gs550 problem cilinder

[Anonymous]

one of my cilinders does not work.
What schould I do first?
Spark OK

[Billy Ricks]

If you're certain it's getting spark then you have one of two things happening. Most likely a carb problem but could be a slim chance of valves. I actually spun valve adjusters out of their rockers on one occasion when I missed a shift and buried the tach needle. What year is the 550? If it were any kind of ignition problem it would be happening on two cylinders.

[Anonymous]

It's from 1997.
How can I be sure that they all work properly?
One exhaust is a bit less hot then the others (second from the right when you sit on it)

[Billy Ricks]

I'd be willing to bet it's a carb problem. Unless it is ridden pretty often a bike can end up with dirty carbs fairly quick as fuel in the bowls evaporates. This also causes rubber parts in the carbs to dry out. You may be able to remedy your problem by running some fuel injector cleaner in a couple of tanks of fuel. If that doesn't work disassemble and clean. Pay close attention to float height. There is a small screen that sits on top of the float seat. You have to remove the float to get it out. That screen could be clogged. It would be a good time to replace o-rings in the carbs.

[SqDancerLynn1]

It would also be a good idea to do a compression test & check the valves

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Could be a lot of things...low compression, carbs...
Did the problem just start or did you receive the bike this way?
Is the #3 plug black or sooty? After cranking, is it getting fuel on it? Is it the same plug as the others? Gapped correctly? Is the mixture screw turned out the same amount as the others? (Keep a record if you turn any screws)

[Anonymous]

When I bought it, it wasn't running at all.
Carbs have been cleaned, but I didn'd change the o rings.
The spark plug is the same as the others cause I bought 4 new ones (B8ES). The pug is black, not soothy.

[gspaul]

Look at everything Kieth said, he is good at this,if your lucky it's a problem with that carb.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

When I bought it, it wasn't running at all.
Carbs have been cleaned, but I didn'd change the o rings.
The spark plug is the same as the others cause I bought 4 new ones (B8ES). The pug is black, not soothy.

OK. Next two questions.
The plug is black...after cranking/running, is it wet with fuel or does it look like oil? Oil is stickier and won't dry in the air like fuel will.
Next, try swapping #2 plug lead with #3 (SEE BELOW) and see if the problem follows. You should also look at the connection where the cap and lead meet.
If the problem does not follow the swap, can you take a compression read?
"ANYONE"...ABOUT SWAPPING THE 2 AND 3 LEADS, this '97 should have the same coil/firing setup as our older models, correct? 1 and 4, 2 and 3??