Quick/easy fix for choke plunger that won't say put

[t3rmin]

I made the mistake of spraying lube on my choke plunger a while ago because I thought the action was too sticky. After that, it wouldn't stay put when I pulled it out -- always slowly sliding back down. That made starting the bike when cold a hairy task requiring three hands. ;-)

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times. After the stuff dried the action is now perfect. Stays where I put it but not too much stiction either.

Thought I'd pass it on for any other lube-happy GSers out there. ;-)

 

[Nightmare]

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times.

What on God's green earth inspired you to do that??

Nice trick though, I had a simillar problem when I first got my GS850 (although the plunger had not been lubed to my knowledge). After i pulled the carbs apart and put them back together the plunger stayed put, I figured i didn't put it back together perfectly but it works great now and everything seems to be clearing/working so *shrug*...

 

[t3rmin]

What on God's green earth inspired you to do that??

:-D

Who knows?

Loctite laying on the floor staring up at me as I feebly try to pull choke then hit starter button before it slides down? I figured, blue isn't as strong as red, so what the heck? Carbs have been cleaned not too long ago and choke linkage is in tip-top shape as far as I can tell. It was definitely the lubing the plunger that created the problem, and what's more anti-lube than loctite... or something like that...

 

[BarryGRB]

I have a similar problem with my GSX600F. It's missing the cable to the handle bars for the choke so I require 3 hands to start it as well (clutch, starter, choke) but I went a different route. I just took a piece of hemp string and one of those drawstring "clamps" you would find on a jacket with drawstrings. Now I use it to hold my clutch lever in (wrapped around a few times and "clamped") one hand on the starter and one on the choke. Just make sure you're in neutral first to avoid some unpleasantries should the hemp give way.

 

[max]

If all else fails, you can take apart the switch that prevents you from starting without the clutch in. It's just a tiny little box right underneath the base of the clutch handle. All the other bikes I've ridden haven't had that function, and I never liked it, so I just cut the wires leading to the switch and wound them together. Now if your choke is acting hinkey, you only need 2 hands (choke and starter button). Also an added bonus: if your clutch cable snaps, and you need to start the bike in 1st gear and get it rolling fast enough to fire and take off, you can because your clutch lever doesnt need to be in.

FYI

 

[wrgum]

If you've an "L" model, you can use lefty for the clutch, righty to hold the choke, and of course the right akimbo elbow for the start button. Ah, the zen of GS...

 

[t3rmin]

Ahh very clever. That'd probably work with my E too. Won't my friends be impressed when they see that move! ;-)

 

[wolfie]

I'll give that a try. I've been using a small piece of hose cut length-wise to hold the choke up.

 

[dpep]

Cable tie or hose clamp for the clutch. I keep it over the choke knob between starts.

 

[dew]

If all else fails, you can take apart the switch that prevents you from starting without the clutch in. It's just a tiny little box right underneath the base of the clutch handle. All the other bikes I've ridden haven't had that function, and I never liked it, so I just cut the wires leading to the switch and wound them together. Now if your choke is acting hinkey, you only need 2 hands (choke and starter button). Also an added bonus: if your clutch cable snaps, and you need to start the bike in 1st gear and get it rolling fast enough to fire and take off, you can because your clutch lever doesnt need to be in.

FYI

I just stuck some tin foil in mine to short the connection.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

LIFT UP THE RUBBER COVER choke knob & tighten the tension simple !!!!!!!

 

[49er]

Sometimes the simplist solutions are the best!!
Well done Lynn.

 

[8trackmind]

Sometimes the simplist solutions are the best!!
Well done Lynn.

You gotta remember, this is a "duct tape" kinda crowd around here. :lol:

 

[t3rmin]

LIFT UP THE RUBBER COVER choke knob & tighten the tension simple !!!!!!!

Had it as tight as it'd go. WD-40 had just made it too slippery.

 

[Zooks]

You gotta remember, this is a "duct tape" kinda crowd around here. :lol:

Hey if it holds Nascars, Sprintcars and Indy cars together it can do anything.

 

[tkent02]

Don't forget airplanes...

Don't forget airplanes...

Hey if it holds Nascars, Sprintcars and Indy cars together it can do anything.

They all have some duct tape somewhere.

 

[Dark Jedi]

I made the mistake of spraying lube on my choke plunger a while ago because I thought the action was too sticky. After that, it wouldn't stay put when I pulled it out -- always slowly sliding back down. That made starting the bike when cold a hairy task requiring three hands. ;-)

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times. After the stuff dried the action is now perfect. Stays where I put it but not too much stiction either.

Thought I'd pass it on for any other lube-happy GSers out there. ;-)

I sprayed mine with brake cleaner and worked it in and out while wet. That got the oil off.
(My bike belched oil all over the place when it decided the head gasket was too old.)

 

[hp1000s]

I have a soft sponge key float on the ignition key...pull choke up, shove sponge under choke knob, squeeze clutch, push starter button....I guess I'm worried about dropping my bike key in the water?!

 

[jayz]

I made the mistake of spraying lube on my choke plunger a while ago because I thought the action was too sticky. After that, it wouldn't stay put when I pulled it out -- always slowly sliding back down. That made starting the bike when cold a hairy task requiring three hands. ;-)

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times. After the stuff dried the action is now perfect. Stays where I put it but not too much stiction either.

Thought I'd pass it on for any other lube-happy GSers out there. ;-)

I did the exact same thing. That's quite a Homer-Simpsonish moment when you're watching that knob go right back in over and over and you realize, "Hey, there's a spring at the other end!" I carried a small binder clip (the kind made for holding a stack of paper together) attached to my key fob for a year. I used the clip to hold the choke while I started the bike. The good news is the next spring the problem fixed itself. I didn't do anything, the lube just wore off I guess.

 

[Steve]

It is so nice with a couple of '82 L models here. The 850 has had the clutch switch disabled, the 650 has not.
Both of them have a choke that is under the left handgrip housing and is activated by the thumb.
It is entirely possible to hold the clutch and manipulate the choke while using the other thumb on the starter button.

Fortunately, though, both bikes start with partial choke, idle nicely and warm up very quickly to where choke is not needed. \\/


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