bit of a pickle here.

[c0okiez]

GS550e, got it running and reving the whole range this week. however, it doesn't want to idle...at all! I need to have a little throttle for it to stay running, but it will run all day long like that. However, when i go to adjust the idle screw on the back of the carbs, I can twist and twist and it doesn't change at all. Possible stripped idle screw? I'm at my wits end here.

[chuck hahn]

It may be stripped..

[Crazy_Russian]

could it be a vacuum leak?

[chuckycheese]

Stripped

It does sound like a stripped idle screw since it runs well with a little bit of idle but you need to unscrew it and take a good look at it. If that's the problem, it's an easy fix. (I hope you're turning the right screw because I've never seen one that was stripped.)

By the way, thanks for spelling "stripped" correctly; it doesn't happen very often.

[c0okiez]

haha, you're welcome there chief. =) but yeah, it just doesn't appear to want to grab when screwed in/out. ill tinker with it some more this week. it could also be a vacuum leak somewhere, too.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Take a peek at the cable where it exits the sheath on the carb side.
Does ot have a pronounced curve in it? If it does it may well be that the idel screw adjustment cannot make up for it.

Check the manual for the full adjustment procedure. The cable should be taut but not actually opening the throttle plates. It is from this point that the idle screw will have an anctual impact.

[chuckycheese]

Strip search

I think you should remove the idle screw and take a good look at the threads. If it's stripped, you should be able to find a used one pretty easily since the same one was used on so many carbs.

If it's not stripped, the the base plate must be. If that's the case, you may be able to put a nut on the other side of the plate and that should work just fine since the throttle spring will ensure that pressure stays on the nut...pushing it against the back of the plate. I think there's a much better chance that the screw is stripped than the plate. I very much doubt that you have a vacuum leak.

Let us know what you find out!

[JEEPRUSTY]

I just checked a spare rack of these the gang plates were loose. They were just a tad loose but the adjuster was moving them and not the throttel plates.

Oh and good golly I was very wrong about the cable slack. The adjuster has the butterflys fully closed when its turned out all the way. It barely cracks em open when fully screwed in.

Were the carbs cleaned?

[c0okiez]

the carbs were throughly cleaned and broken down. there does seem like a lot of slack in the throttle cable right before the adjustment. ill pull the carbs off the motor and check to see if the adjustment screw is able to actually "adjust" anything.

[c0okiez]

without the idle issue fixed, i took the bike down the street a little bit today. Its been bogging out and feels like its only getting half power. blah. cyclinder 1 and 2 might just be testing my last nerve.