Helphelphelphelphelp!!!!!

[kvgarrison]

Ok, I need big time help because I must be completely retarded, which is probably the case, or my bike does not like me anymore and I don't know why!
I have a really nice "looking" (does'nt run) 1982 GS850GL
I was having trouble getting it started cold and the battery was getting killed.
The battery I figured out, I did not have a tender but a charger that I left plugged in and basically drained that bad mama and the next one. Number three is the charm as I have since gotten a tender. However, I thought I was having reg/rec problems so I bought a new one and replaced it, no start.
This story is going to go like this,..."I bought a new one and replaced it" because I am not a mechanic and repacing things sometimes works. So this is the list of things replaced....
reg/rec...new battery...K&N air filter...new seals for airbox...cleaned and resealed airbox...new intake boots and seals...allnew rings for carbs, took carbs apart and rebuilt them step by step through your 57 page photo breakdown(thanks for that!)...Iwaited weeks for new shims and set all the valve clearances looser rather than tighter...new silicone gaskets for valve head and breather...new ignition coils, wires, caps, and plugs...cleaned most of the wiring conections...and bought a whole bunch of asthetic stuff cuz I was counting on this bike running!!!
All that to say that the bike will not start at all now,
I am getting gas and the gas is good, new fuel lines and vacuum hose, cleaned petcock...
I am getting spark at all plugs, I have reversed the firing order of the coils just in case I blew it when I replaced them but I get the same thing. I got spark, I got gas, the only thing left is time and I thought the time was pre set on this model, can somebody PLEASE HELP ME TONIGHT!
I'm thinkin about buyin' a Honda!!!!!

[Steve]

Exactly what do you mean by "reversed the firing order"? :shock:

Hopefully you just swapped #1&4, then #2&3, because if you did anything else, it won't work.

In order for an engine to run, you only need three things:
1. a proper air/fuel mixture
2. sufficient compression
3. a properly-timed spark to light the mixture

You have verified the presence of fuel, but is it the correct mix?
Have you done a compression check? Valve adjustment can affect compression, but you say you have already done that.
You have verified spark, did you check it with a timing light to see if it's happening at the right time?

Just check the basics first, then let us know.


And if you are really set on getting the Honda, I want first dibs on another 850. 8-[
.

[simon kuether]

Don't you be buying no Honda, or we'll talk about you when we're drunk!!!Silly as it sounds---have you got the carbs fitted into the manifold rubbers(engine side of your carbs) properly?When I rebuilt my 'S it wouldn't run(except with aerostart) because I didn't fit the carbs properly.They looked good ,but not so.Cost me a slap to the ears from old mate because he spotted it straight away when I got to the stage of considering HONDA.If you have spark and fuel to the carbs,you may be losing vacuum and not drawing fuel into the engine.Good luck.Cheers,Simon.

[Nessism]

Check gas in the floatbowls by pulling out the plugs (don't forget a rag underneith). If their is no gas inside the bowls, turn the petcock to Prime while you have one of the floatbowl drains off - gas should flow out.

Assuming you have gas in the floatbowls, the problem must be spark - the spark plugs will be wet. Not sure what to suggest since you say the spark is good. The plug are on the proper cylinders right?

[gs_schmuck]

[bonanzadave]

As tight as people talk about sealing airboxes there must still be an opening for inlet air. Ya just cant seal that shut.

[kvgarrison]

Exactly what do you mean by "reversed the firing order"? :shock:

Hopefully you just swapped #1&4, then #2&3, because if you did anything else, it won't work.

In order for an engine to run, you only need three things:
1. a proper air/fuel mixture
2. sufficient compression
3. a properly-timed spark to light the mixture

You have verified the presence of fuel, but is it the correct mix?
Have you done a compression check? Valve adjustment can affect compression, but you say you have already done that.
You have verified spark, did you check it with a timing light to see if it's happening at the right time?

Just check the basics first, then let us know.


And if you are really set on getting the Honda, I want first dibs on another 850. 8-[
.

