Bike won't start and frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

This is my first time to post, and it looks like you have a great site here.

Okay, I have a '78 gs550. The actual mileage is unknown. It ran fine when I bought it, 2 months ago. The only problem was it was dumping fuel out of the float housing hose, from the carb 2nd from the braking side. It only seems to dump it after it has been turned off. This is my first bike, and I have mechanical experience related to VW bugs. So, I rebuilt all of the carbs. The bike is now back together, it is still dumping fuel, but that is not my main question.

As I said, it ran and idled fine before the rebuild. Smooth, quiet, etc... Now it won't start. The battery is dead, but should that keep it from kickstarting which I prefer to do anyway. I also tried to pop the clutch. The most I got was no more than a second of running. In that second it revs then tapers off to nothing. I try to throttle it up and no response, it still just dies. It sounds like it should rev up. Could I have forgotten to connect something? I disassembled according to my Clymer's manual.

Also, though less important (unless theres a spark) why might it be dumping fuel out of that carb?

Thank you for all of your help,
Billy Miles

[argonsagas]

Seems to me you should consider re-charging the battery, as you cannot check any other electrical activity until that is done.

Check your petcock for connections. Do you have one tube or two?

If two, then you may have the petcock set on PRIme, instead of RUN or
RESserve. I think you may have only one, however.

If the gas is running, and the bike is not, you likely have a problem with the floats, or at least the float settings. They are supposed to stop the flow
once the bowls are full, but you may have a "catch" inside that prevents them from seating properly.

[Dark Jedi]

Welcome, fellow 550'er!

I can tell you from experience, these babys don't like to start on a dead battery, kick or not. I suspect that the draw that dead battery places on the stator makes the spark too weak at the turnover speed. Once it starts, it will charge the battery with no problems.
I jumpered mine to a car battery and kicked it off with no problems.

PS: Wanna sell me your carbs?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

There are lots of sets of carbs for sale on e-bay right now.

Gavin

[earlfor]

Re: Bike won't start and frustrated.

If your bike had a magneto ignition system, the you could run it without having to have a battery to power the ignition. However, your bike has a points ignition system that is 12 volt powered, If you have a dead or shorted battery, you do not have a complete ignition circuit and consequently, the bike willl not run. It also will not run normally with a weak/low charged battery.

When sitting on the bike, the carbs and cylinders are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 from left to right. If you have fuel running out the overflow tube on #3 cylinder, then that float bowl is overflowing and the fuel flow to that cylinder is resulting in a VERY rich condition.

When the bike is running the the fuel in the #3 carb is going through the cylinder and out the exhaust. When the bike is not running, the engine requires no fuel and since it must go somewhere, it will run out the overflow tube and also run into the cylinder and down into the crankcase oil. The first thing you need to do is drain the crankcase oil and put oil back into the bike cause it AINT a gonna run or last long with a crankcase full of gas. !!!!!

Make sure your petcock is set to RUN, NOT prime! Prime is to be used only when the engine has run the tank dry or you have run the float bowls out of fuel, It is to be used only for about 15 seconds to fill the float bowls and then the petcock must be switched to RUN.

You will need to remove the carbs again, remove the float bowls and check the float height settings and check the float needle "O" rings.
While holding the carbs upside down with the float bowls off, and letting just the weight of the float hold the float needle closed, attach a piece of tubing to the fuel inlet Tee and try to blow through it. You should not be able to blow any air through it. If you can, replace seals until you cannot.
The float needles sealing is not optional. They must seal.

Earl

Hello all,

This is my first time to post, and it looks like you have a great site here.

Okay, I have a '78 gs550. The actual mileage is unknown. It ran fine when I bought it, 2 months ago. The only problem was it was dumping fuel out of the float housing hose, from the carb 2nd from the braking side. It only seems to dump it after it has been turned off. This is my first bike, and I have mechanical experience related to VW bugs. So, I rebuilt all of the carbs. The bike is now back together, it is still dumping fuel, but that is not my main question.

As I said, it ran and idled fine before the rebuild. Smooth, quiet, etc... Now it won't start. The battery is dead, but should that keep it from kickstarting which I prefer to do anyway. I also tried to pop the clutch. The most I got was no more than a second of running. In that second it revs then tapers off to nothing. I try to throttle it up and no response, it still just dies. It sounds like it should rev up. Could I have forgotten to connect something? I disassembled according to my Clymer's manual.

Also, though less important (unless theres a spark) why might it be dumping fuel out of that carb?

Thank you for all of your help,
Billy Miles

[Dark Jedi]

Hello,

There are lots of sets of carbs for sale on e-bay right now.

Gavin

I saw 2 sets for the GS550, one a three of four, the other sticking sliders.

Happen to know what all is compatible, or what to look for to make a match?

[earlfor]

In addition to my other post, you will need to check that the petcock is not dripping fuel when set to the run position. Also check the vacuum line for gas in it. There should be no trace of gas in the vacuum line.

Earl