S
Surly
Guest
Had the 78 GS1000E out last saturday. Rode it around in its complete-ness for a good hour. Very nice bike, except I still have some air in the brakes so I have to pump them up now and then, but they work okay.
Anyway, took it out again on Sunday and noticed a bog and then it cut out on me. Fortunately I wasn't far from home and coasted down the hill to the driveway. I thought it was just out of gas, so I put a gallon in and I got it running again, but the bike still wouldn't idle unless the choke is all the way on, and then only at 500 rpm. Yet, before I took it literally up the street it idled in the garage flawlessly for 5 minutes.
So I let it sit for a while and started it again. Idled fine and I took it out again. Same thing. Runs good for a minute, then bogs on accelleration, then dies and won't idle unless the choke is on. Unfortunately, things don't magically disappear as easy as they appear and I pushed it home this time. MY HECK THAT IS A HEAVY BIKE! Fortunately I was able to get it started and running just long enough to get it back up the hill and into the garage.
At first glance I saw that my air filter had moved slightly so I might have been pulling too much air into this tempermental motor. Then I pulled the petcock and noticed some black silt and some rust around the gasket. I noticed the Hastings in-line fuel filter also had some of that black silt in it so I pulled the carbs last night and in the bottom of each float bowl was a small amount of the fine black silt. My guess is that this is rust that is coming from the inside of the tank. When the problem started, I was low on gas, and it was the same gas that had been in the tank for a month. I think I may have sucked the from the bottom of the tank and this residue plugged a jet or passage in one or more of the carbs. I did the phos acid trick in July which seemed to work well, though I didn't shake gravel around in it, I got some good chunks of material out. No holes though and I think the tank is sound.
I guess what I am asking is this: am I on the right track going after the fuel system first? Could this be electrical? And lastly, about that tank. Should I just do the phos acid and gravel shake again or go all out for the POR-15/Kreem application. Anything else I am missing? This is a good weekend for me to try stuff, it is going to rain.
Thanks again.
Anyway, took it out again on Sunday and noticed a bog and then it cut out on me. Fortunately I wasn't far from home and coasted down the hill to the driveway. I thought it was just out of gas, so I put a gallon in and I got it running again, but the bike still wouldn't idle unless the choke is all the way on, and then only at 500 rpm. Yet, before I took it literally up the street it idled in the garage flawlessly for 5 minutes.
So I let it sit for a while and started it again. Idled fine and I took it out again. Same thing. Runs good for a minute, then bogs on accelleration, then dies and won't idle unless the choke is on. Unfortunately, things don't magically disappear as easy as they appear and I pushed it home this time. MY HECK THAT IS A HEAVY BIKE! Fortunately I was able to get it started and running just long enough to get it back up the hill and into the garage.
At first glance I saw that my air filter had moved slightly so I might have been pulling too much air into this tempermental motor. Then I pulled the petcock and noticed some black silt and some rust around the gasket. I noticed the Hastings in-line fuel filter also had some of that black silt in it so I pulled the carbs last night and in the bottom of each float bowl was a small amount of the fine black silt. My guess is that this is rust that is coming from the inside of the tank. When the problem started, I was low on gas, and it was the same gas that had been in the tank for a month. I think I may have sucked the from the bottom of the tank and this residue plugged a jet or passage in one or more of the carbs. I did the phos acid trick in July which seemed to work well, though I didn't shake gravel around in it, I got some good chunks of material out. No holes though and I think the tank is sound.
I guess what I am asking is this: am I on the right track going after the fuel system first? Could this be electrical? And lastly, about that tank. Should I just do the phos acid and gravel shake again or go all out for the POR-15/Kreem application. Anything else I am missing? This is a good weekend for me to try stuff, it is going to rain.
Thanks again.