spark.
Click to expand...
This would be a good time to check petcock for correct operation- so you can rule it out as a problem and move on to carbs. Disconnect fuel line at petcock - in "ON" or "RES" no fuel should flow or dribble if engine ain't running.
 
tom203 said:
This would be a good time to check petcock for correct operation- so you can rule it out as a problem and move on to carbs. Disconnect fuel line at petcock - in "ON" or "RES" no fuel should flow or dribble if engine ain't running.
Click to expand...

It doesnt flow unless its on the one across from RES, at which point it gushes.

EDIT
I took the battery to the auto store and they said it was down a volt, Im assuming this was the problem, and desperately hoping.
I can go pick it up in 30 minutes.
 
Last edited:
Bike turns over better now but WILL NOT START...
Spark plugs are not wet so its not getting fuel where it needs to go.

There is a second line that was never hooked up to the petcock, I never needed it before, would I now?
I dont know what to do at this point, does anyone?
 
A second line? There's the main fuel line that goes to the T between #1 and #2 carbs. The second line is a smaller vacuum line that goes from the petcock to a nipple on the front side of the #2 carb. The vacuum opens the petcock when in the run position, and a spring in the petcock automatically closes it when the engine stops. Without this line, it will only run on prime, and #2 carb will have an enormous vacuum leak (unless it's been capped). Running on prime risks overflowing the carbs if the needle valves don't hold.

Original petcocks have often failed by 34 years of age, and rebuild kits don't often work. Sometimes if it doesn't work properly, a disassembly and cleaning can get them working again.

Proper functioning of that petcock is this: On prime, fuel should flow freely. On the run (on?) or reserve setting, it should only flow when there is a vacuum on the smaller nipple. Gas should never come through the vacuum side, and shouldn't even drip when set to on or reserve.
 
Well I seem to have isolated my problem, no fuel is getting to the carb.
I just put my lines back on and left the bowel drains open and nothing ever came out. With the line off gas will pour out the petcock, but it doesnt get through the carb.
 
Umm, the main fuel line T is between carbs #3 and #2. Are you running an inline fuel filter?
 
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