82 GS650GL fuel leak between Carb#4 & air box - Is this normal?

[IluvmyGS]

I am a new ower of GS650GL and I am still learning about it. If any of my questions have been asked previously, then please forgive me?

1. My GS won't start in the morning unless I give her 1 or 2 spray of "Starting fluid" in the area between Carb #4 and air box. What do I need to do so I can get my bike run normally without using starting fluid? Carb clearning?

2. Because of the issue above, i let the screw ties the carb#4 and air box loose. Yesterday, when I was working on it and see fuel leak (very little, 1 or 2 drops) at that area every time I increase/pull the throttle. Is this normal or I have to rebuild the carb and replacing needle & all the jets?

Thanks and appreciate for all comment/advice!

[waterman]

For the vast majority of these motorcycles, the carbs need to be thoroughly cleaned and usually the rubber orings inside the carb replaced. The jets and other parts are usually cleaned and reused since they don't wear greatly. If you tear a gasket, you may need to replace. While you have carbs apart, measure float height and adjust if needed.

Once you have carbs off, remove the rubber intake flanges and replace the Orings that connect flanges to motor.

Reassemble everything. Make sure airbox fits tightly onto carbs and carbs fit tightly into flanges. Charge battery, set choke, fire up motor. This will usually solve most driveablity problems.

From here you move to adjusting valves by replacing shims, and a carb synch. I know this sounds challenging but in order to get it to run right you really can't take any shortcuts. The tasks themselves are not difficult or very expensive, just takes time and intiative. More than likely, this maintenance was neglected and previous owner sold it because it didn't run right.

[IluvmyGS]

Thanks for your advice waterman. I think I will run this bike like this until September the do a major tune up before storage it for the winter!

[TheCafeKid]

Waterman is giving you some good advice, but i would like to amend it just a bit. Its usually a better practice to adjust your valves BEFORE doing any carb tuning at all, as the changes you make in your valve train will effect any tuning you did to the carbs if you did it before you adjusted your valves. Plus, when adjusting the valves, the bike must be STONE COLD in order to get accurate measurements with your feeler gauges. If you even start the bike for a short time, you will have to likely wait a good 12 hours or more for it to be completely cold again. Likely, your starting issues STEM from misadjusted valves, as this is one of the first immediately noticable symptoms of such. Cold, hard starting, rough buzzy running, and long warming cycles are indicative of a bike in need of a valve adjustment. It is also symptoms of dirty, improperly balanced carbs as well, so taking care of these things will do you well in your endeavor to get your bike running tip top. I must warn you that continuing to run the bike in this condition for a lengthy period of time, say, untill the end of the riding season, depending on how much mileage you put on it, can be detremental to the motor. If your valves arent closing completely, the bike will run leaner and leaner, resulting in not only even harder starting issues, but eventually in burnt, damaged valves, piston crowns and ring and cylinder walls. At that point, a complete top end overhaul would be in order, and you would be looking at quite a bit more work, time and money than simply taking care of the issues that caused it originally. Just some advice, take it however you will

[psyguy]

Thanks for your advice waterman. I think I will run this bike like this until September the do a major tune up before storage it for the winter!

i would at least check the valves asap
only a couple of hours job
you only need the feeler gauges (and a new gasket in case the old one tears up when removed)

[IluvmyGS]

Thanks for all your good advice. Now, where can i purchase feeler gauge and new gasket? Also, should I order a set of shim as well in case I need that?

[seuadr]

feeler gauges you can get from any auto parts store. gasket, i would say www.z1enterprises.com would be a good bet, unless you have a local dealership that might have one in stock already. if there is pretty much any jap dealers you should be able to get the shims you need from them, and steve (http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/member.php?u=484) has a GREAT spreadsheet to help you calculate sizes, just send him an email with your name,
username,the model of your bike, and a vauge location. he just uses the info to track how popular and where the spreadsheet is going, it's completly free.

[psyguy]

Also, should I order a set of shim as well in case I need that?

no, not until you know what sizes you need (as there are too many combinations of what you might need)
if you go the route of actually taking the shims out (to see their sizes), and not just checking the clearances, you'll also need the "shim removal tool" available from www.z1enterprises.com
there are other tool-less methods of taking shims out, do a search in the forums (i'm not a fan of such methods)