83 gs1100 only runs for a second on starting fluid

[Zack]

I want to start off by saying I finally registered, after using this forum for a few of my previous gs mishaps. I have now gotten myself into another and need some help before I lose my mind. With the warm weather in Wisconsin last week I found myself a 83gs1100 project for 200 bucks, so of course I couldn't resist. Good tires, good paint, and 100% complete with a title. Now the hitch. The bike had been sitting in a shed, with fuel in the tank and carbs for 2.5 years. First thing I did was try a compression test, but varnish had the slides completely frozen. Quick sprayed them with carb cleaner until I could move them. Reinstalled and numbers were from 1-4 dry 125 125 115 120. Not perfect but good enough to continue, so I pulled plugs and added atf for piece of mind. Pulled carbs completely disassembled and soaked 24 hours. Replaced all o rings and rebuilt. Check valve clearance and its in spec. Reassembled carbs and bench sync. Checked spark at each plug which was good. Installed new plugs. Installed the carbs, fresh gas in an aux tank, blocked off vac in on #2, filled float bowls and cranked. And cranked. And cranked. Not even an attempt to pop. Pulled plugs and they are all wet with gas. Reinstalled and tried again to no avail. My blood got warm so ether came into play. One small spritz in each carb and she popped off. And then died immediately. I do not have the air box on, but the shouldnt matter until vacuum tuning into mid range right? I'm stumped. I have fuel, compression, and strong spark at 1/2 inch on the tester. Any ideas or insight would be greatly appreciated, as I got my new sync tool today and I'm bummed I can't use it. Ive battled with a few gs bikes before, but this one is stubborn. Thanks guys!

 

[Bortasqu]

Did you clean the tiny passages in the carbs, and finished with blowing air trough them? The pilot jets could also be still full of gunk.
Also, what's the color of your spark plugs when cranking?

 

[gustovh]

Add some new fuel to the tank let it sit a while, remove it slosh it around and drain every bit of it. Pull your carbs and fully clean them per the tutorials on this site. You have good compression but check valve clearances anyway. If you do not fully clean your carbs and sync them the bike will not run right. Also make sure that you have a good vacuum line from the #2 carb to the gas valve.

V

 

[Zack]

All passageways were hit with carb cleaner, strand wire, and compressed air. All jets were removed and cleaned and are clear. When I pulled the old set they were tan, this set is saturated and appear a bit rich, replaced them again and leaned out the mixture down to 1.5 turns and still nothing but wet plugs

 

[Zack]

I'm running off an auxiliary tank since my petcock is on order, and the fuel is fresh. Vaccum line on #2 is plugged since I removed the petcock. Valve clearance is in spec and the carbs were cleaned by soaking 24 hours fully disassembled, wire, carb cleaner, then air. Then reassembled using a stock carb kit with new o rings

 

[Guest]

Is the timing correct? Plug wires crossed between 1-4 and 2-3?


Mark

 

[Steve]

Let's try something SIMPLE first. :-k

Turn the idle speed up. :-\\\

What are your mixture screw settings?
Try setting them at three full turns out as a starting point.

And throw away the starting fluid.


.

 

[Zack]

Idle speed is up, my mixture screw I started at 3, then 2.5, 2, 1.5. Left coil goes to cylinder 1 and 4. Right goes to 2 and 3. Plug gap is correct. And about the starting fluid, I understand. I dislike it as well. I'm at a loss here. I plan on pulling the carbs again today to check the floats. It seems as if it runs a few seconds and then goes dry.

 

[gustovh]

Put the air box back on and try again. What settings are your floats at? Should be between .870 and .930

V

 

[dorkburger]

Dumb question. Is the aux tank vented? I doubt a few seconds is enough to put it in a "vacuum" but who knows....

 

[Zack]

Floats are even at .910 and I have put the air box back,on,with no results. Aux tank is vents through the cap. All I keep coming back to is not enough fuel. Maybe i should set the floats to allow more fuel. Really stinks because I got my motion pro sync from the dealer today but can't sync a bike that doesn't run...thanks for the input so far. Hopefully we can figure something out

 

[JTGS850GL]

Have you checked the float height using a tube connected to the bottom of the float bowl? You may have a float overflowing.

 

[Zack]

I have clear tubing attached to where the drain plugs go, and they all appear very close.

 

[gustovh]

If your plugs are wet there is too much fuel or no spark.

V

 

[Dherko]

Did you ever fix this issue? I'm having the same problem with my 650gl. Just put a carb kit in and now it wont start but with fluid.

 

[Redman]

Did you ever fix this issue? I'm having the same problem with my 650gl. Just put a carb kit in and now it wont start but with fluid.

Original poster is apparently no longer active.

Would be best for you to start a new thread.

 

[Steve]

Did you ever fix this issue? I'm having the same problem with my 650gl. Just put a carb kit in and now it wont start but with fluid.

As Redman mentioned, this is an old thread. The original poster is listed as a "Guest", probably because he has not logged in for over a year and his account is inactive. Yeah, it's also over three years old with NO activity.

Yes, you should probably have started your own thread, but since you're here, let's try to answer your question by asking some questions of our own.

You "put in a carb kit". What kind of a carb kit? Most "rebuild kits" that are available are, let's say, "questionable quality".

If all you did was to open up the carbs enough to install the rebuild kit, you will need to go back to square one. Hopefully you still have the parts you took out of the carbs so you can do the job properly. You will need to follow THIS TUTORIAL to the letter. It's going to take some time, it's going to take some chemicals, it's going to take some tools. Any shortcuts you take will only be an opportunity to do it over and do it right.

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