• 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.

Project bike won't start

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sangheraent
  • Start date Start date
S

Sangheraent

Guest
I bought a gs650g a while back and I cant get it to start,

here is what I have done and checked:

rebuilt all 4 carbs and cleaned with air and ultrasonic. ( K&L rebuild kit)
all new 4 intake boots and orings
all new spark plugs gapped correctly
changed oil/filter/sping and Oring
I checked spark on all 4 cylinders and it looks to be good.
Checked for air leaks.

I don't have a carb sync tool and I have not yet checked the valves. bike has been sitting since 1987 has 36,000 kms on it.
 
Well, spark, fuel,air

You have spark, so, are the plugs getting wet when you try to start the bike?

Most probable cause is that your carbs are still dirty, or those junk kits are messed up
 
The valves should definitely be checked. That can cause hard starting. If you bench sync'd your carbs (no special tools required) you should be ok for starting.

Hope you didn't get rid of your original jets and float needles/seats. You should clean them up and use them instead of the K&L stuff. OEM is better quality. That being said, that's not causing your starting issues.

You could also have weak spark issues. What's the voltage at the coils? Have you installed new plug caps?

There's a lot more on your to-do list. Check BassCliff's site and roll up your sleeves!
 
Pilot needles 2 1/2 turns out? idle set? as stated before valve check? cables have proper slack?
V
 
ok I have not checked voltage on the coils I did however just check the valves, Im not sure about the scientific way of doing it I am going to read the manual and get the proper way but I turned the cam knob up on each valve individually and checked clearance and 4 were more then .04mm and 4 were basically touching the valves so I know they need to be adjusted.

There was no fuel tank on the bike I am just using a long peak clamped on to the fuel line and it sucks gas and holds level as needed showing needles work well at least they close.

Spark appears weak in one of the coils now again not scientific but from my past experiences the spark didn't look strong so I will check voltage.

I bench synced the carbs I didn't check floats but from my experience that shouldn't affect starting could cause problems tuning but should start.

I am also going to get a compression tester and see what is going on inside there.
 
how do I know what shims to buy? there are so many sizes is it trial and error?
 
Sangheraent said:
how do I know what shims to buy? there are so many sizes is it trial and error?
Click to expand...

You need to measure your clearance and see what shims you have in there now.

If the clearance is not correct, you make adjustments by changing the shim by the appropriate number of sizes.

For help doing this, consult your service manual. If you don't have one, get one from BassCliff's site.

While you are there, get the tutorial for 8-valve adjustments.

One last tool can be found in my sig.

.
 
I had trouble starting my bike after 21 years. It would turn over but not catch. I had installed a new petcock, the carbs were cleaned, electrics were good, so I went over to my neighbours place and got one of his insulin syringes. I filled it with gas and squirted a little bit into the first and fourth cylinder, through the spark plug hole. Just enough to get the plugs to fire and turn over. That did it, and it has been running since then with no problems. It was almost as if there was an air lock in the carbs. that was preventing the gas from flowing or atomizing. I can't explain it other than that, I was a newbie at the time and had spent the previous 2 years rebuilding the bike.
 
Phred said:
I had trouble starting my bike after 21 years. It would turn over but not catch. I had installed a new petcock, the carbs were cleaned, electrics were good, so I went over to my neighbours place and got one of his insulin syringes. I filled it with gas and squirted a little bit into the first and fourth cylinder, through the spark plug hole. Just enough to get the plugs to fire and turn over. That did it, and it has been running since then with no problems. It was almost as if there was an air lock in the carbs. that was preventing the gas from flowing or atomizing. I can't explain it other than that, I was a newbie at the time and had spent the previous 2 years rebuilding the bike.
Click to expand...

I've done that before as well. A teaspoon or so of fuel in each cylinder got me started a couple of times.
If nothing else, it will at least get it to fire.
 
All good advice above!

Do the valve adjustment before trying to start though.
Look for any wear on cam lobes while there.

Make sure the fuel is hooked into the T and not the vacuum line.
Try Phreds advice to get the carbs to start sucking the fuel.
 
Make sure plug wires are on correct plug. From a cold start .,these bikes need an extra shot of fuel from enricher circuit ("choke")- yours are probably still gunked up. As mentioned,locate those old carb parts.- they are better quality and just need to be cleaned.
 
Ok so I did my valve clearence check based on this website: http://guglielmo.us/mc/valve_clearances.html

It appears that I do not have .04mm clearence in any cylinder I don't have a smaller feeler gauge so I don't know if it is touching or at .01-.03. But I do know that I am in for some serious shimming. But that is expensive and time consuming.

before I fork out the cash on that is there anyway to test the condition of the cylinders? Can I put the valve cover back on with a few bolts and do a compression test? I want to know that if I spend the money on shims that the rest of the bike is ok.
 
Shims are not expensive. You likely won't need many, as you can swap them around as needed. There is a member here (GhostGs I believe) that runs a shim club. For a small donation, he will swap your unneeded shims for the sizes you require. I've even done this with my local dealer for free! The only real expense is a gasket and rubber half-moons. Since you've already removed your cover to check your clearances, you need them now anyway.
 
I read both bikecliff and that link as well as the manual and they basically all say the same thing. I hope by trying to turn it over I didn't bend a valve or something Otherwise I bought the valve tool and some starter shims so I can hopefully have all in spec in a couple weeks.
 
Have you got air filter, or pods on it? if not you may not get it to fire. You need to restrict the air alittle .
 
I had the airbox on with the cover no air filter. I am going to get the valves adjusted correctly and start from the beginning. I think the bike is getting way to much air and if the intake valves are tight and getting pushed down more then they should that would cause the problem (i think). So once that gets properly adjusted I am going to try from the beginning and see what it does.
 
You said you are using a remote gas tank. Did you make sure to plug the vacuum line coming off carb #2?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Continued Hard Starting Woes
Replies
14
Views
324
Alexander
Alexander
L
Hanging Idle (I know, but bear with me) and different carbs
2
Replies
20
Views
320
dgates1
dgates1
T
Potential sale 1980 gs550L project + parts near Seattle, WA
Replies
0
Views
47
tadakan
T
peteGSX
1982 GS450 - No Spark
Replies
11
Views
205
peteGSX
peteGSX
SamLack99
1982 GS570T - 1/4 Throttle Onwards Flat Spot
Replies
4
Views
116
SamLack99
SamLack99
Back
Top