Trouble getting old bike to Start

[Anonymous]

I am new to the Suzuki scene and just acquired a 1982 GS850 with lots of potential.

The Bike had been sitting for 8-1o years so I put in a new battery, new spark plugs, K&N air filter, Cleaned the carbs replacing gaskets, poured out the old gas, and put in a little inline fuel filter.

When I try to start the bike it turns over and runs for about 3-5 seconds. The longest run time was about 1 minute. If I try to give it any throttle the bike dies out. For the short time it runs, it seems to be running strong and clean. It dont know if its getting to much gas or not enough, but the bowls are all filled up with gas and it seems like it wants to run, but just hasnt yet.

I was told maybe the stator might have gone from sitting for so long, but i have been trying to start it with and without a charger on it. I just cant troubleshoot the stator without the bike running. I dont know if the stator is another issue but I have been reading through the old Q&A's that last few days, Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thx alot.

 

[frosty5011]

Re: Trouble getting old bike to Start

I am new to the Suzuki scene and just acquired a 1982 GS850 with lots of potential.

The Bike had been sitting for 8-1o years so I put in a new battery, new spark plugs, K&N air filter, Cleaned the carbs replacing gaskets, poured out the old gas, and put in a little inline fuel filter.

When I try to start the bike it turns over and runs for about 3-5 seconds. The longest run time was about 1 minute. If I try to give it any throttle the bike dies out. For the short time it runs, it seems to be running strong and clean. It dont know if its getting to much gas or not enough, but the bowls are all filled up with gas and it seems like it wants to run, but just hasnt yet.

I was told maybe the stator might have gone from sitting for so long, but i have been trying to start it with and without a charger on it. I just cant troubleshoot the stator without the bike running. I dont know if the stator is another issue but I have been reading through the old Q&A's that last few days, Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thx alot.

If it truly has a new battery in it, it's not the stator that's preventing it from starting any at all. A new battery should easily run a bike for an hour, without the stator charging. I would bet the carbs are either not properly cleaned, or they're adjusted wrong.

 

[mark]

Greetings. How many miles on your bike? Have you done a compression test yet? Its nice to know the basic condition of your engine as you begin to figure things out.....

 

[Anonymous]

There are just under 12,000 miles on the bike. I have not done a compression test. Would i need to take it to a suzuki dealer for that?

The stator i think may be another problem, but the main problem i'm having is just getting the bike to run for the first time in a long while. I took the carbs all apart and cleaned out the bowls real well and all the floats seemed alright, just the gaskets needed replacing. Could it not be getting enough fuel maybe? or what may cause that?

It seems to run the longest on the first attemp with no choke maybe 7 seconds, then every attempt after it turns over and runs at most 3-5 seconds and dies out. Would putting dry gas in the tank be sufficient enough to get that operational

 

[BigMattyD]

On my bike, you need to use the choke to start the engine, after it warms up, you can let the choke out. From your last post it sounded like you might be trying to start it without the choke, and I don't think that will work.

Matt

 

[Anonymous]

I've tried to start it will no choke and then with a lil more then a lil more all the way till i got full choke, so I dont think that's it. It seems like it's not getting wnough fuel or maybe getting to much fuel. I'm not really sure.

 

[Guest]

Did you replace the O rings on the carb boots? You may have a leak there causing your problem.

 

[Anonymous]

I did not replace the O-rings on the carb boots, i read that as an idea in one of the old Q&A's and will do so.

I should also mention that I have tried to start the bike with the air box in and also with it takin off the bike. Any more ideas? thankyou so far, people are very quick to reply.

 

[mark]

with only 12,000 miles, your compression should be O.K. Other guys are right about the boot O-rings and choke.

When you said that you "cleaned your carbs" and "replaced gaskets" what do you mean? Did you completely disassemble them, soak the parts overnight in carb cleaner etc.? Are the gaskets you replaced, gaskets in the carburetors? What does the inside of your gas tank look like? (Rust etc.). What about float adjustment on the carbs? Float needs should move freely.

Is your choke cable hooked up to the carburetor? Sometimes they can fall off.

If the bike sat for 10 years, the carbs will need serious cleaning, passages blown with compressed air etc. to make sure that something isn't blocked in there.

Lots of folks on this forum don't like fuel filters either. You could try removing it and see if you situation improves.

 

[mark]

Sheeze I always do this. I meant "float needles".

 

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the inline fuel filter. Many people have had problems with them. Take it off and rule it out. It's probably the easiest thing you can do...so do it first. There is a screen filter on the petcock and one in each carb.

 

[rustybronco]

Just a couple of things come to mind, (what i have left).

#1 NO air leaks at all, this means side cover seals, intake manifold o-rings and boots to the air cleaner.

#2 carbs MUST be clean, all passages.

#3 turn the petcock to prime if you have not already, it is vacuum operated, make sure gas flows freely.

#4 check spark, should be nice and blue with a charged battery.

let us know.... were all in this together.

 

[flyingace]

Have you made sure the choke is actually moving the carb levers? Sorry to be redundant, but your symptoms sound just like trying to start a bike with no choke.

The other possibility is fuel starvation. Is there enough fuel in the bowls to cover the jets?

 

[Anonymous]

why does all this seem so familiar?? 8O :lol: :lol:

mike

 

[flyingace]

Because there's only so many things it can be. You can check your tire pressure if you want...

 

[Anonymous]

Thx for all the advice so far...

I'll get rid of the in-line fuel filter.
The carbs levers open up with more throttle

When i took the carbs apart the floats moved freely,
I only took out one of the floats and it seemed fine so i just sprayed sprayed the others down and I replaced the gasket where the bowls connect, so 1 gasket for each carb.

I'll have to check the O-rings somtime tomorrow....2nite is my b-day (23),
As far as the tank goes i didnt notice any rust, the bike was sitting for 10 years with a half tank of gas.

This is the first bike i have even owned or worked on so i'm no expert haha. Thx again. I'll keep everyone posted of how its going or anything else I think of.

 

[Darkchyld]

Fuel starvation I think is likley. On the float needle and seat is a tiny filter screen. I'll wager its plugged in each carb with varnish.
Definately check your fuel flow from the petcock in the prime postion. I think you should fill a quart jar in about 3 minutes.
Ahhhh.... :lol:

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Starting it and running a short time as you describe (no throttle), would commonly be the pilot circuit gummed up and causing fuel starvation. Sitting that long with fuel in the bike, the carbs would have to be carefully cleaned. Be sure someone hasn't seated the mixture screws. They should be around 2 turns out.
The next thing I'm thinking is hardened/holed/incorrectly installed diaphragm(s). You said the bike will not accept any throttle. This is a classic symptom of a bad diaphragm(s). Rubber parts dry out when not used for years. Hopefully, it just needs the carbs cleaned and cleaning all the electrical connections is a good idea too. The diaphragms are expensive.

 

[rek]

from your posts it sounds as if the pulling of the pilots, needle and main jets has not been done yet. if not then, that is a very likely culprit having sat up for 10yrs. you can do this get a shop manual and lookup the parts breakdown for the carbs, disassemble one at a time. it's best to take it off the rack. if carb ovehauls are unfamiliar then leave one body intact to act as a guide while cleaning the other 3. then do it last. a 10 dollar can of carb dip will clean it all up nice but either get new o rings for the carbs or take the old ones off as they will dissove in the carb dip. put in all the jets along w/ the needle seat. then with all rubber removed from the carb you can put the bodies in one at a time for a half day or so.
a down and dirty alternative is to get some Honda carb cleaner spray from the dealer, remove the jets and spray the passages out then the jets themselves but beware this stuff will eat up any rubber NOW! it is about 15 dollars a can and is many times more powerful that the $2 sprays from autozone.
it has been sitting a while but is low mileage so some TLC should have you riding in a little while. mine sat from 83 to 05 w/ alot of time outside by the PO and it has responded well to the TLC and all the good folks on this forum. you'll get there.

 

[Anonymous]

If you don't have a shop manual (like me), use the carb cleaning series pdf linked from the home page of gsresources. I think anyone who has performed the ressurection of a gs has used it.


mike