anyone want a gs??

[niko]

man i'm so frustrated with this thing im ready to be done with it. i got my 550 running about 2 months ago and since then ive gotten thirty miles out of it and two months of headaches. heres what ive done and what it's doing, fair warning this will be long. new used igniter cleaned carbs sealed airbox and boots adjusted valves, (all but one were in spec and didn't have to do anything) electrosport r/r new plugs air filter oil and filter. it ran well for thirty miles and then it started stalling out at idle. i took the carbs back down and found one of the main jets in the float bowl broken, so i replaced it and put everything back together and it still wont idle. it is getting really hot really fast, plugs are black and it is idling at 1500-2000 with the idle screw all the way out, also when i rev it up it is really slow to walk back down and it sounds rattly from the head/engine area. the carbs are factory set for richness and i don't know what to do to change that, is there something that has to be drilled out and should i have to do that since they are still set by the factory? any help would be appreciated or if anyone wants a bike

[rapidray]

Do NOT give up! There are too many of us on here that LIKE to help! First, take the petcock out of the tank & flush the tank with CLEAN gas. Clean the petcock & reinstall it. Next, remove the carbs, disassemble them, clean ALL of the parts, drill the air mixture screw plugs & remove them, set mixture screws 1.5 turns out, set float heights, reassemble & reinstall. Install an inline fuel filter. Reassemble bike & start it up. Let us know if you have more questions or need someone close to you to come help. I wish you were in SoCal so I could help you out. Good luck & keep us informed! Ray.

[hikermikem]

Like RapidRay sez... "Don't give up"

Sounds like you need to clean your carbs the right way - check out this link & follow the instructions. Looks complicated but it's not really.

http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

The carbs need to be COMPLETELY disassembled & thoughly cleaned by dipping.

You will need to replace the o-rings as well - here's where to get them:

http://www.cycleorings.com/ Be sure to replace the intake boot o-rings as well.

Take your time and clean them properly - you will rewarded with a great running bike once you are finished.

Ask questions here if you get confused or frustrated. You can do it - we all started where you are now.

Good luck,

mike

[Outlander]

Sounds like a vacumn leak at the manifolds too. You might want to replace the o-rings there as well. I believe Mr. Robert Barr has those. They are cheap, and easy to replace. As many have said here, they last 20 years, so once replaced you are good to go for awhile.

I second what the others say. Rebuild your carbs. Give em a bath, and make sure all the passage ways are blown out. New o-rings can breath new life into an old scoot. Just take your time, and have some patience, it will be worth it in the long run.

Also, pull the plugs, have them cleaned, or replaced. Check your point system, if equipped. Make sure the contact area is clean and a good contact surface is available. If you have a signal generator, make sure those areas are clean as well. That will help you attain a good spark.

Just my ideas.

[nert]

idle very fast with screw all the way out, slow to return to idle.
You have a vacuum leak. Vacuum line to petcock, petcock faulty, or intake boots. Not familiar with specifics of 550.

Spray carb cleaner around the carbs and hoses. (short directed squirts) Increase in speed and smoothness will identify the leak area. (some on the forum disagree with carb cleaner as it is combustible) Water spray (squeeze pump bottle) will change engine operation, not as well.

[niko]

would a vacuum leak account for the rattly sound in the engine/head/valve area?

[nert]

it could. lean mixture on (1) or (2) cylinders due to vacuum leak. Carbs could be BADLY synchronized as well and cause similar symptome. Did you start with a mechanical sync after cleaning the carbs?

[niko]

since they are factory set for richness i didn't think they would have to be synced as i can't control richness, what part do i have to drill out in order to control this?

[nert]

I don't understand what you mean by factory set for richness. Unless you mean the factory adjusted the carbs, set the tamper proof plugs, and no one has touched the mixture screws.

Synchronized means all (4) carbs are opening the same amount at the same time. If even (1) carb is advanced that can give a high idle, rattly sound, slow throttle down and a number of performance issues. Do a search, learn about bench synchronizing the carbs with a drill bit (as a gauge) not a hole making device, and get the carbs reasonably close. ALSO, as stated, be sure there are no vacuum leaks.

[chef1366]

Change the o-rings at the intake manifold and follow Ray's direction.

[Steve]

Nah, I think you should ignore all these other guys. They just want you to get your hands all dirty working on your bike so you can enjoy another 30 miles on it. Personally, I think you just need to PM me your address and I will be right there to relieve you of your headache. 8-[




However, if you insist on getting your hands dirty, it sounds like you need to clean the carbs. Yes, it will be again, but do it right this time. Take them COMPLETELY apart. Don't forget to take out the plug that seals the 'factory richness' screw. That would be the idle mixture adjustment screw. There is an o-ring around the tip of that screw that should be removed before the carbs are dipped overnight, one at a time. When the carbs are taken out of the dip, they get rinsed in warm water, then use a fine wire to make sure all the solid stuff is out of all the passages. Next, put on your safety glasses, use carb cleaner spray to spray into all the holes in the carb body. You will find that some of them will come right back at you, hence the glasses. Follow up with a squirt of compressed air to make sure all the passages are clear. Use a strand of copper wire from a 12- or 14-gauge wire to mechanically clean all the holes in all the jets. Put everything back together with new o-rings, set the float height, set the mixture screws to 2 turns out from lightly seated, close everything back up and do a bench sync. This is where you use a small wire as a feeler gauge to ensure that all the throttle butterflies are opening at the same time. After you install the carbs on the bike, prime the float bowls, start the bike and warm it up. Now it's time to do a dynamic sync with gauges. When all that is done, it should run like a new bike. Let us know how it turns out.

.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. niko,

For future reference, I have collected some notes on bench syncing your carbs. You can find them here:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/carb_sync_notes.html

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff