• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Another project GS550ES, needing some help...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jbeaber
  • Start date Start date
Will the right side idle or stay "lit" after you've hit it with carb cleaner or does it die as soon as you stop spraying? Are you spraying at closed or open throttle? With or without choke?

Potential issues that come to mind (assuming good air and spark):
1) Slide - are they moving freely? How is the wear?
2) Diaphragm - Is it definitely getting a good seal? No tears?
3) Needle jet - Clean and clear?
4) Pilot jet - Clean and clear?

The soak will loosen stuff up but sometimes won't clear the smallest orifices such as the pilot jets and needles jets and the choke tube/passage. Hit those with carefully aimed carb cleaner spray (wear safety glasses!) and use single soft bristle (brass or nylon, don't use steel) from a brush to "poke" through the tiny openings of the jets.
 
You should also blow compressed air through the various passages. Especially the idle air circuit.
 
I am definitely going to resoak the carbs. The jets are all clean and clear. They were removed, inspected and cleaned. The right side idle jets were both gunked up, which led me to suspect the passages behind them could be as well. Hard to tell definitively since they do seem to turn in the body of the carb. The slides definitely move and freely. The diaphragm is not torn and is readily pliable. It is in no worse shape than the other carbs. The idle air circuit (and maybe still the passages inside the carb for the idle jet) are the hopeful culprits. As I said before, there was a lot of resistance on one of the idle air screws when we tried to pull them and I forgot to for the soaks. Keep your fingers crossed!
Man, all three of our bikes are down now... My triumph has a battery or charging issue (thank goodness for warranties), the battery on our SV650 seems to have cracked! It is getting replaced right now along with a certificate for a free battery from Yuasa (classy people). And, well, this bike probably hasn't run in 7 years... Not a good bike week....
 
And MMG... I learned to ride on a CB650SC and then, two years later, my first project was a CB650SC. I know that bike VERY well. Nice bike....
 
I had similar problems with my bike when I first got her going, had to take the carbs off 3 times to re-clean them cuz apparently I dislodged more stuff the other times I had them off....can't figure how.....also, I neglected to clean the idle air jets, and didn't realize that there were jets under the rubber plugs in the float-bowl(facing the top) after the 3'rd time, it was the " charm ".....now she purrs like a lion on all 4
Hope you have good luck
 
Good answer MelodicMetalGod, wow you have learned a bunch. I finally have my 1984 GS550ES on the road and in great tune with a Vance and Hines Pipe and sorted out jetting it really has some punch now. Hope our new friend gets his bike sorted out soon.
 
My first bike was a Honda CB650SC Nighthawk. A beautiful bike and plenty of power. :-)
 
Well, getting back to the bike. I have run into a weird issue and don't know how to solve it. The screw inside the right handlebar control unit that holds the start button assembly in place is gone. The start button keeps falling loose. Any idea about what size that screw is? If anyone can get me info on that screw I would really appreciate it.
I got the bike running on all four cylinders a week or so ago. The idle air screws were the problem. Once I soaked the carbs in cleaner with those screws removed, things went much better. I have 10 gallons of beer to finish brewing, then back to the bike. In the mean time I have had to replace the battery in my Triumph Daytona 675 and the battery and regulator rectifier in my wife's SV650. The regulator stopped working, fried the battery big time....
 
And now back to working on the bike on a more regular basis....
I spent some time working the carbs again. I got the bike running on all four cylinders a while back. Then when I took a second look at it, I lost the right two again. Tonight, a good long soak in the carb cleaner did wonders. I have tested it a few times and it seems like it is going to consistently run on all four. So, all of this has been done feeding the fuel in from a funnel. The gas tank may or may not be in good shape. It is my next thing to attack. The petcock is not stock, no labels. I will play around with it to see if it is feeding the carbs. if it is, life is good. I am going to Por-15 or something the tank. I tried cleaning it with hydrochloric and phosphoric acids and it didn't hold long. So, I'll try coating it. Then it comes time to take care of the rest of the things the bike needs....
- new forks seals and oil (that will be done professionally. I have tried and it hasn't gone well)
- new tires
- all new fluids (oil, brake, etc...)
- some TLC to make sure everything else is happy...
 
I ordered the POR-15 kit and am expecting it to arrive early next week. I'll try to take care of the fuel tank once and for all over Turkey Day weekend. This weekend I may take the petcock apart to see if I can find anything wrong with it. It's broken, what more damage can I do. Then it will be time to get the oil changed.
Fuel delivery is the big project now. I get that settled, this bike will be rolling soon. Then I need to look into the fun of registration. The CA DMV has no record of this bike's existence. This is a good thing. Otherwise, you have to pay all of the back registration to get it legal. I have no title, I do have an old registration. I've been told I will have to demonstrate that I have tried to find the owner of the bike, send a letter to them certified mail. If I do not get a response, it's mine, all done. The short story on the bike is that the previous owner gave it to my mechanic as a project. My mechanic decided his time was better spent on more popular bikes, knew I like projects, so he gave it to me. I decided I liked it and have been slowly, yet surely, working on it.
 
