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two different gs550es questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hooptie
  • Start date Start date
If the bike has been sitting for awhile, the o-rings in the fuel tees (amongst others) can dry up and leak...one of the things that should be replaced. That much fuel though, I would suspect something up with the floats
 
Once inside the airbox with a flashlight, you could see a slow basically gravity fed stream coming from the air horn. petcock flooding the carb? needle valve not stopping fuel?
 
I think you have hit the nail on the head.

Some people have experienced the floats getting caught up on the gaskets, so that is a possibility. Some of the store bought gaskets are not quite the right size, so they may require a trimming.

Have you tested the petcock for leaking in the "ON" position?
 
Lowest point. The the outboard throat of the left carb.

It stands to reason that a needle in the carb is draining off whatever fuel is remaining in the line. So in my mind the petcock is doing its job and closing the source off when vacuum is removed.

****. That just occurred to me. I'm going to try seafoaming first. I really don't want to yank otherwise great running carbs from the bike.
 
If it doesn't leak the whole time it's shut off that is probably the case. I'd still test the petcock and maybe replace it anyway.

What happens if you park it in the centerstand?

It runs well other than the leaking? Doesn't leak when running? I believe the airbox on your model is an uberbitch to remove and replace. I might try a little Seafoam or Techron or something in the gas too.
 
Yes. If you didn't know any better you'd swear the frame was welded around it.

And no leaks at all, just for about 5-10 seconds after a hard run. I went out between work and a doctor visit and it fired up dead cold with no choke at all. ~70* ambient.
 
Hooptie said:
Yes. If you didn't know any better you'd swear the frame was welded around it.

And no leaks at all, just for about 5-10 seconds after a hard run. I went out between work and a doctor visit and it fired up dead cold with no choke at all. ~70* ambient.
Click to expand...

Sounds good. You have checked the valve clearances? Run it.
 
I have not. The PO is a good friend of mine. To the point that he drove up 45 miles from his house to follow me home the other night when it got all indifferent about running.

He did the valves and i do honestly trust him. He has been around bikes much much longer than myself and is an all around car/bike geek.
 
Last edited:
The airbox comes out easily enough.
One of the steps is removing the rear wheel so maybe its not so easy.
 
JEEPRUSTY said:
The airbox comes out easily enough.
One of the steps is removing the rear wheel so maybe its not so easy.
Click to expand...

I have never done this on an '85 550. Remove the wheel and tunnel into the air box sounds a bit ambitious. Or do you just loosen everything and move it all aft a little bit?
 
You remove the wheel and take out the two large bolts that secure the cushion lever to the frame. Have to take out battery and battery box and igniter first.
 
Back from the dead. This bike is a pile of crap. End of story.

I just spent the afternoon field stripping the carbs, completely cleaning them out down to the bare body, rebuilding them and the symptoms are exactly the same.

Left hand carb still leaks gas like its getting paid to do it. The left BANK isn't getting fuel. Right side runs great. I am tired of fighting this turd.

Anyone local want to take a crack at it before I literally spend what I paid for it to have a shop make it not be a huge pile of horse Shat?

It literally ran great yesterday mid morning. I went out and ran errands on it without issue. Went to ride it last night and it leaked gas, only ran on two cylinders etc.
 
So then did you replace the o-rings in the carbs? Its a great time to do it.
Only leak I ever had in my carbs was in the seals for the pipe connecting the two carbs.
 
update. I fettled with it a bit more. It runs and idles now. I stole diaphragm parts from my spare carbs and its pretty snappy now. The previous owner messed the jets up.

It died while I was riding it, died while idling. Still not happy with how it runs, so its going to a shop.
 
You didn't rebuild the carburetors unless you soaked the stripped bodies for 24 hrs in carburetor dip and replaced the O-rings. The small passages do not clean out with carb cleaner spray. You never need starter fluid unless you want to destroy your motor. When they are right they run. Chasing your tail doesn't make them run right. Float needles can stick occasionally on a bike that hasn't been ridden for a while, but need work if it persists and you can't clear it by tapping the bowl with a screwdriver handle. It will probably run worse if you send it to a shop, very few like working on bikes over 10 years old.
 
Unless its a shop that specializes in 70s to 90s jap bikes and bmws.
 
Hooptie said:
Unless its a shop that specializes in 70s to 90s jap bikes and bmws.
Click to expand...
I'm not that trusting of dealer shops in general.

I really hope they can find the something you are missing...if it'll help get you to a place of happiness with your bike.
 
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