1982 GS850 backfires and has no power

[Michaelgratz]

I actually do have a compression test kit, so I will try that just to see if one of the cylinders is bad. I ride a rebel 250 that my dad has and a shadow 600 that my stepdad has, and my dad started on a maxim 550. I have put over a thousand miles between both the bikes which isn't much but isn't nothing either. The O'rings are cheap, I'll just get those. Is there a somewhat cheap way I can patch up the exhaust just to see how it runs with something that isn't leaking? I would obviously get something in one piece when the time comes but I don't want to drop $200 on an exhaust if the bike is still going to run like crap regardless. I do have a heated garage at my dad's to work in, and if it came down to it I could bring it to my mom's but my stepdad is a bit more "shade tree mechanic" than my dad, so I don't really want to work on it with him

[Michaelgratz]

okay, I'm biting the bullet and pricing parts for this bike; I could swear this bike had rubber intake boots, yet the cycleorings.com has gaskets for metal intake "boots". do rubber intakes not need them?

[Steve]

Your intake boots are actually two pieces bonded together. There is a metal part that actually rests on the cylinder head, then a rubber boot that reaches back to accept the carb. There is a thin veneer of rubber over the metal part, which will give the appearance of being all-rubber. As the boots age, that veneer will tend to flake off, but that's OK, as long as the boot is still bonded to the metal.

The screws that hold the boots to the head seem to be made of aged Cheddar cheese, so be VERY careful removing them. Your best bet will be to use a hand impact driver. Most of them have a removeable head that has a 3/8" square drive. Just use some LONG extensions from your socket set, you can get the handle back, over the battery area, where you can actually hit it with a hammer. Although the heads on the screws are actually JIS, not Phillips, a #3 Phillips bit in the driver will do the job. Just be sure it is fully-seated before smacking it into submission. Just as soon as possible, toss them in the trash can, where they belong.

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