As posted elsewhere, the Por-15 kit has been applied. Just waiting for a brand spanking new stock petcock to install. That should take care of fuel delivery. I will still install a fuel filter. It certainly can't hurt.
So, in the mean time I changed the oil in the bike. I have gotten the bike running on all four cylinders. I was hoping that after I took care of the fuel delivery, I would be able to put the bike on the road briefly to make sure everything else worked (make the the bike would move!).
So, after the oil change I put everything back together. I needed to run the bike a bit after the oil change. For a while, only one half of the engine would get going. Then the other half (which I have had a lot of trouble with) joined in the party. Now, however, the engine will turn over once and sound like it is going to start, then die. Subsequent attempts to get it started completely fail. I think I'm going to dive back into the carb system and make sure everything is as it should be. I have time while waiting for the new petcock. The air filter is a train wreck and needs to be replaced. I have taken it out of the system for now. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
 
It moves!!!!

It moves!!!!

Hot Damn, she's back on the road! Lots of things figured out recently. I got a new petcock for the bike yesterday. I installed this into the newly por-15'd fuel tank and filled her on up. It was so nice to finally have a constant source of fuel that did not involve a funnel. The bike can run nicely with the new fuel tank. It does have a problem, though. It's not experiencing a vacuum from the the carbs. It runs well on prime, but not on 'on' or reserve. I need to check the pull on it while the engine is running. Just ran out of time tonight.
I did have a second interesting issue that isn't 100% fixed yet. Whenever it runs there is white smoke from the exhaust. The amount of smoke increases with RPM. What we think is going on is that in the years of sitting, the bike has accumulated a significant amount of moisture in the tailpipes. If you look at a GS550ES, the tailpipes are ever so slightly pointed up, perfectly designed to collect rain for a bike abandoned outside for a long period of time. It's going to take time, but it should all burn off. It was leaking a little from the exhaust pipes, dripping a nasty black liquid. That has reduced as I have run it more recently.
So, need to play more with the petcock to get the vacuum pulling fuel down. I need to get the the fork seals and tires dealt with. I also need to gather a bunch of things to make it street legal. All the turn signals were broken and there were no mirrors. Right now I am just so damn happy to have the engine running and have shown that the bike can run. Woohoo!!!!\\:D/\\:D/\\:D/\\:D/
 
Hey J..your fuel problem..Did you infact install an inline filter to your fuel line?? That may be part of the problem if you did...especially if its not in a near straight up and down fashion. Just a thought.
 
I actually chose to forgo the fuel filter. It looks as though the Por-15 kit really did it's job. i have looked around the interior of the fuel tank as much as I can and am very satisfied with how it came out. The kit is definitely worth doing if you have the time and patience for it. I will do some testing tonight on the petcock function.
1. Take the fuel line off and put a tube on the petcock in its place running to a collection cup. Put vacuum line portion normally connected to carbs in mouth and suck. see if fuel flows.
2. Disconnect vacuum line from tank with tank on prime. Start bike and see if I can feel a pull.
Then take it from there.
Does anyone have experience in knowing if removing the California emissions equipment might have an effect? I have sort of plugged up the holes in the carbs, but can do a better job. If a better job needs to be done, what have people plugged up carb holes with?
 
Woah woah woah...what holes did you plug up?? Got a pic?? I doan think any holes need to be plugged up anywhere..
 
So, there is a tube that comes out of each carb (2 for each carb assembly). All four of the tubes connect in a plastic linker. A single tube leads off of the linker to where the emissions system used to be. It's now gone. I have plugged up the hole in the linker, just one hole.
 
Huh...First ive NEVER dealt with one of these bikes, so dont take what i say for the gospel. Are they perhaps vent lines? If so you shouldnt plug them up. Secondly, you may actually be better off pulling the tubes off completely. Again i'd check with someone who has a better knowlege of your particular bike, but i would chance to guess that's in fact what they are, and they probably hooked up originally to some type of filter or something to keep the gas fumes from venting cleanly to air. Thanks Cali...anyway let me know what you find out as now my own curiosity is peaked.
 
I'll definitely keep posting. Always good just in case someone else runs into the same problem down the road. Tonight I am going to look into getting new signals and mirrors for the bike. It has none and now the bike seems like it is worth spending money on. Then i hope to check out the petcock function as described above. Also, going to contact a shop about tires and fork seals. I tried to replace the fork seals on my last project. I did the labor twice with no success then went to a professional. This time, going straight to a pro. Save myself the time, mess and frustration.
 
Glad to hear that the POR-15 worked out for you, as well as the bike firing up. It sounds to me as if you have a California spec bike, since you had an emissions system. Did you say there are 4 hoses that connect together to go that way, or just 2? I would think you could simply plug them off, since they would be some sort of vaccum line or recirculating line? As far as your petcock goes, do you feel vaccum at the hose, and are you sure its connected in the right spot?
 
It is a Cali bike. My mechanic didn't think the emissions system would have any influence on anything. There are four tubes, one from each carb. They all connect in a plastic piece . I have the outlet of that plastic piece plugged. What would you recommend plugging with? The set up i have now is definitely not optimal. Hopefully that is not the problem for the vacuum. I am going to bring some new tubing home to see if it might be a problem and then conduct the tests I mentioned above. Hopefully this will be a simple fix. Just having the bike running and taking it out briefly last night. i also had major concerns about what the smoke was. That problem is fading in time and the bike is no longer dripping fluid. All indications are that the liquid is nearly gone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top