Carb issue

[Guest]

On my 1981 gs650gl, one cylinder was running rich, one exhaust pipe was not hot while running and it was back firing and the spark plug was always wet with gas. A shop changed the one needle and seat and cleaned the rest of the carbs changed the plugs and wires and air filter. After two weeks the same problem persits minus the back firing. Please advise if anyone has any idea on resolving this carb problem, plz & thx.

[Steve]

How long have you had the bike?
How much have you ridden the bike?
How long has this problem been happening?
How much of the bike's service history do you know?

You make no statements about length of ownership and I do not wish to make any assumptions, so I have to ask the questions.

If this is a recent acquisition, you will need to do a bunch of basic maintenance, on the assumption that the previous owner(s) have neglected it. At the very least, you will need to check valve clearances, clean the carbs (verifying proper jetting, etc.), verifying proper charging, cleaning the connectors in the electrical system, checking tires and brakes and also verifying simple mechanical integrity of everything else.

In regard to your particular problem:
- one pipe not getting hot can be caused by improper carb sync, spark plug not firing or a plugged pilot jet.
- wet spark plug shows that it is not firing, likely due to poor connection in the wire or cap
- backfiring is due to an improper fuel mixture, could be plugged jets in the carbs or a leak in the intake boots
- why would a shop change just one needle and seat? "Needle and seat" implies that would be a float needle, where the fuel enters the carb float bowl
- it is rather hard to change spark plug wires without also changing coils. It's possible, but I doubt a shop would be willing to do it.

On a side note, can you provide an English translation for the last line?

plz&amp; thx.<br>

[tom203]

While you are answering Steve's questions, which plug was (or is still) wet? And do you have confidence in the shop that did this work? Taking these carbs off is no fun if you have the stock airbox setup...do you? Once off, best to bite the bullet and properly clean them and replace the carb o-rings at same time.

[alke46]

[QUOTE=Tbay

and the spark plug was always wet [I]with gas.&nbsp;

[/I]this needs translated also.

[Tbay]

First of all thanks for replying, I don't know the history of the bike. Services or otherwise I bought the bike last spring and it always had this problem. The bike was brought to a reputable place that specializes in suzuki products, here's the Work oder word for word......
Carburetor issue? 32718 kms
Right side carb runs rich/airscrew makes no difference.
Resolution: replaced spark plugs were fouled pretty bad.
Test run, outside right spark plug does burn richer.
Disassembled and replaced right side needle valve.
Cleaned all carbs (left side was bad as well)
Adjusted all floats
Replaced air filter and plugs
Test run good......................... All job subtotal shop shop supplies tax total $909.14



Well they did drop a half an hour off the labour but regardless, I'm still having the same problem, minus the back firing.
I brought it back to them once already and they turned up the idle and said its fine now. I have about a week left on my 30 day warranty and Im bringing it back Monday. Should I have to pay for more work? I doubt they did a carb sink or did they missed something should they be liable for the proper repair?

;;

[Tbay]

Sorry about the grammar everyone , not used to using a tablet, its my first time. Ill stick with my pc on this one.

[Big T]

No, you should not have to pay for more work
You told them the problem, they charged you $909 (!) and didn't fix the problem
Then, they brushed you off when you came back
Ask them exactly every step they did when they cleaned the carbs
Refer to the carb cleaning tutorial so you can educate yourself

[gsrick]

I doubt these guys know what they are doing or maybe somethings aren't adding up. The cost can ad up quickly when take to shops. The work order mentions the right carb and the left carb, but what about the two in the middle. This is a four cylinder bike, not a twin.

To be honest as a mechanic I would be embarrassed to charge that much and you still have almost the same issues. I would ask them to finish the job correctly at no cost to you unless there are new parts involved, like rebuild kits. I'd also ask them if the carbs were cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner.

As Steve mentioned or asked or whatever, there could be other factors causing your problems.

[Tbay]

Thanks for all your post people. I'm currently on my second week of holidays both weeks I have been without my bike because of bad repair work. Thanks for all the advice, they won't get away with it.

[scratch]

Perhaps the needle & seat were replaced with aftermarket parts that are not apropriatly sized.
I recently found a carb that was "malfunctioning after a rebuild" had one needle that was 1.2mm shorter that the other three... this caused the float to hang once in a while up because when the throotle was appied, the needle wasn't long enough to go back in straight (it fell far enough so that it didn't always align on the way back up causing the valve to stay open here and there). This caused the carb to fill up and over flow intermitteantly, stumble and other oddness... I had come to the problem late in the game and it took me a bit to figure it out but, once I did.. a simple change to a spare oem needle ended all the problems.

The point is, make sure that needle and seat are the correct ones, 1.2mm difference is tought to notice unles you are looking for a difference. Sometimes a problem is properly diagnosed but the part we order isn't quite right though we assume it is.... and the problem returns.

Of course it could be something entirely different but the point is, it's time for next level forensics. You might have to ask them if there shop is even capable of the attention required to propperly fix your bike... free or not.

.

[alke46]

Be prepared for the line of BS they will probably throw at you. This is why you need to read the carb rebuild tutorial to familiarize yourself with all the lingo. I would not be surprised if they don't try to give you the run around. You may have to seek help from a small claims court. I hope not, but just be prepared. Hoping for a good outcome to your situation.

[allojohn]

If you intend to keep this bike you need to learn how to fix it and maintain it. A 37 yr old motorcycle is not going to get fixed at the local shop.
Luckily, you're in the right place to learn all you'll need..... so get cracking, or sell it.
The place to start is the workshop manual, read it cover to cover to get the basic understanding how this and that works. Your carbs are your problem now so learn how they work and set about tearing them apart, clean them - properly - (see tutorials) make sure you have the correct parts - jets etc, replace the o-rings and they will work correctly. Eventually, you'll be glad you did this and your bike will be reliable and safe.

[tom203]

Good luck, but if they tell you your ignitor box is bad, start screaming! The 650 shafties have very reliable units.

[gsrick]

If you intend to keep this bike you need to learn how to fix it and maintain it. A 37 yr old motorcycle is not going to get fixed at the local shop.
Luckily, you're in the right place to learn all you'll need..... so get cracking, or sell it.
The place to start is the workshop manual, read it cover to cover to get the basic understanding how this and that works. Your carbs are your problem now so learn how they work and set about tearing them apart, clean them - properly - (see tutorials) make sure you have the correct parts - jets etc, replace the o-rings and they will work correctly. Eventually, you'll be glad you did this and your bike will be reliable and safe.

You've got a point, if you have at least a little mechanical ability, but not many people think they do or actually don't. I've got a friend that works on cars all day long, but wont touch a bike. I think it's a confidence thing. Good thing is if they did really take the carbs apart, which I'm beginning to doubt, then everything should come apart easy. One of my sons wanted to do his own carbs, but gave up when he couldn't get some of the bowl screws loosen up.

[allojohn]

You've got a point, if you have at least a little mechanical ability, but not many people think they do or actually don't. I've got a friend that works on cars all day long, but wont touch a bike. I think it's a confidence thing. Good thing is if they did really take the carbs apart, which I'm beginning to doubt, then everything should come apart easy. One of my sons wanted to do his own carbs, but gave up when he couldn't get some of the bowl screws loosen up.

I found this site a while before I bought my bike, so luckily I knew exactly what to expect and how much help was available. It gave me the confidence to move forward, acquire the bike and know, with help, I could tackle 100% of the issues associated with a '70's GS.