I'll keep the 850, but I do not have a timing light, nor do I have any equiptment to check compression, and yes I just switched 1&4 with 2&3

[kvgarrison]

Don't you be buying no Honda, or we'll talk about you when we're drunk!!!Silly as it sounds---have you got the carbs fitted into the manifold rubbers(engine side of your carbs) properly?When I rebuilt my 'S it wouldn't run(except with aerostart) because I didn't fit the carbs properly.They looked good ,but not so.Cost me a slap to the ears from old mate because he spotted it straight away when I got to the stage of considering HONDA.If you have spark and fuel to the carbs,you may be losing vacuum and not drawing fuel into the engine.Good luck.Cheers,Simon.

I'll take 'em off again tomorrow and try reseating them, thanks. My Honda always ran but I really like this bike, it 's got something, I know you know what I mean

[BassCliff]

Cooking with sparks

I'll keep the 850, but I do not have a timing light, nor do I have any equiptment to check compression, and yes I just switched 1&4 with 2&3

You mean you switched #1 with #4 and #2 with #3? Right?

Did you look at the troubleshooting guides in the Suzuki Shop Manual that you downloaded from my website? It could help.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[kvgarrison]

Check gas in the floatbowls by pulling out the plugs (don't forget a rag underneith). If their is no gas inside the bowls, turn the petcock to Prime while you have one of the floatbowl drains off - gas should flow out.

Assuming you have gas in the floatbowls, the problem must be spark - the spark plugs will be wet. Not sure what to suggest since you say the spark is good. The plug are on the proper cylinders right?

Right now sitting on the bike the left coil is 1 and 4 and the right coil is 2 & 3. Orange/white and White to left coil and Orange/white and Black to right coil

[kvgarrison]

As tight as people talk about sealing airboxes there must still be an opening for inlet air. Ya just cant seal that shut.

the snorkel is open and there are air holes on the bottom of the airbox

[Dark Jedi]

At one point, I found myself standing over the disassembeled engine of my 650G with that in hand... I took a few months off from working on it at that point.

[simon kuether]

If you want to narrow your search a bit,take out your air filter and spray some aerostart in.If the bike tries to run,then your problem is fuel related.If it doesn't try to start,it'll probably be electrical.Don't try to run the engine on this stuff or you may cause more trouble.Just use it to narrow your search.My carbs were sitting in their correct location but were only about 3/4 of the way in(so they looked seated )but leaked enough so no go.She fired on aerostart though.Cheers,Simon.:-D

[bwringer]

Hmmmm...

If the plugs/wires/coils weren't it, then there's something else that was overlooked. And as I understand it, you're not even getting a pop, poot, or a cough, but you can smell gas.

When you pull a spark plug, is it wet with gas?

It really does sound like you've covered all the bases, so it sounds like something else was overlooked. Another pair of eyes, especially if they have some experience with GS matters, might spot something you missed.

One of the toughest things about working on a GS is the isolation -- they're pretty straightforward as motorcycles go, but most of the time it's the first GS you've ever touched or worked on, so it's very, very easy to get something basic totally wrong. Been there, done that. Repeatedly. Wish I could go back a couple of years and bring some information back to my younger self.

Anyway, I think it's time to enlist reinforcements.

Any way you could get that thing in a trailer or pickup and bring it to Indy? Seriously...

I know there are several GS-ers in and around Chicago. Anyone around there willing to lend a hand?

[BentRod]

when you rebuilt your carbs, did you balance them? or have them balance? have you been adjusting your idle screw?

A compression gage would be a great tool to buy. If you are getting the correct spark at the right time, and the fuel-air mix is in fact proper, it won't mean anything if you don't have compression. I'm going to assume that you were very careful when you cleaned and rebuilt your carbs, and assume that the fuel air mixture is somewhere in the neighbour hood of where it should be, so you should at least be getting a thump or two.
It seems like you have either replaced or rebuilt everything else that could be wrong with your bike, so I would go get a compression gage.


This may be a silly question, and it have been answered and I'm just tired, but I'm assuming your starter relay is working fine and that the starting motor is turning the engine over properly.