1983-1985 GS550L Carbs, are they interchangeable?

[Taspille]

Took my bike to the wrong person, based on a "friend's" advice, to have the carbs rebuilt on my 1985 GS550L. Not sure what he did but there is an issue with the carb for #3/4 cylinder. Found another shop, after interviewing several myself, and they are unable to take the carb apart due to butchered screws, etc. by the previous guy. I'm looking for a set of used carbs and I found several sets from 1983 550's but nothing specifically for a 1985 550. Will the 83 ones work? From reading my clymer manual I think it would, but the shop tells me my safe bet is to find them from a 1985 only. Any advice.

[cowboyup3371]

Welcome Taspille. You can do the work yourself very easily following information on here. If you are talking about the bowl and top screws then just get yourself a hand impact driver (can find a good cheap one at Harbor Freight but the bits are crap so buy the handle and get better bits at Sears or just buy the Sears one). Disassemble them, dip each carb body and metal piece in Berryman's cleaner you can get from Autozone or Napa, buy new orings from www.cycleorings.com (owner is a fellow forum member), and go from there.

Nobody really likes touching these old bikes because they don't know how to work on them anymore. You'll be doing just fine on your own with help from us.

Basscliff will be along later with the official welcome.

[Taspille]

It's not the bowls, but one was leaking and I fixed that with gasket material we had a work. It's actually the pilot jets, right above the screw for synching the carbs, that are destroyed. Not sure what he was trying to get them out or back in with but the top is flat now. I think the adjustment there is part of my problem. At idle, #3 cylinder is not happy, intermittently, but full throttle it's usually good. Seems the hotter the engine gets, the better it runs. It also does this weird bogging down at 1/4 throttle. That I can manage, I figured out how to ride around that for now. I haven't had a chance to really it ride it down the freeway, but I hope to do that this week and see how it reacts.

[spyug]

The 80's series 550s all had the siamese carbs i.e. 2 carbs in one body feeding 1&2 and 3&4 so yes carbs from earlier or later 80s 550s will work. There are a couple of guys on here selling 550 stuff right now one of whom is Natan. Give him a PM.

Good luck.
Spyug

[cowboyup3371]

Careful, the 81 and 82 550 carbs are not the siamese kind

[Taspille]

Thanks guys. I had a feeling, as long as it was a TSCC motor, it would work. When I looked at old parts fiche, the part numbers for the carb assemblies from 83 to 86 were different from year to year, but the jets and other internal part numbers stayed consistent. Thanks again for all your help.